The New England community of Harrington, Vermont appears to be lacking a certain vibrancy when a young girl arrives on the scene. Set in 1912, the story follows an orphaned child accustomed to hardship as the daughter of missionaries (Hayley Mills) who goes to live with her affluent aunt (Jane Wyman). This aunt essentially controls the town and manages it through strict adherence to rules and regulations. The people there are clearly longing for a bit of cheerfulness. Richard Egan portrays a physician, a former romantic interest of the aunt, who returns to Harrington, while Carl Malden takes on the role of a pastor experiencing a spiritual crisis. Nancy Olson, Adolphe Menjou, and Agnes Moorehead also have important parts in the film. “Pollyanna” (1960) initially seems like a simple family movie with some humorous moments, but it’s ultimately quite touching and addresses serious subjects—specifically, how legalism can stifle faith, transforming Christianity into a rigid system focused on outward appearances rather than genuine feeling. A particularly memorable scene involves an unsettling sermon about eternal damnation, which manages to be both disturbing and funny (Malden seems to be intentionally overacting), although there are other worthwhile moments as well. Pollyanna’s presence is reminiscent of a kitten we received as a present, discovered close to death in a wildlife preserve. He was constantly happy and shared his love with everyone; he felt like a blessing, truly remarkable. The film has a running time of 2 hours and 14 minutes and was filmed primarily in Southern California. Aunt Polly’s mansion stood in Santa Rosa, the scenes set at the Bazaar were shot at Universal City, and the train station sequences took place in St Helena; other locations include Calistoga, Petaluma, and Disney Studios in Burbank. GRADE: A-/B+

Source on TMDB