POLLYANA (1960) **1/2 Knowing Walt Disney films of the period there's little trouble determining the happy final fate of each character as they appear. Of course, the currency of classic Disney was neither making any particular splash nor confusing the audience; certainly not suspense, nothing to speak of. Thus it shall surprise you not as the film winds its generally merry way towards the climactic scenes of a small town bazaar and tree climbing. Hayley Mills splendidly reprising her greatest roll as a wonderful, helpful do-gooder child all the way. The film hardly suffers from the fact that it is speckled with fine performances from equitably hip actors: why look, there's a daring double play from Bewitched (Agnes Moorehead determined as ever to formulate her own moods, and Mary Grace Canfield playing her trump card of watching in neo-smitten horror and disbelief at all), and it's Karl Malden defining the bookends of immorality from the pulpit (or is that the bookend of pulpit immorality?), and there's Edward Platt! (where do I know him from? answer: everywhere, including Bewitched), and good ol' Jane Wyman fervidly basking in the glow of flushing her fourth divorce (or perhaps glowing from anticipation of number five, whom it turned out was just number four jubilantly ensnared again.Hollywood's a tough town, but full of rewards for the lucky and tenacious).yes, it's a fine thing; it's a fine fine thing that the film is populated by fine actors rather than kangaroos or clothes pins or carbuncles, and not at all to its detriment. It is a good thing.they are good things, to be happy and to look for the good in others, and to find a way together; and qualities ignored for better and worse for the imbalance of the remainder of the decade. But there for that shining moment it all looked so possible and true and inevitable. I heard about it, immodestly. So should you.
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