Among many things, all 12-year-old Abigail Breslin has done with her busy career is get nominated for a supporting Oscar (in “Little Miss Sunshine”), starred in this year’s most underrated romantic comedy (“Definitely, Maybe”) and, now, gone head-to-head with Will Smith, the undisputed king of July Fourth on his own movie holiday.
Of course, the latter is happening because Breslin’s latest, “Kit Kittredge: An American Girl,” expands from a five-screen opening – in cities that just happen to have All-American Girl stores -- to go against Smith’s “Hancock” all across the USA. Certainly, no one expects the sweet little reporter to knock off a drunken superhero, but don’t bet against “Kittredge” holding her own at least in the on-screen average category. I mean, this little Kit took in more than $44,000 per theater in her first limited weekend.
Still, the actress who portrays the Depression-era heroine obviously remains very young at heart. “I really liked all the 'American Girl' dolls so that was definitely one of the things that I relate with,” Breslin says. “I collect them all and I've collected them since I was like 8 or something. Kit was always one of my favorites, so it was cool to get to play her."
“I think that she is very brave. She always wants to help people. She does things that, even though she doesn't want to do some things, she does it, and she does it happily. I think that is one of the cool things about her.”
You wouldn’t believe, though, what really makes Kit courageous in Breslin’s wise eyes.
“She certainly is different from now because she doesn't have iPods, or cell phones, and that makes her a lot more brave than I am I would say. I really don't know what I would do without all my stuff, including like my computer. I just don't know what I would do without them.”
Well, one thing is she probably couldn’t make her movie deals so easily. Next up for Breslin is the 2009 drama, "My Sister's Keeper," directed by Nick Cassavetes and co-starring Cameron Diaz and Alec Baldwin.
John M. Urbancich
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Cleveland Sun -- Intermission
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