Pollyanna Whittier goes to live with her wealthy but bitter aunt after the tragic death of her father. Pollyanna shares a game her father taught her -- the 'Glad Game' -- in which everyone can find a silver lining in even the darkest cloud, and her sunny nature, good humor and determination to look on the bright side of life prove to have an astonishing effect on those around her. With the help of her orphaned friend, Jimmy Bean, she casts her spell on the grumpiest townsfolk of Beldingsville -- including the cynical shut-in Mrs. Snow, the morose millionaire Mr. Pendleton and the enigmatic Dr. Chilton. And Pollyanna masterminds the romance between her Aunt's maid, Nancy, and the handyman, Tim. It is only Aunt Polly, who cannot bring herself to embrace Pollyanna's innocence and joy. But all is not straightforward in Pollyanna's war against pessimism, since she must overcome a personal tragedy that threatens to banish "glad" from her vocabulary forever.
Acting
Pam Ferris as Mrs. Snow steals every scene with bitter perfection.
Writing
Darker than the Disney version—this script knows optimism hurts.
Director
Sarah Harding
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This 2003 ITV adaptation restores the novel's darker ending that Disney famously softened in 1960.
The term 'Pollyanna' became psychological shorthand for toxic positivity—this film interrogates whether that's fair to the character.
US
GB
