It’s hard to watch “Kit Kitteredge: An American Girl” without noticing that the movie lacks so many of the requisite elements that make a family film into a box office juggernaut nowadays.

The filmmakers seem to have forgotten to put in all the annoying tween pop culture references, the non-stop potty humor or the blatant marketing tie ins. Instead, they opted to make a film with genuine feeling; one that deals with real life issues and full-bodied characters. What were they thinking? How are you going to sell more dolls if you force the kids to sit through a charming and well-made movie that’s not just another extended TV commercial?

Set in Cincinnati in 1934, Abigail Breslin plays the title character, Kit, a plucky young girl whose comfortable worldview is under attack by the financial challenges of the Great Depression. To make ends meet, the Kitteredge family has taken in boarders while dad is out hunting for a job.  The oddball characters that fill the house include a mobile librarian (Joan Cusack), a wry magician (Stanley Tucci) and a husband-hunting dance instructor (Jane Krakowski). There are also a couple of hobo children who show up looking for work and food. The story kicks into gear when the hobos get blamed for a series of robberies. Kit believes them to be innocent, so she transforms into a pint-sized investigative reporter determined to prove their innocence.

The result is a straightforward mystery that’s filled with a light-and-breezy spirit, even while exploring graver issues like poverty and prejudice. Somewhat surprisingly, the film doesn’t play like a boring history lesson or a staid Sunday School lecture. Credit Abigail Breslin for turning in yet another knockout performance that keeps the film accessible to even the youngest of audiences. She’s not alone here, with a supporting cast of accomplished grownup actors who ensure that “Kit Kitteredge” has plenty to offer young and old alike. The American Girl Marketing Department may not be happy with the film, but parents and their kids will love this old-fashioned, feel good family drama. If only all family films could be this good.

Movie reviews by Sean, “The Movie Guy,” are published bi-weekly in “The Port Arthur News.” Sean welcomes your comments via email at smcbride@kavutv.com.