The Greening of Whitney Brown

Posted on November 22, 2011 at 12:03 pm

B-
Lowest Recommended Age: 4th - 6th Grades
MPAA Rating: Rated PG for brief mild language
Profanity: Brief mild language
Alcohol/ Drugs: None
Violence/ Scariness: Comic peril
Diversity Issues: None
Date Released to Theaters: November 23, 2011
Amazon.com ASIN: B005TTEG0M

A middle schooler who thinks she has it all figured out finds herself tossed from 1 percent-ville to 99-percent-land in a cute new film in limited release called “The Greening of Whitney Brown.”  Sammi Hanratty plays the title character, a spoiled prep school princess who is elected school president on a platform that is all about throwing the biggest, best, and most expensive party.  But then her father loses his job when his company goes bankrupt and her parents (Aiden Quinn and Brooke Shields) take her to a place in the country that is all they have left.  Everything is old and broken, there’s a horse that follows her around like Mary’s little sheep, she gets no cell phone reception, and everything she thought she knew about what makes someone popular turns out not to apply in her new school.

Whitney has to start over more than once, especially after it turns out that the friend she trusted to watch out for her at her old school is more competitive and less loyal than she thought.  As Whitney’s parents begin to figure out a path to a new career out in the country, Whitney begins to understand that things she once thought were important don’t matter and things she once dismissed without a thought are where the real value lies.

 

 

 

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2 Replies to “The Greening of Whitney Brown”

  1. As a person who has always lived on a farm in the country, there is nothing better. Yes, there is a lack of the on the edge technology, but the fresh air and dealing with nature can’t be beat. There is something special about seeing animals in their natural habitat not being disturbed by modern equipment knocking down tress. You learn that the basics are all you really need to enjoy your life. Even though when I was young we needed to use a hand pump to get our water and had an outhouse. People in the country have a different attitude towards life and what is and isn’t important. I would never trade riding a horse, milking a cow, finding the chickens, taking a nice walk through the woods and observing nature, helping out a neighbor who has had a problem for any type city living. So, I can certainly relate to the family in the film heading to the country and having Whitney discover what is really important in life.

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