Film Review – The Great Gilly Hopkins

They don’t make movies like “The Great Gilly Hopkins” anymore, making the picture’s creation something to be valued, even with its problems. It’s a story about behavioral issues and abandonment, and it retains a slight edge to keep it away from Disney territory, bravely confronting ugliness the titular character wields to get a reaction out of people. It’s an adaptation of a lauded 1978 book by Katherine Paterson, the author of “Bridge to Terabithia,” and director Stephen Herek respects its literary perspective, working to get inside the mind of a young girl suffering through tremendous challenges and changes, most threatening to harden her at a tender age. Not everything comes together as profoundly as it could, but “The Great Gilly Hopkins” satisfies with characterization and deeply felt performances. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com