The Great Gilly Hopkins (2016)

Why so much hype?

Redundant and unnecessary.

Brilliant and touching

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

I must say I was drawn in by the stellar cast of A-list actors from Kathy Bates and Ovtavia Spencer and Glenn Close who I haven't seen much of the last 20 years. Did not know who the lead actress Sophie Nelisse was but she was outstanding too. It was a tear-jerker for sure, from about the mid-point to the end, I was in tears and at times almost choked up with emotion. I highly recommend this movie for any family to watch as it deals with many issues of growing up, acceptance and rejection and ultimately seeing the value of family and friends. It's really all we have as human-beings and defines who we are ultimately.

The Great Gilly Hopkins is a beautiful, touching film that should have gotten more attention. Although a wonderful family film, I would guess it will get seen most in middle school classrooms doing a study on the book, which it follows very closely. It's not without some rough edges- -there is some language and behavior that may not be to every parent's liking, but I appreciated that it made an effort to show how a real person might react in her situation. I will say the book told this story more effectively--several scenes had more impact as written, and I felt a much greater sense of urgency in the final scene of the book than I did watching the film. Even so, I think that it's a story that will hook viewers in and keep them invested right to the end. Without being manipulative or delving into false sentiment, The Great Gilly Hopkins made me care about its characters and had me choked up more than once before it was through.

Galadriel 'Gilly' Hopkins (Sophie Nélisse) is a bitter, smart foster kid. Her social worker Ellis warns her that this is her last chance before forced into a group institution. Her new foster mother Maime Trotter (Kathy Bates) is just as tough caring for troubled W.E. and blind neighbor Mr. Randolph (Bill Cobbs). Gilly gets into trouble at school right away. She rebels against her teacher Miss Harris (Octavia Spencer). Agnes is desperate to be her friend. She gets a postcard from her mother Courtney Hopkins (Julia Stiles) and dreams of reuniting with her. She writes to her grandmother Nonnie Hopkins (Glenn Close) lying about Maime Trotter in hopes of moving in with her mother in California. She even tries to run away.There are bits and pieces of humor. There are other bits and pieces of a heartfelt touching story. The lead Sophie Nélisse is a fine young actress. It's nice to see her continue after great work as a child actress in Monsieur Lazhar. This movie is populated by great actors. There are nicely-drawn characters and then the movie hits a speed bump. It may work for the book but it doesn't necessarily work as a movie. The audience has build up capital with these characters and they need to be around visually to reap the profits. The last act is fine but it feels emotionally empty when none of the earlier characters are around.

If you're looking for a movie to watch with your family, then this is the one. The Great Gilly Hopkins is an entertaining family movie for both adults & kids. With its dramatic & funny moments, it teaches the audience the importance of relationships, and what it takes to form a real family. The movie focuses on the life of Gilly Hopkins, a foster kid who's in a journey to find her real family, moving from a foster home to another, in search for her biological mother. That's until she meets her new foster mother, Maime Trotter, then her relationship with people in that community, from family members to teachers & friends, evolves with time into friendship, respect, and compassion. She ends up finding what she was always looking for, after learning that it takes love, esteem, and care to form a real family.My only complaint about this movie is that the story lacked depth, and the events were too straightforward. Overall, it was above average. So if you're looking for something entertaining & simple, then this is it.