Samantha: An American Girl Holiday

Young Samantha Parkington lives with her grandmother, "Grandmary" Edwards, in a world of wealth and privilege in fictional Mount Bedford on the Hudson River in New York State circa 1904. Nellie, a servant girl about Samantha's age, moves into the house next-door with her father and two younger sisters. Samantha is an unspoiled young girl without class biases or prejudices and takes an instant liking to Nellie, teaching her to read and sharing Nellie's household tasks such as carpet beating,darning,and other small jobs Samantha and Nellie become fast friends. The girls turn to each other in happiness and sorrow, adventure and danger, and grow as close as sisters.

After Nellie's father dies, she and her little sisters are sent to a dismal orphanage run by a thieving matron. Samantha rescues the girls and hides them at home. Nellie secretly takes a job in a factory to support her little sisters. Samantha tracks her down and brings her home, then bravely speaks out against the cruelty of child labor at her school. Eventually, Samantha's Uncle Gard and his new wife Cornelia adopt the three little orphans. The film ends with the girls happily enjoying a Christmas sleigh ride through cotton candy-like drifts of snow. A sub-plot involves Samantha "letting-go" of her beloved bachelor Uncle Gard when he brings home his future bride.