Savannah Smiles

Amazon.com

Produced in 1982, Savannah Smiles tells the story of Savannah, a girl of privilege who runs away from home. She ends up in the company of Boots and Alvie, two ex-convicts on the run. This bumbling duo soon realizes who Savannah is and that a large reward has been offered for her return. They try to give her back, but instead of the parents being grateful, they accuse the two of kidnapping. Boots and Alvie have no choice but to go underground with Savannah, and the three soon become a family whose days are filled with kite flying, home-cooked meals, bedtime stories, and a puppy. But Boots and Alvie know in their hearts they must do the right thing and return Savannah to her parents. For its time, this is a sweet movie filled with innocence and fun. However, in a time when children are told never to go off with strangers, it is hard to justify a movie that glorifies that very thing, no matter how goodhearted the two felons are. (Ages 6 and older) --Peggy Maltby-Etra

Description

The All-Time Family Classic Now On DVD! Alvie and Boots (Mark Miller and Donovan Scott) are a pair of bumbling felons searching for the ultimate score after a daring prison escape. Savannah Driscoll (the unforgettable Bridgette Andersen in her movie debut) is an imaginative six-year-old whose wealthy politician parents have little time for her. But when Savannah runs away from home and hides in Boots and Alvie's broken-down getaway car, the small- time crooks are suddenly mistaken for big-time kidnappers. Can a hard luck fugitive and a failed chicken thief now find a foolproof way to collect the $100,000 ransom? Why is the nation's toughest investigator (Peter Graves of AIRPLANE!) hunting them down like hardcore criminals? And most of all, will the charms of one special little girl teach everyone about love, trust, friendship and family? Michael Parks, Chris Robinson and Oscar® nominee Pat Morita (THE KARATE KID) co-star in this beloved childhood favorite that captivated a nation to become one of the most heartwarming hits of the decade!

Customer Reviews:

Blast from the Past - Old Movies.......2007-08-13

I have 4 granddaughters and they all love movies as much as cartoons -
Annie, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Mary Poppins, Wizard of Oz, etc. Soooo, I have been buying some of the older movies that I watched - Pollyanna, Old Yeller.
Then, I remembered when my kids were little and we got cable one of the first movies we watched was Savannah Smiles. I ordered it and the little girls all loved it, and their parents (my kids) loved that they loved it.
I had remembered that it was a precious movie, but I forgot how precious.
Note: There are a few bad words - ex. bastard for one. I wasn't crazy about that, but just made a point to say, "Oh, my goodness, that wasn't a very nice word!!", if I thought it was necessary to address.

I smile at the thought..........2007-07-24

I looked for this movie on DVD for ages. It was even hard to find on VHS. We had nearly worn out our 1980s video recording from cable.
When I had first read about the movie, I thought it would be a "The Ransom of Red Chief" sort of tale, but this was not the case.
"Savannah Smiles" is an odd little story, and I hope it has never inspired a child to run away in order to punish a neglectful parent. Not every person who would find such a child would turn out to be as kind-hearted as Boots (Donovan) and Alvie (Miller). These two convicts (ex-con, in Boots' case) have led hard lives with a great deal of neglect and abuse, themselves. Yet getting to know Savannah (Andersen) and protecting her from the bad things of the world allows them both to learn they can be and are more than they ever thought possible. They tell Savannah that when she ran away, she did something very reckless and dangerous, and that not everyone out in the world would be nice to her. Her safety becomes very important to them.
We can't say as much for Savannah's father, a PR-hungry politician with no heart. (Ironically, he is portrayed by Chris Robinson, whom viewers might remember as Laura's beloved step-dad on General Hospital.)
I loved watching this movie with my kids. They are all grown now, but this movie still holds a special place in all our hearts.
Mark Miller seemed familiar to me. Besides being the actor who portrayed tough-guy Alvie, he was the man who wrote the story and the screenplay. He had also played the part of the dad on a 1960s TV show called "Please Don't Eat the Daisies," which I adored as a kid. One of his real-life daughters is named Savannah.
Sadly, the story of Bridgette Andersen does not have a happy ending. She died from a drug overdose before her twenty-second birthday. What a waste of human life and talent! This bit of her that she leaves behind reveals a sparkle of love and hope. It makes one wonder what might have been.

Savannah Smiles.......2007-07-06

Bridgette Andersne would be one of the most talented actresses of this age her acting was superb. I had tears and laughter what a delightful story of this little girl who was neglected by her parents and trusted two hardened criminals. I throughly enjoyed it.

One of my favorites.......2007-05-18

I was so excited to find this movie, I told my daughter and she asked me to order one for her also, we would watch this movie when our kyds were little, we recorded it off TV and we watched it so much we finally wore out the tape so this find was a treasure. We watched it as soon as it arrived and it brought back good memories

An enduring favorite!.......2007-05-09

Our family watched this wonderful movie many times together when our children were small. Now, we are sending it to them to watch with their children. And they're loving it!!!

Average customer rating:

Adorable
A Loved movie of all time, just a bad copy to DVD
Beloved movie from childhood
Just as remembered
NO ONE WILL EVER FORGET ABOUT BRIDGETTE ANDERSEN OR SAVANNAH SMILES!!

Savannah Smiles
Starring: Philip Abbott , Bridgette Andersen , Lynn Borden , Catherine Campbell , and Annette Claudier
Director: Pierre de Moro
Manufacturer: Cheezy Flicks Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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Product Features:

A much-beloved family classic!
A warm and touching movie for the whole family!

ASIN: B000G28NPQ
Release Date: 2006-12-05

Product Description

Savannah is the only child of a wealthy politician, Richard Driscoll (Chris Robinson) who is more concerned with his image and career than with his family. When only the maid shares Savannahs birthday cake, she decides to run away. She hides in her aunts car that is stolen that next day by two bungling criminals (Mark Miller and Donovan Scott) who are on the loose. Surprised at having Savannah in the car, the criminals try to decide what to do with her. Savannah refuses to tell them her name or where she lives. So, they have no choice but to take her back to their hideout. Savannah's disappearance is in the newspapers and a $100,000 reward is offered for her safe return. The criminals decide to keep her a little longer so they can figure out how to collect the money and not be caught or charged with kidnapping. A unique friend ship emerges as the three get to know each other as a hard-nosed detective (Peter Graves) tries to find her. In a final showdown, Savannah expresses her love for the two criminals who showed her love and friendship as her father looks on, embarrassed by being upstaged by these two criminals.

Customer Reviews:

Adorable.......2007-07-15

Cute, Cute, Cute watched this movie when i was alittle girl and still to this day i still get teary at the end. Glad i found this movie!!!!!

A Loved movie of all time, just a bad copy to DVD.......2007-01-25

Loved Bridgette in this movie. Poor quality DVD, but just worth watching again. I haven't seen this movie in a long time and it still makes you laugh and cry.

Bridgette "Savannah" was shown more love and respect with the bad guys then with or by her own parents. To bad that Savannah never got to see her new friends ever again.
You can tell she loved them when she was taken away in a car with her mom. Loved her telling them a bed time story, since neither of them new any. She was better off with the 2 guys than at home. I don't normally say that, but in this case I do.

Money can't buy you love and respect. You have to earn it. Savannah had everything that money could buy her, but all she wanted was the love, respect and time of her parents.
Time spent with a child is worth more than any material thing you can or may buy them.

The police always jump to conclusions.....and the father was horrible to Savannah. Her nanny found her run away letter, but her own father burned it in the fireplace.
Her father called police even when he promised not to.

Great movie, but very poor quality! Bridgette, "Savannah" made the movie for me. You can't help falling for this little adorable little girl. So Cute.

Very good movie, glad to finally find it, but disappointed on the quality. It is still a keeper in my book.

Movie rating 10 stars! Quality rating 2 stars!

Savannah will make you laugh and cry over and over again...

Beloved movie from childhood.......2007-01-16

I loved this movie as a child and loved when I watched it again as an adult. I wouldn't recommend it for small children to watch though, but older children and adults should watch this movie at some point in their lives. You gotta love Savannah. It makes you think about how much your kids know and how much they pick up on from parents and how naive they can be at the same time. Great movie. Maybe I'll watch it again tonight!

Just as remembered.......2007-01-09

I LOVED this movie when I was little!! And when I watched it again I felt like I did when I was little!!

NO ONE WILL EVER FORGET ABOUT BRIDGETTE ANDERSEN OR SAVANNAH SMILES!!.......2006-07-18

I LOVED BRIDGETTE ANDERSEN AND THIS MOVIE SO MUCH!!
I CAN'T PASS THIS MOVIE UP WHENEVER I CATCH IT ON TV, BUT IT ISN'T OFTEN!!
IT IS A SWEET MOVIE THAT MAKES YOU LAUGH AND MAKES YOU CRY!!
THIS IS A CHILDHOOD FAVORITE THAT EVERY FAMILY SHOULD SEE AND ADD TO THEIR COLLECTION!!
I WILL NEVER FORGET ABOUT THIS BEAUTIFUL MOVIE AND THE BEAUTIFUL FEELING THAT WAS BROUGHT INTO MY LIFE EVERY TIME SAVANNAH SMILED AND BRIDGETTE SMILED!!
THE WORLD HAS TRULY LOST A BEAUTIFUL PERSON!!

Average customer rating:

Poor Production
Heart Warming
Savannah Smiles
Savannah Smiles - an oldie but a goodie!
A Real Enjoyment

SAVANNAH SMILES

Manufacturer: Pacific Family Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video
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Savannah Smiles

ASIN: B0007L6KGU

Product Description

Gorgeous scenery, touching music, tears, and the excitement and adventure of the unknown are all elements of this heart-warming story of Savannah, a delightful runaway six-year-old who is thrown together with two escaped convicts, Alvie and Boots, in a crazy comedy of errors. Savannah's father offers a huge reward for her safe return, believing her to be kidnapped a reward two fugitives with a police record will have a great deal of trouble collecting. Hiding out in an abandoned house, Savannah, Alvie and Boots find the strong bond of love and family they've never known before. The film climaxes with a tense encounter in which Alvie and Boots sacrifice their chance for escape because of their concern for Savannah.

Customer Reviews:

Poor Production.......2006-09-27

I'm rating this 1 star purely on the quality of this release, not the movie itself. I love the movie, but both the audio and video looks and sounds like a poor tape conversion. I made the mistake of buying this DVD for $19.99 and have ordered a new production released by Anchor Bay, which I'm assuming will be of decent quality. Don't pay $39.99, wait for the new release, it can't be any worse and it's available in the $10 range.

Heart Warming.......2006-02-22

This movie is super family friendly and funny too. I especially love this movie because I was named after it. I always hope that my smile will warm up hardened hearts like Savannah's did in the movie. It has to be checked out.

Savannah Smiles.......2006-01-08

My mom first tapped this movie from tv because of the little girl's name, Savannah, which is also my name. I've watched it many times and I never get tired of watching it. It's a great family movie.

Savannah Smiles - an oldie but a goodie!.......2005-10-14

My younger sister and I loved this movie when we were kids and watched it numerous times with our beloved grandfather who had a VHS copy of it. I recently purchased a DVD copy of it and intend to share it with my sister. Movie quotes like "ain't these taters good, Savannah" have stuck with my family for many years. If in the future I become a mom and/or aunt I'd like to share this wonderful film with a younger generation. Adults might not enjoy this movie too much, but I would highly recommend it for children.

A Real Enjoyment .......2005-09-03

I can watch this movie over and over. It is one of my favorites.

Average customer rating:

Blast from the Past - Old Movies
I smile at the thought...
Savannah Smiles
One of my favorites
An enduring favorite!

Savannah Smiles
Starring: Mark Miller , Donovan Scott , Bridgette Andersen , Chris Robinson , and Michael Parks
Director: Pierre De Moro
Manufacturer: Henstooth Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

7-9 Years | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

10-12 Years | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Family Films | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: 6305901163
Release Date: 2000-09-26

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Blast from the Past - Old Movies.......2007-08-13

I smile at the thought..........2007-07-24

Savannah Smiles.......2007-07-06

One of my favorites.......2007-05-18

An enduring favorite!.......2007-05-09

Our family watched this wonderful movie many times together when our children were small. Now, we are sending it to them to watch with their children. And they're loving it!!!

DVD:

DVD

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