Samantha: An American Girl Holiday

Samantha Parkington lives in a large country house in Mount Bedford, New York, under the care of her grandmother. She considers others' well-being and defends her new neighbors when they arrive. Her world begins to widen as a sense of community forms around her.

Nellie O'Malley, her sisters Bridget and Jenny, and their father come to Mount Bedford to work as servants. Samantha defends them from Eddie Ryland's bullying and begins to build a friendship with the newcomers. The encounter marks the start of a growing bond across social lines.

Nellie shares that she came from New York City after working in a factory and that her mother is dead. Samantha offers to teach Nellie because of her illiteracy and, in turn, learns about her own parents' deaths in a boat accident. A mutual trust forms as they exchange difficult memories.

Uncle Gardner arrives with his fiancée Cornelia Pitt, and Samantha learns they plan to marry in Mount Bedford at the end of July. She initially dislikes Cornelia, fearing more change to her life. Gardner reveals the wedding and reassures Samantha that she will remain part of his family.

Gardner forgets an important trip to the St. Louis exposition, prompting Samantha to worry that she will be forgotten after the marriage. Gardner reassures her that she will always be part of his family. The tension highlights Samantha's longing for stability and closeness.

One night, Samantha overhears Gardner planning that she will stay with him and Cornelia in New York City in the fall. Upset, she and Nellie hide in Samantha's boathouse overnight. Eddie catches them and reports them, but Samantha takes the blame and they are ultimately forgiven.

Samantha relocates to New York City and begins writing letters to Nellie, sending city slides as a gift from Uncle Gard. At school, she and the other girls are asked to craft a speech about Progress in America for a Christmas program, choosing to focus on factories. Her move expands her perspective beyond Mount Bedford.

A letter reveals that Nellie’s father has died from influenza and the girls have been sent to an orphanage in New York City. Samantha and Cornelia visit the orphanage and discover a thieving matron and poor conditions, and Nellie is separated from her sisters. They help the girls escape and Nellie returns to factory work.

Bridget wakes with a fever, prompting Samantha to go to the factory to find Nellie. There she witnesses the perils of child labor and, moved by the abuses, Nellie leaves to care for Bridget. Samantha confesses her actions and the family agrees to shelter the girls temporarily, though Gardner warns they may need authorities.

Moved by the conditions she has witnessed, Samantha rewrites the speech she was to perform at the Christmas program to argue that true progress cannot exist while factories abuse workers. The moment reframes her understanding of American progress. Her words gain new power as she presents them.

Gardner and Cornelia ask Samantha to stay in New York City permanently after Grandmary accepts Admiral Bemmis's proposal. Samantha agrees and asks Nellie, Bridget, and Jenny to stay as maids and be adopted along with her. On Christmas morning, the girls reveal they will indeed stay, and Jenny speaks her first words since her mother’s death.

The film ends with Samantha gifting presents to the girls living in the orphanage under a new owner, signaling a fresh start for the children and a future space for their happiness. The bond between Samantha and the girls remains central as they move forward together. The story closes on a note of compassion and continuity.