Pollyanna

Pollyanna (1960) is a Disney family drama you can watch online on iFILM. Director David Swift adapted Eleanor Porter's 1913 novel, and young Hayley Mills took the lead — her performance earned her a special Juvenile Oscar from the Academy.

After losing her parents, Pollyanna arrives to live with her wealthy, unbending Aunt Polly, who effectively runs the small New England town with an iron hand. Pollyanna's father left her one tool: the Glad Game — the habit of finding something to be grateful for in any situation, no matter how bleak. The townspeople, the minister, even Aunt Polly find this cheerfulness quietly infuriating at first. Then, slowly, something shifts — not because Pollyanna preaches at anyone, but because she keeps demonstrating, in small ways, that the choice is always available.

Hayley Mills plays the role with enough stubbornness and curiosity to keep the character grounded, and the supporting cast — Jane Wyman, Karl Malden, Agnes Moorehead — fills the town with people who have real reasons for their bitterness. The film is warm without being soft. Stream Pollyanna (1960) online on iFILM.