History YMMV / Pollyanna

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: ''Pollyanna'' is very popular in Japan and Turkey. The former even made [[Anime/TheStoryOfPollyannaGirlOfLove an anime based on it]].

* TearJerker: When Pollyanna prays at her father's grave, saying how hard it is to be glad all the time.

* ContestedSequel: ''Pollyanna Grows Up'' can be seen as this. Some readers enjoyed it but others dislike it for several reasons. There are also people who think it's okay for what it is but felt it doesn't [[FirstInstallmentWins hold up to its predecessor]]. The contested part lies primarily from recycling some concepts from the first book (e.g. Pollyanna trying to cheer a crabby aunt, romantic misunderstandings, etc.), the HappyEndingOverride time skip in the second-half, [[ValuesDissonance dated romantic relationships]] and the ending can be seen [[TastesLikeDiabetes as too mushy and predictable.]]

* ContestedSequel: ''Pollyanna Grows Up'' can be seen as this. Some readers enjoyed it but others dislike it for several reasons. There are also people who think it's okay for what it is but felt it doesn't [[FirstInstallmentWins hold up to its predecessor]]. The contested part lies primarily from recycling some concepts from the first book (e.g. Pollyanna trying to cheer a crabby aunt, romantic misunderstandings, etc.), the HappyEndingOverride time skip in the second-half, [[ValuesDissonance datedbromantic relationships]] and the ending can be seen [[TastesLikeDiabetes as too mushy and predictable.]]

* AngstAversion: The [[spoiler: sudden [[DroppedABridgeOnHim death of Dr. Chilton]] and Aunt Polly's personality [[CharacterCheck returns to old self]]]] in the second-half of ''Pollyanna Grows Up'' are off-putting to some fans and feel unecessary.

* ContestedSequel: ''Pollyanna Grows Up'' can be seen as this. Some readers enjoyed it but others dislike it for several reasons. There are also people who think it's okay for what it is but felt it doesn't [[FirstInstallmentWins hold up to its predecessor]]. The contested part lies primarily from recycling some concepts from the first book (e.g. Pollyanna trying to cheer a crabby aunt, romantic misunderstandings, etc.), the HappyEndingOverride time skip in the second-half and the ending can be seen [[TastesLikeDiabetes as too mushy and predictable.]]

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: ''Pollyanna'' is very popular in Japan and Turkey. The former even made [[Anime/AiNoShoujoPollyannaMonogatari an anime based on it]].

** In the second book, the idea of [[spoiler: Pollyanna potentially marrying Mr. Pendleton due to obligation can be seen as plain creepy to many readers these days. While it turned out to be a joke and the latter didn't actually fell in love with the former, the fact some people all around them found it tolerable doesn't help.]]

* AngstAversion: The [[spoiler: sudden [[DroppedABridgeOnHim death of Dr. Chilton]] and Aunt Polly's personality [[CharacterCheck returns to old self]]]]in the second-half of ''Pollyanna Grows Up'' are off-putting to some fans and feel unecessary.

* AngstAversion: The [[spoiler: sudden [[DroppedABridgeOnHim death of Dr. Chilton]] and Aunt Polly's personality [[CharacterCheck returns to old self]]]]in the second-half of ''Pollyanna Grows Up'' are off-putting to some fans and feels unecessary.

* ContestedSequel: ''Pollyanna Grows Up'' can be seen as this. Some readers enjoyed it but others dislike it for several reasons. There are also people who think it's okay for what it is but felt it doesn't [[FirstInstallmentWins hold up to its predecessor]]. The contested part lies primarily from recycling some premise from the first book (e.g. Pollyanna trying to cheer a crabby aunt, romantic misunderstandings, etc.), the HappyEndingOverride time skip in the second-half and the ending can be seen [[TastesLikeDiabetes as too mushy and predictable.]]

** Also from the second one, Aunt Polly [[spoiler: refusing to allow Pollyanna to marry Jimmy due to different social class, despite that they know the latter much for many years]] can be seen as absurd in today's standards.

* AngstAversion: The [[spoiler: sudden [[DroppedABridgeOnHim death of Dr. Chilton]] and Aunt Polly's personality [[CharacterCheck returns to old self]] in the second-half of ''Pollyanna Grows Up'' are off-putting to some fans and feels unecessary.

** Aunt Polly's dislike of Pollyanna's father is tied to her sister marrying him. Is it because she wanted her sister to marry Mr Pendelton (as in the book)? Or does she resent him for the fact that her sister died of malaria in the West Indies because he was a missionary? This is heavily implied in the book as well- she felt sorry for Mr. Pendelton, but Old Tom says she hated Pollyanna's father for taking her sister away across the country- and, presumably, for letting her die so young out there. Jennie (Harrington) Wittier died 'a few years after' announcing Pollyanna's birth, which puts her at about age 37 or so (5 years older than Polly, who is 40 when Pollyanna is 11)

* EnsembleDarkhorse:
** Creator/AgnesMoorehead's turn as Mrs Snow is a highly praised part of the movie. Her defrosting is held up as one of the most heartwarming moments of it.
** Nancy gets a lot of love too, due to being the first one Pollyanna wins over - and acting as a CoolBigSis to her for most of the story.
* FridgeBrilliance: Movie: It's said that Pollyanna's father was a minister in the British West Indies (movie canon). She's also seen teaching Nancy the English folk song 'Early One Morning' as they walk to Mrs Snow's in the movie. We can thus assume that Pollyanna's father was English, which would explain her accent. Note that Hayley Mills has a few American pronunciations in her lines, which seems to indicate that she grew up with an English and American parent.
* FridgeHorror: Movie: Pollyanna [[spoiler: is crippled]] because she was trying to grab her doll off the roof. It was Mrs Snow who made sure she got the doll in the first place. The look on the poor woman's face at the end as Pollyanna looks away from her suggests she might have heard about it.
* GirlShowGhetto: Walt Disney attributed the movie's relatively disappointing performance to the possibility that the title attracted more female moviegoers than male ones.
* JerkassWoobie: It's hard not to feel sorry for Aunt Polly after [[spoiler: Pollyanna's accident]].
---> '''Polly:''' That child lies up there because of me!
* NarmCharm: One critic noted that a notoriously saccharine children's book in the hands of "the master of schmaltz" had the potential to be TastesLikeDiabetes - only to turn out "to be his best live action film ever."
* OneSceneWonder: The lady playing the drums during the bazaar in the movie. Before they were shut down, the {{Website/IMDB}} Boards had several threads talking about her.
* TearJerker:
** In the book where Pollyanna prays at her father's grave, saying how hard it is to be glad all the time.
** In the movie where Aunt Polly's facade breaks after Edmund has told her "you can give anything but love."

** Parts of the story feel like a deconstruction of WhiteMansBurden, and the novel was written back in 1913. The book criticises the fact that Aunt Polly donates her money to various causes, because she only does it out of a stuffy sense of obligation. The film exemplifies this - with Polly getting a lecture about how people don't like false charity.
* VindicatedByHistory: The Disney film was a modest success, bringing in under $3 million. However it is held up as a classic these days, and Hayley Mills became associated with the character.

** There's a case to be made for Millie Snow too. She's forced to put up with her crabby old mother every day. Imagine how she must feel hearing her own mother talk as if were going to die any minute. Although Mrs Snow's WhenSheSmiles moment is PlayedForLaughs, there is something a little unnerving about the idea that Millie is so shocked at her mother being ''nice''. Especially galling in the movie version, where Mrs. Snow can in fact get out of bed- and does so with ease after Pollyanna's first visit, suggesting she does so regularly. This doesn't stop her from running Millie ragged with various requests and verbal abuse. The book version has her a genuine invalid who remains bedridden through the entire story.

** Agnes Moorehead's turn as Mrs Snow is a highly praised part of the movie. Her defrosting is held up as one of the most heartwarming moments of it.

* DeaderThanDisco: The book was enormously popular upon release, with one editorial claiming the Glad Game was "the greatest game ever discovered since the foundation of the world." There were even Glad Clubs, where people sported badges of smiling girls. But after two World Wars, it was noted that the book dropped in popularity. Some theorised it belonged "to a more innocent time" - indeed the Disney film's lower than expected Box Office intake seemed to confirm it. These days it would be more commonly enjoyed as a children's book. However the Disney movie is something of a CultClassic.

** Aunt Polly's dislike of Pollyanna's father is tied to her sister marrying him. Is it because she wanted her sister to marry Mr Pendelton (as in the book)? Or does she resent him for the fact that her sister died of malaria in the West Indies because he was a missionary?
*** This is heavily implied in the book as well- she felt sorry for Mr. Pendelton, but Old Tom says she hated Pollyanna's father for taking her sister away across the country- and, presumably, for letting her die so young out there. Jennie (Harrington) Wittier died 'a few years after' announcing Pollyanna's birth, which puts her at about age 37 or so (5 years older than Polly, who is 40 when Pollyanna is 11)

* OneSceneWonder: Movie: The lady playing the drums during the bazaar.

** There's a case to be made for Millie Snow too. She's forced to put up with her crabby old mother every day. Imagine how she must feel hearing her own mother talk as if were going to die any minute. Although Mrs Snow's WhenSheSmiles moment is PlayedForLaughs, there is something a little unnerving about the idea that Millie is so shocked at her mother being ''nice''.
*** Especially galling in the movie version, where Mrs. Snow can in fact get out of bed- and does so with ease after Pollyanna's first visit, suggesting she does so regularly. This doesn't stop her from running Millie ragged with various requests and verbal abuse. The book version has her a genuine invalid who remains bedridden through the entire story.

* GirlShowGhetto: Walt Disney attributed the movie's relatively disappointing performance to the possibility that the title attracted more females than males.

*** Especially galling in the movie version, where Mrs. Snow can in fact get out of bed- and does so with ease after Pollyanna's first visit, suggesting she does so regularly. This doesn't stop her from running Millie ragged with various requests and verbal abuse. The book version has her a genuine invalid who remains bedridden through the entire story.

* FridgeBrilliance: It's said that Pollyanna's father was a minister in the British West Indies (movie canon). She's also seen teaching Nancy the English folk song 'Early One Morning' as they walk to Mrs Snow's in the movie. We can thus assume that Pollyanna's father was English, which would explain her accent. Note that Hayley Mills has a few American pronunciations in her lines, which seems to indicate that she grew up with an English and American parent.
* FridgeHorror: Pollyanna [[spoiler: is crippled]] because she was trying to grab her doll off the roof. It was Mrs Snow who made sure she got the doll in the first place. The look on the poor woman's face at the end as Pollyanna looks away from her suggests she might have heard about it.

* OneSceneWonder: The lady playing the drums during the bazaar.

*** Especially galling in the movie version, where Mrs. Snow can in fact get out of bed- and does so with ease after Pollyanna's <i>first</i> visit, suggesting she does so regularly. This doesn't stop her from running Millie ragged with various requests and verbal abuse. The book version has her a genuine invalid who remains bedridden through the entire story.

** There's a case to be made for Millie Snow too. She's forced to put up with her crabby old mother every day. Imagine how she must feel hearing her own mother talk as if were going to die any minute. Although Mrs Snow's WhenSheSmiles moment is PlayedForLaughs, there is something a little unnerving about the idea that Millie is so shocked at her mother being ''nice''.

* FridgeBrilliance: It's said that Pollyanna's father was a minister in the British West Indies. She's also seen teaching Nancy the English folk song 'Early One Morning' as they walk to Mrs Snow's in the movie. We can thus assume that Pollyanna's father was English, which would explain her accent. Note that Hayley Mills has a few American pronunciations in her lines, which seems to indicate that she grew up with an English and American parent.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Agnes Moorehead's turn as Mrs Snow is a highly praised part of the movie. Her defrosting is held up as one of the most heartwarming moments of it.

** In the movie where Aunt Polly's facade breaks after Edmund has told her "you can give her anything but love."
* UnbuiltTrope: This is indeed the TropeNamer for ThePollyanna. But the trope itself Flanderises this part of Pollyanna's character. As noted above, she appears to be a bit of a StepfordSmiler and the Glad Game is really all she has - and we see that happy face disappear once or twice. [[spoiler: She's nearly broken by the end, but gets better]].

* OneSceneWonder: The lady playing the drums during the bazaar.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Pollyanna seems like an ''extremely good'' junior version of a StepfordSmiler. At least until she starts to move toward the DespairEventHorizon.

* GirlShowGhetto: Walt Disney attributed the movie's relatively disappointing performance to the possibility that the title attracted more females than males.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Pollyanna seems like an ''extremely good'' junior version of a StepfordSmiler. At least until her [[spoiler: DespairEventHorizon]] below.