A feisty foster kid’s outrageous scheme to be reunited with her birth mother has unintended consequences in The Great Gilly Hopkins, an entertaining film for the entire family. Gilly Hopkins (Sophie Nélisse) has seen more than her share of foster homes and has outwitted every family she has lived with. In an effort to escape her new foster mother Mamie Trotter’s (Kathy Bates) endless loving care, Gilly concocts a plan that she believes will bring her mother running to her rescue. But when the ploy blows up in Gilly’s face it threatens to ruin the only chance she’s ever had to be part of a real family.
This film has the genre "family" written all over it. It is one of those films that you will have that feel good feeling after watching. And they sure brought together a great ensemble older cast.
You can just about guess how the film will turn out...a troubled child making her way through the foster care system is angry against the world. Then she is taken to a new family with her guard up and has a rocky start, but eventually falls in love with her new family. And just at the moment her real Mom comes back into the picture.