The Greening of Whitney Brown

Plot

Whitney Brown (Sammi Hanratty), a privileged and popular Philadelphia teenager, nominates herself and her best friend, Lindsay, for class president (which they win because they promised to throw the best school formal). Her mother, Joan (Brooke Shields), then gives her a credit card so she can buy a dress for the formal. After Whitney does a great deal of shopping, Joan's credit card is eventually declined. Later, they see on television that the office where Whitney's father, Henry (Aidan Quinn), works has declared bankruptcy. This means her father is now unemployed and her family will be destitute. The bank repossesses everything they have and Whitney's world becomes upended.

Her family has to move to Whitney's grandparents' old farm in the country. There, far from her dizzying world of shallow girlfriends, endless parties, and school pressures, she finds a new best pal: Bob, a beautiful and spirited Gypsy (Vanner) horse belonging to her new neighbor. The neighbor, Dusty (Kris Kristofferson), is a crusty rancher who turns out to be her estranged grandfather. Through her new relationships with Bob, Dusty, and her parents, Whitney rediscovers what it means to respect not only nature and her family, but also someone very special she had almost lost touch with: herself. At her new school, she feels like a fish out of water, having no contact with her old friends for months. She has to accept the way things are now or do something about it.

Cast

Filming locations

The movie was filmed in Agnes Scott College - 141 E. College Avenue, Decatur, Georgia, and Atlanta.

Home media

The film was released on DVD on January 3, 2012.