Gilly Hopkins (Sophie Nélisse) has seen more than her share of foster homes. Abandoned as a baby by her mother Courtney (Julia Stiles), Gilly makes it her mission not to need anyone—not her earnest social worker Ellis (Billy Magnussen), her dedicated teacher Miss Harris (Octavia Spencer) or her tenaciously sociable classmate Agnes (Clare Foley)—and certainly not her new foster mother Mamie Trotter (Kathy Bates). In an effort to escape Trotter’s endlessly 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. Based on Katherine Paterson’s award-winning young-adult novel, The Great Gilly Hopkins is an insightful, provocative and wildly entertaining film for the entire family.
