Thursday, June 19th

Those who don’t recall American Girl dolls from their coddled adolescence may scratch their heads at the rabid packs of mother-daughter tourists flocking to the massive flagship on Fifth Avenue. Now Abigail Breslin has been enlisted to portray one of these freakish dollies the Julia Roberts-produced Kit Kittredge: An American Girl! (Kit was not on the roster back when we were throwing tantrums for all things circa 1990, but she is apparently the Great Depression version of rosy-cheeked, resourceful girlhood, i.e., an early dyke. …) Also appearing at tonight’s New York premiere at the Ziegfeld are co-stars Jane Krakowski (who shouldn’t quit her day job!), Julia Ormond, Stanley Tucci, Chris O’Donnell and Julianne Moore, who does not appear in the film but is a friend to the children!

[Kit Kittredge: An American Girl premiere, the Ziegfeld, 141 West 54th Street, 5 p.m., invite only, www.kitkittredge.com]

mbryan@observer.com