Heidi is orphaned and her uncaring maternal Aunt Dete takes her to the mountains to live with her reclusive, grumpy paternal grandfather, Adolph Kramer. Heidi brings her grandfather back into mountain society through her sweet ways and sheer love. When Dete later returns and steals Heidi away to become the companion of a rich man's wheelchair-bound daughter, the grandfather is heartsick to discover his little girl missing and immediately sets out to get her back.
Like all Shirley Temple stories, Heidi traces the reaction of human wickedness to the Temple dimples; unlike many of them, it has a craftsmanlike dramatic structure.
– ,
TIME Magazine,
5 Dec 2008
fresh:
It's far from being a personal work, but as always with Dwan, it's the best movie imaginable from the limited material at hand.