Pollyanna lebt zu Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts im Westen Amerikas. Schon seit sie vier Jahre alt ist, ist das Mädchen eine Halbwaise. Ihr Vater, ein Pfarrer, kümmert sich seitdem sehr gut um sie und hat ihr das Schöne-Wörter-Such-Spiel beigebracht, damit sie trotz des Verlusts ihrer Mutter glücklich sein kann. Doch auch ihr Vater ist schwerkrank...
The story begins with our tomboyish heroine Pollyanna Whittier eager to seize the day without a care in the world as usual with her companion chipmunk -- this time with a foot race to the crest of a nearby hill. As could be predicted from the acclivity course, Pollyanna is not prepared for the subsequent declivity at whose nadir grows a group of flowers that helps to mitigate the damage from the rough landing; an impromptu tribute offering to Pollyanna's late mother Jennie gives way to Pollyanna's father Pastor John Whittier summoning his daughter for breakfast complete with an innovative example of his chosen style of family government. The itinerary for the day has as its central feature the Pastor presiding over a meeting of the community group known as Ladies' Aid over a budgetary matter -- if the Pastor's thrombosis will behave for the duration of the meeting; thinking that she can help ensure smooth sailing, Pollyanna decides to peer in on the meeting only to find that one of the Lady Aides is not keen on live audiences!!! Pollyanna races off to rendezvous with her best friend Karen -- and into a lengthy harangue courtesy of Mrs. White that starts with the eavesdropping and deteriorates into a marital dispute of random destructive criticism that ultimately cares nothing of Pollyanna's concern for the Pastor's health nor the ice cream with which Mr. White greets Pollyanna; later that evening, the Pastor interjects his perspective on Pollyanna's frustration and has his daughter's greatest anxiety visited unto him.
