This short feature is simple and markedly sentimental, but it is presented with skill. As a result, it makes its simple point effectively, and while there were many weightier dramas made in the early 1910s, this one holds up as well as most.
The story is about a young girl who becomes a "Sunbeam" into the lives of others, and it is vaguely similar to the more familiar story of "Pollyanna". The material could easily have become hopelessly maudlin, but Griffith keeps it on track most of the time. The very young girl who plays the "sunbeam" seems to respond well to Griffith's direction.
Another thing that helps make the film work is the amusing contrast between the "sunbeam" girl and the other children in the film, who are much more impish. This also makes it notable as a rare instance of humor in a Griffith film. It might not be anything profound, but it's a pretty good film of its kind, and it really remains as worthwhile as it was in its own day.
The story is about a young girl who becomes a "Sunbeam" into the lives of others, and it is vaguely similar to the more familiar story of "Pollyanna". The material could easily have become hopelessly maudlin, but Griffith keeps it on track most of the time. The very young girl who plays the "sunbeam" seems to respond well to Griffith's direction.
Another thing that helps make the film work is the amusing contrast between the "sunbeam" girl and the other children in the film, who are much more impish. This also makes it notable as a rare instance of humor in a Griffith film. It might not be anything profound, but it's a pretty good film of its kind, and it really remains as worthwhile as it was in its own day.