The Adventures of Ociee Nash

About the movie

For the young, spirited nine-year-old Ociee Nash (Skyler Day), nothing could be more exciting than romping through her beloved Mississippi countryside with her brother Ben (Bill Butler) and her faithful four-legged companion, "Woofer." However, Ociee's idyllic life is thrown into a tailspin when her Papa realizes that because of the death of Ociee's mother, and Ociee's run-in with a mysterious Gypsy (Anthony P. Rodriguez), the rough-and-tumble world of their rural farm is not the place for Ociee to be growing up. Papa (Keith Carradine) decides it is time to send Ociee to Ashville, N.C. where her Aunt Mamie can teach her to become "a young lady." Sadly, Ociee boards the train to Asheville. Once on her way, it's not long before Ociee meets an array of interesting characters: Nellie Bly (Donna Wright), Orville (Sean Daniels) and Wilbur Wright (TY Pennington of Trading Spaces in his feature-film debut), and even the President of the United States, William McKinley (Daniel Burnley), for whom Ociee inspires a campaign slogan. In Asheville, Ociee and Aunt Mamie (Mare Winnington) quickly find there are two sides to every story. Trading in dungarees for dresses, Ociee tries her best to adjust, but finds herself compelled to hold onto her spirited heart. Ociee befriends the proper young Elizabeth Murphy (Jasmine Sky), but a trip to the creek and a meeting with young Harry Vanderbilt (Lucas Til) and the creek boys, finds Ociee and Elizabeth in over their heads. Aunt Mamie is more determined than ever that Ociee now conform to her strict standards. However, Aunt Mamie's soft heart is revealed when Ociee invites her childhood friend, Mr. Lynch (Tom Key), over for Sunday dinner. Ociee's true bravery, character and spirit come to the forefront when a fire at the Murphy house threatens the life of young Elizabeth Murphy. A triumphant "Ociee Nash Day" celebration ensues to everyone's delight.—Sujit R. Varma