Meredith’s first on-screen appearance was the starring role as the title character in this classic Disney film.

Natalie "Natty" Gann is a spirited, independent girl being raised in Chicago by her widowed father during the Great Depression. They love each other dearly. Natty’s dad suddenly gets a job in Washington State as a lumberjack and must leave immediately. He is unable to tell Natty himself and leaves word he will send for her soon. Days pass and Natty, unhappy and unable to wait any longer for a promised train ticket, leaves to go search for her father. Her travels take her on many adventures. She befriends a wolf who becomes her travelling companion. She survives hunger, a trainwreck, an attempted molestation, and being thrown into an orphanage and a subsequent escape. She also finds a reluctant human companion in Harry (John Cusak) who shows her the ropes in travel and survival. By the time they arrive in Seattle they have a bond and care very much for each other. Before she leaves for a logging camp, Harry must leave for California for a job he was able to line up. They say goodbye and, in one of the screen’s most touching and romantic kisses, part ways. Natty goes up into the mountains to a logging camp and, after nearly missing him, is reunited with her dad.

This film is beautifully shot and really captures the essence of life during the Depression. The story and writing are superb. Many details of the hardships of life in this era are shown in the various adventures Natty finds herself involved in. Ray Wise, as Natty’s father, delivers a wonderful, emotion-filled performance and John Cusak’s acting brilliance shines through.

Meredith is a joy to watch. Her winning smile and sparkling eyes are charming. Her character runs through a plethora of emotions: the joy of finding her dad; the love she feels for him…and Harry…and the wolf; the fear of climbing into a corral with a bull; the intense hunger that would push her to steal – all are performed flawlessly by Meredith. Her character’s stubbornness, strength, determination, independence, and high self-esteem marvelously shine through due to her acting talent. She has some amazingly acted scenes. Some standout moments are when she tearfully says goodbye to the wolf, knowing he belongs to the wild. Another is when she is writing Harry a postcard and, as she goes to sign it, debates whether to use "love" or "sincerely". This is a delightfully cute moment as she is actually exploring her feelings for him. She does an incredible job of displaying despair at the end of the film when she thinks she has just barely missed her father then immediately segues into ecstatic joy as she realizes he is there in front of her. And Meredith’s very first kiss, the goodbye kiss with John Cusak, is one of movie’s ultimate screen kisses. This despite her anxieties as a girl having her first kiss in front of an entire film crew. Meredith’s Natty was truly an Oscar-worthy performance. All of us who first saw her in this role when it was first released knew this was an actress to watch.