Hayflower, Quiltshoe and the Feisty First-grader (Finnish: Heinähattu, Vilttitossu ja ärhäkkä koululainen) is a 2020 Finnish children's film directed by Lenka Hellstedt. The movie is based on the 2013 children's book of the same name by Tiina Nopola and Sinikka Nopola. It is the third adaptation of the Hayflower and Quiltshoe book series.
The film premiered on February 14, 2020, and serves as a sequel to the 2017 movie Hayflower, Quiltshoe and the Rubens Brothers. Another sequel, Hayflower, Quiltshoe and the Chicken, was released in 2024.
Contents
Plot
Hayflower begins school, learning new things along the way. Her younger sister, Quiltshoe, feels bored staying at home without her playmate. One day, when Hayflower's class is set to go on a fishing trip, Quiltshoe decides to disguise herself as her sister and join the school activities.
Cast
Matilda Pirttikangas as Quiltshoe
Emelia Levy as Hayflower
Niina Lahtinen as Hanna Kattilakoski
Joonas Nordman as Matti Kattilakoski
Pirjo Heikkilä as Helga Alibullen
Krisse Salminen as Halise Alibullen
Janne Kataja as Isonapa
Lari Halme as Rillirousku
Aksa Korttila as Annukka Pylkkänen
Ona Kamu as recess supervisor and teacher in flashbacks
Jukka Rasila as the principal
Anna-Leena Sipilä as the wrong teacher
Christoffer Strandberg as the gothic teacher
Jarkko Tamminen as the voice of Hämis
Matleena Kuusniemi as the voice of Luki
Reception
The film received mixed reviews, however, it was seen as an improvement over its predecessor, Hayflower, Quiltshoe and the Rubens Brothers. Film-O-Holic noted that this time, the children did not take a back seat to the adults' antics.
The movie debuted on Friday, February 14, 2020, drawing 40,000 viewers on its opening weekend and becoming the weekend's top film. It was also the most-watched film of February in Finland, with a total of 142,884 viewers. By the end of March, the film had 176,276 viewers, slightly surpassing its predecessor's total audience. However, the COVID-19 pandemic led to cinema closures in mid-March.