My Girl Tisa is a perfectly nice little film that is certainly enjoyable, yet just as certainly a bit disappointing. Not a great many films of the period are concerned with the immigrant experience in America, and this is what Tisa is all about. But this is also where the disappointment come sin, for while Tisa hits all the basics -- Ellis Island, immigrant communities, language issues, fear of deportation, loneliness, the need to work hard, etc. -- it does so in a manner that is alternately superficial and sentimental. There's the potential for real depth in these issues and how they relate to the story of this particular young woman, but the filmmakers instead skim across it all, leaving the viewer feeling a bit cheated. This especially becomes a problem at the end, with the appearance of no less a figure than then-President Teddy Roosevelt, whose involvement in the story is patently absurd and wastes much of the good will that the film establishes before this. Tisa benefits from its cast, with the beautiful Lilli Palmer turning in a lovely performance as the title character, and Sam Wanamaker appealing as her love interest. Even better are supporting players such as Stella Adler and Akim Tamiroff. Tisa is a pleasant and mildly engaging film; one just wishes its writer and director had tried a little harder.