.com This atmospheric tale of real love, set in 1944 Brooklyn and shot on a deliciously alive studio street, concerns a young Jewish boy named Alan Silverman (Lukas Haas) who is pressured into providing companionship for a catatonic French girl, Naomi Kirschenbaum (Vanessa Zaoui). The latter witnessed her father's death at the hands of the Gestapo and has been lost in herself ever since. A small crowd of Naomi's boosters, including Alan's parents (Michael Gross, Amy Aquino), hope that his frequent visits to her can resuscitate her old spirit. Poor Alan, however, with his mind on such crucial matters as improving his stickball game, is hardly in a position to understand Naomi's psychological wilderness, let alone penetrate it. Yet his essential decency wins over all else, and if his secrecy about the matter draws the disappointment and wrath of his bewildered best friend--an endearing, tough, Irish-Catholic pug named Shaun Kelly (a wonderful performance by Kevin Connolly)--then Naomi's progressive steps toward trust are worth it. Writer Jordan Horowitz and director Sterling Van Wagenen, working from the novel by Myron Levoy, lovingly create a nostalgia-glazed world of childhood innocence and distance from wartime horrors, a world that permanently changes with Alan's first experience of selfless love. Terrific acting by Haas, Zaoui, and the rest of the cast. --Tom Keogh
E**R
Wonderful film to teach kids about a dark chapter in ...
I had never seen Lukas Haas in anything except Witness. He was wonderful in that film and he did a great job in this movie as the young stick ball lover who at first wants nothing to do with the "crazy" girl down the hall until he learns why she is acting the way she is. His soul is expanded through his relationship with her and that is always nice to see in a story. I've seen most of these Family films from this production company and this is one of the best. It's a wonderful film to teach kids about a dark chapter in world history without any actual violence. The violence is mostly only implied (although we know what happened). And there is a quick flash of the Nazis grabbing the girl's father in a flashback scene. Take a break from the latest Disney film and sit down with the kids for a story that shows how the power of love and friendship can help to heal traumatic wounds. And yet, that healing is not overplayed. As a result, I would think that this film would appeal to those viewers who are more fussy about everything being tied up in a nice sentimental package at the end. This subtle film should be seen by more people, and is, in my view, better than most major studio films. Oh, and the jazzy music is great too!
H**L
Excellent story of understanding and feeling empathy for another.
I never heard of this movie before and I caught the second half of it on late night tv. It was so good and i was compelled to buy it to view the rest of it as it was unavailable on all of the movie apps and screening subscriptions i had. A somewhat sad but beautifully done story, well acted and worth seeing.
J**N
Be Informed
This is a great movie dealing with the shock of anti-semitism. However the edition on DVD that I've seen has been sanitized by about 8 minutes. This destroys the integrity of the filmakers intent by removing the visual shock that Naomi sees and also the racist taunts of Alan's schoolmates. I suppose the organization behind this DVD doesn't want to offend anyone who doesn't want to think for themselves. I doubt that the director is aware of the hack job done to this excellent film.
B**O
I'm glad I finally did
I've always wanted to see this movie. I'm glad I finally did. I like Comig-of-Age movies. Couldn't find it on Redbox or Netflix. Blockbuster Video didn't have it available.
A**8
Wow, what a powerful movie
So many thngs are working well in this movie. The story is believable and compelling. The lead actors and supporting cast are incredibly good. Seeing things through the eyes of Alan adds to the excitement around every corner. I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. I would see this movie again and again
K**R
Great movie.
I had seen this movie before and bought it for my 6th grader who was studying some of the events of WWII. I think it is great to have the juxtaposed positions of a Jewish American boy who really isn't affected by the war come into contact with a Jewish girl who has lost so much. So much is seen from the child's point of view in this film.
T**S
I bought the book for my wife and she told ...
I bought the book for my wife and she told me that she likes it very much and it gave her the info she was looking for.
C**C
Dated but still good
watched this show many time in late 90's. looks very dated now but the story is still so heartwarming.
