Movies

I thought Stolen Summer was competently done. The director, Pete Jones, was blessed with great performances from well known performers like Bonnie Hunt, Aidan Quinn, Kevin Pollak, and Brian Dennehy. The film explores the differences between Catholicism and Judaism seen through the eyes of a child. The child protagonist takes on the challenge of making sure a Jewish child goes to heaven. The story is set on the South Side of Chicago in the mid-70's and since I grew up in roughly that time I enjoyed the talk about the White Sox of that era. The authenticity overall is accurate, but the film lacks a spark. Watching an 8-year-old try to figure out some of the intricacies of life is a great idea for a story. I just think that the plot lacked any real surprises.

STOLEN SUMMER (2002) *** Aidan Quinn, Bonnie Hunt, Kevin Pollak, Adi Stein, Mike Weinberg, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Brian Dennehy. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's `Project Greenlight' winner Pete Jones springboards into the cinema with a sweet-mannered drama about two young boys (newcomers Stein and Weinberg) - one Irish Catholic the other Jewish - in Chicago circa 1976 - asking some tough questions about religion, theology and faith, all arguably open to debate but handled adequately thanks to a talented ensemble despite the rookie filmmaker's visually stunted foresight. Not bad but not great either still an admirable attempt to showcase the independent spirit nonetheless.

This movie was one of the best movies that I have seen in a very long while. It was touching and very motivating. The two young boys in this film were fabulous actors and made the story so great. It was so easy to relate to the dynamics between the two families and to feel there pain and confusion. As a mother, I would want my children to be a part in viewing this movie in order to conjure up a open conversation about it's contents and morals. I would be concerned with anyone of any faith to not feel the same about this movie. Messages like the one presented in this movie are few and far between these days. I would recommend it for your whole family regardless of your ages or beliefs.