Jakob Salvati shines in Little Boy

Movie:    Little Boy [HD]

PG-13, 1 hour 26 minutes

Grade:  B

In a Nutshell:    Mocked by many film critics, Little Boy [HD] is an inspiring story set during World War II about faith.  Christians will be touched, but also left with an uneasy feeling about the ending.  Not everything works out the way we want it to, even if we have enough faith, because God's will is a gigantic part of the faith formula.

People will always look for reasons to excuse away miracles.    As Hashimoto said “It takes courage to believe.” 

Uplifting Theme:

According to the wise priest, this is what you do to make your faith stronger:

1.       Feed the hungry

2.       Shelter the homeless

3.       Visit those in prison

4.       Clothe the naked

5.       Visit the sick

6.       Bury the dead

7.       Befriend your enemy.

·         “Your faith won’t work if you have even the slightest bit of hate in you.” –  Father Oliver

·         “Nothing is more powerful than the will, the will to face one’s fear and to act.” - Hashimoto

Things I liked:

·         I loved the collage sequences where scenes were mixed between the son and the father.

·         Jakob Salvati is adorable and successfully steals your heart.

·         The lovely cast includes Emily Watson, Michael Rapaport, Ben Chaplin, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Kevin James, Tom Wilkinson, David Henrie and Ted Levine.
-     The set designs were well done for the period piece.

Things I didn’t like:

·         Yeah, the movie was contrived, but it still made me cry.  Executive Producers Roma Downy and husband Mark Burnett know how to tug at our heartstrings and stretch our faith.
-     It might leave children with unrealistic expectations, as well as confuse them with what is faith and what is magic.

 

Funny lines:

·         “I finally understood why they don’t let flat feet into the Army.” – Little Boy/narrator

     

Inspiring lines:

·         “Don’t measure yourself from here to the floor.  Measure yourself from here to the sky.” – Hashimoto

Tips for Parents:

·         Parents may need to explain to their children about Japanese/American relations during World War II and the pejoratives “Jap” , “Yellow Hide”, "Buddha Head", and “Nip”.  Talk with your kids about how hurtful names can be.      Younger viewers may not know that “Little Boy” was the name for the atomic bomb that blasted Hiroshima.

·         There is some violence and bullying.

·         No profanity, but several racial slurs, as mentioned above.