Review of Little Boy (2015) by Jakeslaw — 23 Apr 2015

We all like stories and this story of a little boy who wants to see his dad come home from war will pull at your heart as you watch him try to "will" his dad home. Jakub Salvati is "Little Boy" and brings a freshness to the screen that has not been seen in years.

The rest of the cast do their jobs admirably, though there is something very special in the interaction between Little Boy and Hashimoto, the Japanese stranger who moves into town. Critics do not like the film because it has a strong "Norman Rockwell" "Frank Capra" air about it.

The priests are decent people. The mother of little boy is strong and holds the family together. The film does not shy away from the hatred and bigotry many held toward Japanese Americans during the war but confronts it with some real lessons for our times.

There is no glorification of war and the pain felt on the home front is very visible in the character development. Are some scenes predictable? Perhaps. Does the director telegraph some of his moves? Yes.

But none of this affects the overall feel and charm of the film. David Henrie does a super job of having the older son bottling up and exploding until a critical moment. so I recommend the film strongly and urge viewers to judge for themselves who is right - the critic or the ordinary guy.