Little Boy
A powerful, moving, and heartwarming film about a little boy who is willing to do whatever it takes to bring his father home from World War II, LITTLE BOY will capture your heart and lift your spirits. This instant cinematic classic captures the wonder of life through the eyes of a 7-year-old child and reminds us of the power of faith, hope and love in the face of adversity. In a powerful subplot, the child learns about overcoming prejudice through acts of mercy - and those moments are portrayed with charm and comic surprises. LITTLE BOY also stars Academy Award Nominee Emily Watson (The Theory of Everything) and Tom Wilkinson (Selma). From the Executive Producers of Son of God and Touched by an Angel.
This is a film for which the MPAA rating cut it off from it's true target audience. It is an exciting film that has moments of war violence, treated in non-graphic ways, that is perfect for fathers to enjoy with their young sons - many age 7 and up would be fine watching this film. The coming-of-age subplot shows how the boy learns to overcome bullies and prejudice through faith and mercy. Little Boy is the kind of family film the world needs more of. CONTRIBUTOR: CCG - www.VirtueHeroes.com
Spiritual staying power and stamina
Loyalty to keep promises
Believing in a good future with God
This review gives a good example of the mixed response of critics who assess this film. They raise good points, but in the bigger picture, audiences are less critical and enjoy the film for its strong production value and faith-filled values - and are not put off by its flaws. Read More
Excerpt: In one of the film’s best scenes, Father Oliver asks Pepper to move a wine bottle he sets upon his desk. After three attempts, Father Oliver moves the bottle himself. When Pepper complains that he didn’t move the bottle, but that Father Oliver did, the priest explains that such an action is similar to when “The Mover” — God — makes something happen, if it’s his will. It’s a scene that will remind viewers of the Parable of the Persistent Widow. When young Pepper asks Father Oliver why God wouldn’t want to bring his father back, the viewer realizes that it’s not only Pepper’s faith that is going to grow through this experience, but also Father Oliver’s. At the conclusion of the scene, Father Oliver holds up a mustard seed as he glances out the window at Pepper departing from the rectory yard. Above all, Pepper wants to know how his faith can grow. So Father Oliver pulls out an “ancient list” from a Bible and gives it to Pepper. To the list — the corporal works of mercy — Father Oliver adds an additional item, “Befriend Hashimoto.” Pepper makes myriad attempts to befriend Hashimoto, with little success. The initial trepidation of the two, and the development of their relationship, occurs slowly and naturally, with some help from Father Oliver. Whether or not the faith of the son will be able to bring back his father, it is the love of the father for the son, and the love of the son for the father, that makes possible the movement of the Spirit in the relationship between Pepper and Hashimoto. Read More
Excerpt: "What does it mean to approach God like a child (as we’re told to do in Matthew 18:3)? Or to have faith the size of a mustard seed (referenced in Luke 17:6)? Those passages quickly come to mind as we ponder Little Boy, a heartfelt story (from the makers of Bella, as well as executive producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey) about a young boy who simply longs to be with the daddy he loves. Pepper has learned about believing, in a general sense, from his loving father, who’s shown him in his imaginative stories that nothing is impossible. So when faced with an impossible situation in the real world, Pepper does exactly what his father taught him: He shouts out, “I believe we can do this!” Read More
The film depicts some brief scenes of war violence. It also portrays the "joyful" response of the public when the Atom bomb was dropped - with hope that it would end the war. (before the magnitude of the destruction and loss of life was fully understood).
The film depicts a scene in which the brothers participate in prejudice-based vandalism. This is balanced by the subsequent consequences in which the little boy must befriend the man whose home he vandalized.
The film includes content in which the child's faith seems to be focused on the power of magic...this is redirected toward true faith in God's will - by the pastor at the boy's church.
