New U.S. Release

Little Secrets

By SCOTT FOUNDAS

A Samuel Goldwyn Films release of a TriStar Pictures presentation. Produced by Blair Treu, Don Schain, Jessica Barondes. Directed by Blair Treu. Screenplay, Jessica Barondes.
 
Emily - Evan Rachel Wood
Philip - Michael Angarano
David - David Gallagher
Pauline - Vivica A. Fox

 

"Little Secrets" is one of those movies, like last year's "Kids World" and "Radio Flyer," that impose a hackneyed grownup psychoanalytical point of view on their youthful protagonists. What you end up with are a bunch of kids acting not like kids, but how adults who've lost all sense of what it was like to be a kid think kids behave. Auds get a clue of what they're in for when, in an early scene, a boy responds to Mom's suggestion that he go out and play with some neighborhood children by saying, "Those are toddlers, Mother. I am a pre-adolescent." It's downhill from there, with much messagey talk about adoption, drunk driving and late-in-life pregnancies. Opening on the bigscreen, this August entry should find its way quickly to the video store (which should have been its destination in the first place).

Spunky, 14-year-old Emily (Evan Rachel Wood) has decided to spend the summer holed up in her bedroom, practicing her violin for an important upcoming audition. Aside from violin lessons with her teacher (Vivica A. Fox), Emily only really takes a break to perform her long-standing duties as her neighborhood's "secret keeper," a service she runs out of a makeshift booth -- part confessional, part pawn shop -- in her backyard.

From far and wide, neighbor kids come to share their secrets with Emily and to put on deposit the remnants of this broken heirloom or that, lest their parents find out who was responsible for the items being broken.

The real purpose of "Little Secrets," however, is as a message movie about how it's always better to tell the truth than to keep secrets. There's lots more "serious" subject matter and would-be inspirationalism to come, and, in a rather dire effort to broaden its appeal, pic spends at least as much time dealing with the various personal dilemmas and dissatisfactions of Emily's parents and violin teacher as it does Emily herself.

Wood (who appears as Al Pacino's daughter in "Simone," also opening Aug. 23) gives a credible turn as Emily, bringing as much charm and subtlety to the part as the one-dimensional script and clunky direction will allow. Michael Angarano (who played the young William in "Almost Famous") and David Gallagher acquit themselves respectably as two brothers vying for Emily's affection.

Camera (Fotokem color), Brian Sullivan; editor, Jerry Stayner; music, Sam Cardon; production designer, Gary Griffin Constable; set decorator, Ken Diamond; costume designer, Lanny Sikes; sound (Dolby Digital/SDDS), Paul Maritsas; assistant director, Craig L. Steiner; casting, Mary Margiotta, Karen Margiotta, Jeff Johnson, Katrine McGregor. Reviewed at Sunset Screening Room, West Hollywood, Aug. 15, 2002. MPAA rating: PG. Running time: 94 MIN.