Charming, if slight, movie about a school for the children of unwed mothers that receives an inspiring teacher who doesn't believe corporal punishment has any real value.
Really, this is a story about the value of Family and the bad things can happen when either you have none or they are rotten to the core. It asserts the value of pride and self discipline as the means to a healthy and wealthy adulthood without the sentiment tipping over into sentimentality so typical of the breed. The emotional hothouse that is a boys' boarding school is clearly shown through the sexual mindedness of the boys coupled with their essential homesickness in this home from home.
The boy actors are all as spontaneous and as unaffected as you would expect. While the underplaying adults are either bitter & resentful that they never became more successful – and take this out on the kids – while the rest make the best of things. The plea for self acceptance is palpable.
A half decent Sunday afternoon film, with enjoyable music, that will bring a tear to the eye that does not feel extracted by the usual Hollywood means of emotional cheating – aka melodrama.
Copyright © 2009 Frank TALKER. Permission granted to reproduce and distribute it in any format; provided that mention of the author’s Weblog (http://franktalker5.blogspot.com/) is included: E-mail notification requested. All other rights reserved.
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