Emilys Geheimnisse

We rented the DVD of this movie the other night, and my daughters and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Those who were hard on the violin faking are being slightly ridiculous, in my humble opinion. I have been playing the violin for 30 years, and in those years I've seen some truly HORRIBLE fake violin "playing" on TV and in movies...for example, Michael Landon as "Pa" in Little House on the Prairie didn't even BOTHER to put the bow on the strings...now HIS faking was laughable. The other night as we watched "Pride and Prejudice" (the A&E version), it was quite noticable that the string quartet was faking, and badly. They could at least attempt to put their bows on their strings! At least Ms. Wood held the violin correctly and moved her fingers sort of close to the rhythms being played. I thought she was one of the better fakers I've seen. According to the commentary on the DVD, she learned all of this by simply watching professional violinists on a tape the director gave her. I have been teaching my own daughter to play, and after two months, she still struggles to hold the bow and the violin correctly. It takes a lot of practice! I applaud Ms. Wood's efforts. Vivica A. Fox, on the other hand, could have used a little of the same kind of practice. But truly, the fake fiddling didn't detract from the story for me at all. They played some very lovely music, and overall, the soundtrack was simply delightful.

The plot of the movie was sweet and quite touching. The child actors were all top notch (particularly Ms Wood, David Angarro, and David Gallagher. I get so tired of seeing movies in which we are subjected to much too "real" situations that some children find themselves in...drug problems, divorce, etc. I found it refreshing that these children lived in a normal neighborhood as MOST Americans do. Sure, bad things happen to kids occasionally, but to dwell on the dark side of life is depressing, and not at all entertaining. This is a kid's movie (actually it's a family movie) and I appreciated that it was sweet and charming. I highly recommend it.

'Little Secrets' is one of those 'sweet' movies that appeals mostly to early teens. The story idea of a young secret keeper is quite amusing and the secret keeper's quest to adulthood is portrayed in an okay way (though very clichéd). Evan Rachel Wood is very pretty and her acting is also what contributes to the film's positive side. She's the reason why I watched it till the end instead of switching to something else (as mushy teen flicks of this decade do not hold much appeal to me). Vivica A. Fox delivers a restrained performance and Michael Angarano is alright. The rest of the cast are adequate. On the flip side, 'Little Secrets' is no classic and it will vanish into oblivion among other teen flicks releasing every year. The direction is okay as Treu stays focused on Emily's story but at the same time he introduces too many themes that are tackled in a very sugarcoated and half-baked manner. Overall, it's a decent flick with a good performance by a confident young actress.

OK, I admit it - I liked Little Secrets. Didn't LOVE it, but I liked it. Which will place me squarely in the critical minority, I'm sure. But, here's the thing. I'm first, and foremost, a family woman. And, from a parental perspective, I can tell you that films I can feel comfortable sitting down and watching with my younger cousins are few and far between. Little Secrets is one of those films, a non-threatening, light-hearted piece of fluff that leaves you feeling….pretty good. A girl puts her ability to keep a confidence to work, though she soon learns it's a tougher job than she imagined in this comedy drama for young people.

A girl puts her ability to keep a confidence to work, though she soon learns it's a tougher job than she imagined in this comedy drama for young people. Emily (Evan Rachel Wood) is a 14-year-old girl who loves music and is studying the violin. She has a real gift as a violinist, and has passed up the opportunity to go to summer camp with her friends to study with her tutor, Pauline (Vivica A. Fox), who believes Emily has a chance of landing a spot in the community symphony orchestra. Emily also has an unusual business on the side -- for 50 cents, she'll hear and keep other kids' secrets, and offer advice on how to keep incriminating facts away from parents, teachers, or other authority figures. However, she also has a secret of her own -- a new family has moved into the neighborhood, and while Philip (Michael Angarano), a year or two younger than Emily, quickly takes a liking to her, she immediately develops a crush on his older brother, David (David Gallagher). However, David has a habit of getting into trouble, and soon Emily is keeping some secrets she's prefer to get off her chest.

If all of this sounds very formulaic it is. There is little in the way of surprises here - much of the plot is recycled from any one of a dozen other family films. But it is loaded with nice little comedic moments. Under the comedic surface lie themes of family unity, cooperation, priorities, and unconditional love.

As for the performances, they're okay. Our star Wood (Thirteen, Simone) doesn't have to stretch too far playing the teenage violinist and Gallagher (TV's Seventh Heaven) gets plenty of face time as Emily's friend. Vivica A. Fox plays Emily's violin teacher. With an ensemble cast this large, it is difficult for anyone in the cast to stand out performance wise, but each gets a moment during the film to reveal a bit of his or her personality.

Overall, Little Secrets is innocent and inoffensive family fare that the kids will probably love and parents will find rather enjoyable.7/10.

I hadn't personally heard of this one, until I stumbled across it on IMDb. Decent rating, with that '7th Heaven' kid. (I used to love that show.) I thought I'd give it a try.

What a great find! I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The acting from all involved was excellent. The story was believable. The characters were ones you could understand emotionally (even if you've never been in their shoes).

A story driven piece. It's not about effects or anything superficial. It actually means something.

While I think it was perfectly executed by all involved, I do not give it a ten. It was enjoyable. I really like it, but I don't love it. I think it's basically because I'm not a teen or a young child and that's who it's aimed at.

But, that being said, I would watch it again, and maybe even add it to our families movie library. Give it a try. You, too, may be pleasantly surprised.

... and everyone responded with a cheerful (maybe a little tearful) thumbs up.

Sure, we know that main character, Evan, isn't "really" playing the violin, but once you get past that, you can get into the story... and a great story it is. One that works on many levels. I wasn't prepared for some of the "surprises" -- especially the emotional ones.

The relationships that build are never forced, almost as though the three main stars (Evan Rachel Wood, Michael Anarano and David Gallagher) are good "off screen" friends. The three make great use of facial expressions and body language, even when they don't have a speaking part. And speaking of speaking, it's great to see (or, rather, *hear*) a movie that doesn't have to resort to trashy talk in order to develop its characters. (Why, I can't recall my TV Guardian blanking out a single bad word -- way to go Blair Treu!)

For a good Family Movie -- Little Secrets is highly recommended.