I'll Remember April

This is a well-crafted and pleasant film - telling the growing up of four American childhood friends just after the attack on Pearl Harbour. While the four friends are consumed by playing being soldiers, a Japanese submariner washes ashore their beach. Initially thinking to become heroes, the boys detain the seriously wounded soldier. But is he truly an enemy of everything they hold dear?

Really fulfilling my admittedly optimistic expectation, April did not only turn out to be a wonderful tale of youth friendship, but also a pretty nice drama as well. The film - during many moments - brought back memories of Richard Donner's (and as far as I'm concerned Spielberg's) The Goonies. Growing up with friends, participating in a grand and exciting adventure, trying to do good. This is what April is about as well. While not ignoring to include sentimental scenes, the film skillfully prevents presenting huge clichés. The moments that were supposed to be powerful in the film work well. And besides being enjoyable and powerful, the film also manages to supply an important and true message as well.

The casting could not have been more wonderful. We are given a cast of four great kids, including a very impressive Trevor Morgan and star-becoming Haley Joel Osment. Morgan absolutely shines as the kid who's dealing with some scars of war, and he is fantastic in more than just a couple of scenes. He makes one very moving sequence in the film work truly well. Osment is giving a solid yet relatively small show as well - his character is of less importance in this story, but he's indeed rather memorable as Morgan's buddy.

While the story basically centers around the four boys and their Japanese 'prisoner', there are powerful other characters around as well. One of the boys' relatives, played by the late and wonderful Pat Morita, and Morgan's character's father have good screen presence.

As mentioned, April is a coming of age story packed with some dramatic elements, yet it remains light and easily viewable. Backed by a decent enough score, the film manages to touch the heart without any doubt. Probably Morgan's best role as a child actor, and one of Osment's cool early appearances on the silver screen, I'll Remember April is a must-see for fans of the genre. Growing up couldn't have been more fun.

Highly recommended.

I really enjoyed the film. I thought the actors were very believable and I laughed and cried with them as the story unfolded. I found it a good vehicle to begin a discussion with my grandchildren of the history of one of the most shameful things our country had done in our treatment of the Japanese during this time period. I wish the film had been longer. There were times that the continuity was missing and I had to wonder how we got to the current point. Since I have the video, I replayed some scenes.

This movie was very interesting.It is very appropriate for younger kids.Very good performences by all 4 kids.this movie taught me alot about racism and what happened during that time period. Congradulations to all the actors for a job well done but a special congrads to haley joel osment.

The cover of the movie bothers me a lot because Haley Joel Osment is NOT the leading role in this movie, and they just had to stick his face on it. The real star is TREVOR MORGAN!!!!!!

Who has been in The Patriot, JP3, The Sixth Sense (as the bully), and The Glass House, and currently he is in the Rookie.

SO give this kid credit! He is brilliant!

Overall, I'll Remember April was sweet and a really great movie! It is wonderful for the family...You'll love it!

Interesting indie that barely got released anywhere (and probably was slapped crudely onto disc to capitalize on the sudden fame of one of it's juvenile players...despite being the focus of cover art and billing Haley Joel Osment has a supporting role...and looks to be a bit younger and a LOT blonder than he was in "The Sixth Sense" and he is NOT prominently featured here.).

Well meaning and at times moving depiction of broken lives of about to be interred American born Japanese descended citizens is rather uncomfortably with far fetched fantasy of 4 boys becoming best buddies with a wounded and stranded Japanese sailor. Some very good work from a surprisingly strong cast hints that this could have been a quite interesting film with a better detailed script and a much bigger budget...(the film as it stands seems about four fifths finished with a temp track score and a very strangely shot ending).

If you do pick it up on disc as a curio (thank you for offering it DAEDELUS BOOKS!) I would strongly advise NOT watching the trailer before seeing the film...It gives away about ninety per cent of the plot!