Little Secrets

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.

'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.

A very relaxing movie with real understanding of early teenage. Evan Rachel Wood plays a very interesting character with real passion. All the other child actors also did their respective jobs quite satisfactorily. The script is wonderfully written which makes it a perfect early-teen movie without being perky.

The ending somehow becomes a little too predictable and the story should have included more of Emily's darker side of nature. But I understand this film to be watched mostly by much younger audience, so I guess it's better to keep her character such near-perfect. In the end, the movie is definitely pleasant and relaxing to watch.

... 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.