Little John

Gloria Reuben, Ving Rhames, Robert Bailey, Jr. Star in Little John a very good movie about A family court judge's life is turned upside down when her father and long-lost son-whom she thought she gave up for adoption show up and try to make amends. I recommend it. James Welch Henderson, Arkansas 4/20/2021.

This movie has a powerhouse of seasoned actors. Unfortunately, the scripting left more to be desired, and miscasting is quite evident when it comes to Patty Duke! Don't get me wrong, I like Patty (Anna Marie), but this role was a no fit! Patty Duke is way above that role, which was placid, sweet, and totally boring! On the other hand ... it was nice to see her looking so good ... in 2002 ... but a wallflower she is not! The story pretty much stinks with contradictions in the role of Little John's mother, played by Gloria Reuben. Another fine actress wasting her time with this movie. First, she appears too young to have the position she has acquired as a Judge. And, being a Judge that makes extremely important decisions in regards to abused children ... and, basically, having done the same thing by abandoning her own baby ... is totally crapola! Her role, as already said, was ridiculous and contradictory of her own inner qualities. Plus, the idea that she never told her father that she was raped is highly improbable! Anyone, having their own father telling them that he was disappointed in her because she allowed herself to become pregnant ... would ... scream RAPE! Its a matter of self-preservation when it comes to a child being scorn by a parent for something he, or she, had no control of. Emotional reflex! Ving Rhames ... I don't dare say anything against him ... we share the same birthday. Frankly, this a a seasoned actor and did a great job with his part ... but, alas, he was also miscast! Ving Rhames is like an action hero ... volatile, somewhat like Patty Duke, that bites the reins in most of his roles. So, basically, what I am saying here is this ... the cast was subdued ... sat in a chair and had the hands tied behind their backs ... like alka seltzer without the fizz! One keeps waiting for the high dramatics, which Patty and Ving are loved for, but all we get is a two day old flat soda ... a bore.

As for the main character ... same goes here also. When you see this little kid take care of his grandpa ... and drive this truck to a diner for help ... you think ... this is going to be a winner! Wrong! The bottom line is this ... a lot of good actors were hired to waste their time developing a loser that is beneath every one of them! The acting was quite good, all around, but it was still a bore!

What a horrible sin to waste the talents of this Oscar and Emmy-winning actress! In a storyline that is barely passable in itself (what 12 year old kid acts as perfect as little John does???) Duke is merely scenery as law clerk for Reuben. Her screen time is limited, as it was in her last Hallmark film, A Season for Miracles (1999) but at least in that one her character was an important aspect of the story. Here she is simply window dressing. What ever happened to the days when she was starring in gorgeous Hallmark productions such as Harvest of Fire (96) and A Christmas Memory (97) both of which she should have received Emmy nods for.

On the other hand, Ving Rhames does all he can in his role as the grandfather, but Gloria Reuben probably needs to have her acting phoned in for her, as it looks like she is reciting them from a teleprompter or something - no feeling, just words.

And the ending absolutely sucks. It plays it safe once again, when one of the few redeeming assets of the movie was how the mother-son reunion was not written from a Hallmark card, but much more real. In the end everything is a mess and the reader sits there wondering why he or she just wasted 2 hours of their time.

My score: 5/10

This was a very good movie, the part that really moved me was when the grandfather decided to adopt the boy so that his grandchild would not be adopted by an unknown family. It was really cool when the L.J went looking for his mother only to find out that it was not going to be as easy as he thought. Very good ending too!

Little John is well worth watching! Great acting, plot and ending. Tear-jerker. We all can learn from this; especially people who don't take the time to listen but judge. Humility, communicating patience and love always helps. This movie shows us that at the end of the day, everything comes full-circle, and when we least expect it.

Ving Rhames is one of my favorite actors and the young man who played LJ, was great. Gloria Reuben does not disappoint us as she, like Ving, has played many strong and diverse roles. I hope that I didn't spoil anything for you.

So, relax and enjoy this amazing movie on Hallmark.