The Letter Writer

This elegant film by writer-director Christian Vuissa conveys a fundamental principle of spiritual enlightenment that transcends theological dogma. If you are seeking a purpose driven life, you will find value in this piece.

The teenage protagonist negotiates the rough waters of female adolescence with the unorthodox guidance of an aging mentor. She realizes ethical and moral truths by observing his consistent practices of selfless giving. Embracing these tenants in her daily life opens the door to her personal fulfillment.

This is more of a coming to enlightenment than a coming of age film. The presentation is generally nonsectarian, and should be appropriate for viewers of any religious persuasion, and particularly those of no religious persuasion.

If you don't watch another movie anytime soon, I encourage you to watch this film. This movie could melt a stone. You cannot watch this and not take anything useful away with you. It will touch your heart.

All the actors in this movie did a superb job. If you liked Pay it Forward, you'll love this movie. We all need something like this now and then. Watch it today. You'll be glad you did.

The young girl, Maggie, did a wonderful job. The power of her emotions is staggering.

Sam, aka Bernie Diamond, was simply amazing. We are blessed that he lived long enough to complete the film. He passed away shortly after its completion at the age of 89.

The older folks from the nursing home were heartwarming, to say the least. Again, please take some time and watch this film.

Lead actress Aley Underwood ("Maggy") plays a troubled teen in a world where everything has gone wrong for her: a father who never cared, a boyfriend that breaks up with her to be with her best friend, a band that steals her song (that the best friend sings), getting caught cheating on the math test, getting caught stealing from her mother. But one good thing in Maggy's life is a letter she receives out of the blue that lifts her spirit.

This is the "inciting incident." Aley Underwood carries the entire movie. She shows a great deal of charm and vulnerability (and a strong resemblance to a young Katie Holmes), but she cannot save what amounts to a vanity production. Writer/director/composer/producer Christian Vuissa created something that might have been mildly entertaining for his church group, but as a feature, it fails across the board.

The first thing we noticed is that the sound was not mixed well. That did not bode well for as far as we got, which was about fifty-percent of the film. Next, the dialogue is cliched and stilted and on-the-nose. I felt bad, especially for Aley, that she had to speak in such an unnatural way.

Although the idea is very sweet -- that some elderly man in a seniors' home (Bernie Diamond, looking ancient) writes letters to strangers every day to uplift their spirits, and that somehow one of these letters reaches Maggy and changes her life -- we also have to endure what Christian must imagine to be hit songs sung by Maggy and her questionable band. The first hour is a slog. The last forty minutes have a few tender moments and again, Aley carries the entire production on her young back.

It seems that Aley did not really pursue her career, which is kind of sad. With her smoky eyes, Hollywood smile, and charm and sparkle, she could have carved out a career for herself. At the same time, if these were the type of scripts coming her way, she may have packed up her tent and fled for the hills.

Could have been so much better.

Reviews for The Letter Writer are seriously divided, I'm guessing depending on the lens through which the film was viewed. We all want well-done films with exceptional actors, music etc. My guess is that the low ratings are from viewers who put emphasis on that, while positive ratings are from viewers who put more emphasis on the message.

It's a slow paced watch with nearly all the focus on the message. I'm not one for karma type thinking - what you give comes back to you and so on. But I strongly believe in doing one's best to have a positive impact on those around us, regardless of whether or not we're rewarded.

Few of us would be able think of a specific talent to use on behalf of others, but we all have the capacity for kindness. I've had some pretty low days as most of us have, and there have been many days when I felt encouraged by a stranger who gave me a kind smile. Sure, "be kind" is cliché and kinda corny but it's easy and you never know how big an impact it can have on others.

You watch lots and lots of movies, sometimes you look for good action, drama and even a good horror flick, but once in a while you come across a movie by chance that has the ability to touch in such loving way that you would have not imagined before pressing that Play button. The movie story begins when a rebellious young girl receives a heartwarming letter from an unknown source and the changes which follows in her life and people around her thereafter. THIS IS NOT A COMING OF AGE FILM BUT IS AN SPIRITUAL (non-religious) AWAKING FILM. The beauty of this film lies in its simplicity and its scripted in such gentle way that is very or may even impossible to find any pretentious message in the film. Its centers on how words can heal or hurt people and how we are carelessly use them among one another. It reminds us the power of receiving a hand written letter from a friend or family member in a way that no email, text, or twitter message can begin to encompass.

You will be hard not to cry in several scenes in this movie. I honestly believe this was a labor of love and all were involve in this project must have been touched personally.

There is no violence, vulgarity, etc. in this film and people of all ages can enjoy this movie. Highly recommend if you want a wonderful lullaby of a film