Measure of a Man

This film tells the story of a 17 year old man who experiences a life changing summer holiday.

On the macro level, the story is satisfying and heartwarming. It is good to see the changes in the young man. His experiences are quite saddening, but it leads up growth.

The story starts in 1976 with music from that period. A kid get hired by a Dr. Kahn (Donald Sutherland, a college professor?) to do outside yard work while vacationing around a lake. There are several plot lines going on and things are not what they initially seem. If you don't listen and see closely, you will miss the townies calling Dr. Kahn an anti-Semitic slur. Look closely during the ice-tea scene and you will very briefly see a fading number tattooed on Dr. Kahn's left forearm, obviously from a concentration camp. The kid is bullied by 2 of the townies and eventually confronts them and wins their respect. Then, he confronts the doctor who he thinks has been taking advantage of him. In the end, it all ties in together and it's very nice.

Here are quite a few movies to this degree but this one stood out to me for a few reasons. The main character did a great job and the superb cast that surrounded him didn't take away from his acting.

Kept my interested the whole time even though I knew how it would most likely play out,

Worth a watch with the family

6.8

Wonder Years narration? ...Check ...Summer lake? Check ...Out of reach love interest? Check...

The point im trying to make is that the film uses summer coming of age movie cliches in a way that is rather bland. It tries to go for a heartwarming kind of vibe and it never feels good or natural. I liked the acting and the setting but the story is not too memorable. The films moral on the other hand is actually quite good.

Heart warming film about a young kid who's overcoming some issues. He's secretly in love with his best friend, he's getting bullied, he's protecting his little sister, he's worrying about his parents marital problems, all while working for & learning from a learned local. Loved this film, ignore the bad reviews, oh and, great soundtrack.