Secret de famille

A CALL TO REMEMBER

Aspect ratio: 1.33:1

Sound format: Stereo

1967: After rebuilding their lives in America, two Jewish holocaust survivors (Blythe Danner and Joe Mantegna) are forced to confront their dark past when fate plays a cruel trick...

Unusual drama from TV specialist Jack Bender (KILLING MR. GRIFFIN, "The David Cassidy Story", etc.) in which unhappy history has a tragic bearing on the present (in this case 1967, at a time when America had become embroiled in a war no less dangerous than the one in which Danner and Mantegna suffered their worst indignities). Danner takes center stage as the strong mother laid low by an appalling twist of fate, while teenage son David Lascher (TV's "Sabrina the Teenage Witch") represents the viewpoint of a generation untouched by their parents' experiences in occupied Europe. Mantegna is dignified in a crucial supporting role, and there's an early appearance by Kevin Zegers (TRANSAMERICA) as the younger sibling slowly waking to the full horror of Nazi war crimes.

This is a truthful, careful, real film. Deeply satisfying; wonderful to watch. Danner is the best - simply the best. The story, unique though it is, is the universal story about the depth of grief. The director is very careful, very attentive to the detail of the times and of the characters. A 10 for sure.

This movie gives a good idea of how it must be when your parents lived the Nazi horror but desperately want to bury the memory of it and want "the best" for you as a child. I found the movie longish at times and the ending somewhat simplistic, but the relations between the members of this family are often thought-provoking. A good flick overall. I rate it 7 out of 10.

Kudos to Blythe Danner and the rest of the strong cast for making a touching, believable story of holocaust survivors. 60 members of my family were slaughtered in the holocaust and I generally don't enjoy watching movies about it. However, this story dealt not with the tragedy and horror of that actual experience, but the legacy of survivors. Set in 1960's suburbia, the Tobias' story focuses on their relationship with their two sons. This is no Shine, however. The Tobias' are as loving and highly functional as two human beings could be after what they have been through. Yet their resilience is not overplayed-- their love for their children is sometimes crushing, their fear smothering. And the central conflict of the movie revolves around their difficulties letting go with the past and behaviors that allowed them to survive in the camps, but cut them off from living fully in a peaceful situation. Overall, the story reminded me of Maus meets Ordinary People, somehow escaping the minor key of each. Those looking for a gritty holocaust tale, or high melodrama should look elsewhere. Although the fine acting, sturdy script, and poignancy of the story kept me in a steady flow of tears, this is primarily a life-afirming story. I highly reccomend it!

A deeply moving movie that touches even the most callous person.

It delves into the world of two overly protective Jewish parents as they raise their sons under the shadow of past horrors dealt to them during the Holocaust. This film is a must see.