Plot: What’s it about?
Emily Lindstrom (Evan Rachel Wood) is at home this summer while her friends are off at camp, but she doesn’t mind in the least. She plans to use the summer to refine her musician skills, as she is becoming a master of the violin. In fact, she has gotten so good and shows so much potential, she has an audition with a symphony orchestra. As such, she wants to get in as much practice as she can and she hopes it will be enough, as she wants to be accepted into the symphony more than anything else. Although she knows her parents are proud of her, they’re so involved in the preparations for a new baby that sometimes she winds up overlooked, though she soon finds a new friend to balance things out a little. A new family moves in next door and she quickly befriends the son, Philip (Michael Angarano). In between practice sessions and hanging out with her new friend, Emily keeps a side business up and running. As she is excellent with keeping secrets, kids from around her neighborhood write down their secrets, give the papers and fifty cents to Emily, and she keeps their secrets safe. But when her own secrets start to bother her and Philip shares one of his own, can she manage to keep them all under wraps?
The task of creating a movie the entire family will enjoy is no simple one, as its difficult to include elements for all the potential viewers. I mean, you have to keep it clean and safe for the youngsters, include some kind of coolness for the young teens, make sure its not too preachy for the older teens, and ensure it won’t put the adults to sleep via boredom. In other words, it isn’t a simple task and as evidence, look at how many family movies either resort to toilet humor or slapstick violence or overly preachy tones, which is a lot of them. But it can be done and while Little Secrets is not without its flaws, it is a well crafted and effective family aimed picture. The story is a good one, aside from some overlooked subplots and the performances are very enjoyable, especially Evan Rachel Wood, as she shines in this role. I wouldn’t say this one will dazzle all the demographics of a family’s household, but it is solid in respects and while safe enough for the kiddies, it has enough humor and skill to entertain older audiences also. It also manages to get a message across without turning into an after school special, which is excellent news. I do think it avoids some potentially relevant, but more serious issues, but this is pure escapism, so no reason to be that critical. I am more than able to recommend Little Secrets to anyone looking for a movie for the entire family, especially since Columbia has issued this solid presentation.
The finest performance in this picture belongs to Evan Rachel Wood, who continues to impress with her efforts. After some work in made for television features, Wood soon turned to motion pictures and showed some serious potential. Her roles were often smaller ones, but she had a certain spark and stole numerous scenes, even from better known costars. But when she landed a sizable role on the acclaimed television series Once and Again, it became obvious of just how much talent she had. Wood was simply amazing at times as Jesse, a young girl dealing with her parents divorce and her own internal issues. It was as if a veteran performer was given this young vessel, but instead, it was a young woman with an immense talent for the cameras. In Little Secrets, she is given the main role and she makes it work, turning in a sparkling effort that drives the movie’s tone and focus. Other films with Wood include Practical Magic, Simone, Detour, Digging to China, and Thirteen. The cast also includes Vivica A. Fox (Juwanna Mann, Idle Hands), David Gallagher (Phenomena, Tv’s 7th Heaven), Michael Angarano (Music of the Heart, River Red), and Rick Macy (Brigham City, Divided by Hate).
Video: How does it look?
Little Secrets is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, with a full screen option also included on this dual layered disc. This is a solid looking effort, but it isn’t one of Columbia’s better new release treatments. The main issue here is softness, as the visuals lack the kind of sharpness and overall refined appearance we’ve come to expect from new releases. This is never too much of a problem, but I do think it dulls the visuals a little at times. I also expecting brighter, more vivid colors, but the hues here have a more natural texture. This could have been the intent however, so I won’t be harsh in that regard. I found black levels to be as good as possible, given the softness present throughout the transfer. I doubt anyone will be too let down here, but I guess I just expected a little from Columbia on this one.
Audio: How does it sound?
This one is all about the dialogue, so while a Dolby Digital 5.1 option is included, keep your expectations realistic. As the material has no real need for dynamic presence though, you won’t miss the lack of surround sound, not in the least. There is some slight life in the rear channels when the musical soundtrack kicks in, but even then, the audio focus remains on the front channels and the film’s dialogue. And the track excels at bringing across the most important element, as vocals are crisp and clean, without no flaws to report. So while not a memorable experience, this track does all that is asked and of course, that’s what matters. This disc also includes French, Spanish, and Portuguese language tracks, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, and Thai.
Supplements: What are the extras?
An audio commentary is the best of the supplements, as director Blair Treu and writer Jessica Barondes chat about the picture. The session is packed with inside information, from the casting process to production complications, as well as all stops in between. A brisk, enjoyable commentary that shed a lot of light on the project, so if you had fun with the movie itself, be sure to make time to take in this session. This disc also includes a brief behind the scenes featurette, a blooper reel, and the film’s theatrical trailer. As an added bonus, the film’s soundtrack has been included on a CD, adding even more value to this release.
