The Screen Junkie

Little Manhattan

Now i'm thinking of the best reason why I didn't watch this in the big screen.

A similar plot to the old series 'The Wonder Years', the story is about a 10-year old New Yorker named Gabe (the guy from Zathura), who falls in love for the first time to an 11-year old girl and does everything to show his romantic interest in the midst of his pre-adolescent years.

Living with his "divorced" parents, Gabe undergoes his toughest challenge yet; His maturity and overcoming his fear of getting cooties every boy at his age gets for kissing girls. The center of interest here is Rosemary Telesco, the girl whom he met when he was in kindergarten, and reunites as they share the same karate class. Starting out as 'Sparring partners', the development of Gabe's adoration with Rosemary comes out little-by-little through their crazy adventures (with some help from his karate idol, Mike Chat) and is noticed later on that yes... he's in love.

Though love isn't only captured with the beautiful/romantic scenes of New York, he also stumbles into the rocky road of bitterness and painful disappointment by not professing his love to the girl. With Rosemary leaving in a day or two, Gabe realizes that he'll be smothered for the rest of his life and face the exact consequences like his dad. He resolved his confusion vis-a-vis obsession by facing his fears and brings out the courage on what a true man should do.

The story is admiringly done with a sunny disposition for both parents and kids. The challenge leaves everyone of us that it's better not to leave things unsaid. For one day when clutter fills in the room, there might just be no space to fill in with anything... anymore.

And in the end, it all comes down on how surprising yet funny it was when we first fell in love.

posted by the only juz @ 5/28/2006 10:53:00 PM