Movie: Stolen Summer Type: drama Original Release Date: 2002 Rating: Starring: Aidan Quinn, Bonnie Hunt, Kevin Pollak, Brian Dennehy, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Adiel Stein, Mike Weinberg Directed by: Pete Jones

Available on DVD and VHS.

Synopsis:
This is the first film made possible by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's innovative Project Greenlight, a contest that gives budding film makers the funds and production company backing needed to produce their first film.

An end of the year warning by the nun who teaches second grade makes eight-year-old Pete O'Malley start thinking about the path to heaven. Determined to get on the straight and narrow, Pete decides that his best chance of getting to heaven is to go on a quest to "save" Jewish people by converting them to Catholicism so they can go to heaven, too.

After spending time at the local synagogue, Pete meets Rabbi Jacobson and, later, the Rabbi's terminally ill son, Danny, who is just a little younger than Pete is. Pete decides that his new friend is the perfect candidate for his quest and together the boys spend the summer designing a series of tests intended to prove Danny's worthiness so he can get into heaven.

I would recommend this movie!

Why?
Given the fact that this is a first film, the making of which was broken down and chronicled in the first season of the Project Greenlight television series, the film has a palpable "made for TV" feel to it. But this fact does not diminish the performances of either the veteran stars who leant their talents to this endeavor or the young newcomers who play Pete and Danny.

The film addresses prejudices commonly held between religions in the 1970s and raises questions about spirituality in a heart warming and non-confrontational manner. It is a pleasant little film to watch - bittersweet without slipping into melodrama.