Surprisingly touching

Rating: 8/10 (23 June 2006)

This movie surprised us. We cried. Yes, we cried. The trailer barely tells you what the movie is about. There were some unfunny dumb things having to do with dogs, etc. (no one in the theater laughed much) and some cheeseball stuff, but the emotional core of the movie delivers a wallop that is unexpected. Along the lines of a sort of combination of "Family Man" and "It's a Wonderful Life" -- more "Family Man" -- this movie didn't just bring tears to eyes, it makes you cry. Because of that, I liked it and give it a thumbs up. The annoying stuff is a relatively small price to pay for the lessons the core stuff teaches. Lastly, Kate Beckinsdale (the epitome of domestic beauty in this movie) is absolutely a dream and the actress that played her grown daughter had eyes that matched -- well done. Enough said.