Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

We get to meet ed Asner's character when his grandson from New York is sent to spend the Summer with him because he needs to have some discipline in his life. Bart is a regular guy in a small town, and everyone knows him and his V. F. W. buddies know him best and respect him as a fellow soldier who retired with honor to continue his life in his home town. Bart teaches his grandson about how to be a man to take responsibility, to be respectful of others. When Ed Asner's funeral is taking place his daughter is given the folded flag by a Sergent Major of the Marine Corps. Ed Asner was a colonel in his Marine days, so military etiquette requires that someone of similar rank or higher present the flag to the family. It should have been a Colonel or General that did this.

This was shown last night (10/31/08) on the Hallmark channel, even though it is still shown on IMDb as incomplete.It starts in New York city where a teen boy has just gotten trouble again, and his mom decides to send him away for the summer, to spend the time with her dad, a decorated veteran Army officer, in his small rural community. This is viewed as a sort of "last resort" for this kid whose dad disappeared years ago, and who shows little respect for his mother.Teenager Alex Black is the boy, Dylan Statlan and his grandpa is Ed Asner as Bart Cahill. Bart is a widower but very active in the small town. The VFW, as one might imagine, is his favorite hangout, where they often get lunch, play poker, and swap old stories with the rest of the veterans. Bart goes to bed around 8PM and gets up at the crack of dawn, and Dylan has to get used to that schedule too.Naturally Dylan doesn't want to be there, and in fact gets caught trying to sneak off late at night. His grandpa doesn't give him much advice, but distills it down into three things: be on time, do the right thing, and be courteous to everyone.Dylan's interest picks up when he meets young Danielle Savre as pretty and smart Jenny. Both of them are doing volunteer work in the town, she because it is part of her community service, he because grandpa insists.A key side story involves Rue McClanahan as Kay, who is very friendly with grandpa. In one scene grandpa eggs Dylan on to call Jenny and ask her out. He agrees, but only if grandpa will call Kay and ask her out.The theme of the story is Dylan's transformation away from his troubled teen behavior, and at the same time grandpa's own transformation. They have a positive influence on each other. While there isn't anything ground-breaking here, it is pleasant entertainment and a good story.

Generation Gap, an original Hallmark Channel film, is a movie for all generations. It is a touching family story about a troubled teen (played by teen heart-throb Alex Black) who is forced to live with his grandfather (Ed Asner). His grandfather is a no nonsense WWII Vet who is not going to take his excuses and puts him to work. Dylan fights it at first, but as time goes by, this teen becomes a man, and the grandfather gets to know his grandson. What we get is a movie that will make you laugh and cry, and leaves you feeling like calling a family member to tell them you love them! This is a film you won't want to miss, and should watch it with as many generations as possible! Alex Black (Ned's Declassified) gives a brilliant performance, and injects a youthful exuberance to an otherwise veteran, but aging cast. Wonderful performances were delivered by all, including Ed Asner (7 time Emmy winner), Rue McClanahan and Ralph Waite.

This Hallmark Channel TV movie has a decent script, about a New York teenager who is sent to stay with his grandfather to straighten out and does so. Nowadays the movie theaters are full of big spectacles which seem to be all about production values and little about people or story, so efforts like this are welcome, especially as they allow us to see actors who might not be young and beautiful any more, but who can turn in performances ten times as interesting as current movie leads.It is a pleasure to watch the older actors -- Ed Asner, Rue McClanahan, Ralph Waite and others handle their roles simply and interestingly. However, Alex Black, as the juvenile lead, is a little too nice, his transformation is a little too easy and he spends too much time smiling to put much depth into this effort. Danielle Savre, as the ingénue, though, is excellent.