Good start, but then it gets ruined

Absolutely amazing

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

A very relaxing movie with real understanding of early teenage. Evan Rachel Wood plays a very interesting character with real passion. All the other child actors also did their respective jobs quite satisfactorily. The script is wonderfully written which makes it a perfect early-teen movie without being perky.The ending somehow becomes a little too predictable and the story should have included more of Emily's darker side of nature. But I understand this film to be watched mostly by much younger audience, so I guess it's better to keep her character such near-perfect. In the end, the movie is definitely pleasant and relaxing to watch.

I must admit that I am very partial to movies where an aspiring musician, singer or instrumentalist, is on a journey to achieve their dream. Here it is Evan Rachel Wood as Emily Lindstrom, 14, who loves the violin. In an opening scene we see her going to her new neighbors to 'borrow their TV', not literally, but to watch the live televised symphony convert. She practices the piece all week, then plays along with the telecast. And she is very good, especially for a girl of 14. This is a very nice and clean movie, without sex and bad language. Vivica A. Fox is Pauline, former symphony violinist who is a friend and also seems to be Emily's teacher. The title 'Little Secrets' has at least a couple of meanings. One is the neighborhood 'job' that Emily has. She sets up a booth as 'secret keeper' and various kids come to her with their secrets, often pieces of something valuable that is broken, and Emily places them in a brown bag, and locks it into her chest. The other meaning is her own secret. Her birth parents were killed by a drunk driver when she was only 10 months and she was adopted. No one other than her adoptive parents know that secret. It creates some ill feelings when 40-something mom becomes pregnant and is ga-ga over her coming newborn, making Emily wonder if she is a second-class daughter.Michael Angarano who was so good in 'Sky High' is Philip, the new 12-year-old neighbor who becomes good friends with Emily. His older brother David is played by David Gallagher, who takes a keep interest in Emily when he returns from tennis camp. SPOILERS. Emily gets an opportunity to audition for a youth symphony, but has an untimely accident. She trips and falls off the roof, where she often practices outside her second floor bedroom. She has to be hospitalized and her violin is broken. But Philip had made a video of her playing a classical piece, he and brother David brought the tape to the auditions, and later Emily received a letter of acceptance. And, her dad gave her a new violin.

It may be the first time we are seeing a film without any fights and sex. Really it is film about love and full of love. We envy that world. Actually it is world of our dreams, a world of love. We congratulate the story maker and directer for this wonderful film.We think the script, direction and acting was really good.We think that this kind of love films are a necessary divertion in this world of religious hatred and violence.We never expected such a film from Hollywood. We usually see such good films on French TV. Here our Bollywood is an evil place producing 100s of filthy movies every month. We love to see such films.

I have 2 kids, 5 & 7. My 7-year old picked this one out at the video store while I was digging for blood-and gut stuff after they fall asleep. I am used to yawning and catnapping thru horrible Japanese cartoons, Disney offal (how can David Spade offend in equal measure without even using his gen-ZZZ, I'm-so-smart I'm-Bored ((Wow David! You MUST be smart!)) persona, by using only his voice? Perhaps he DOES have some talent) or cartoon network SCREAMFESTS, all supposedly aimed at kids while cramming greed and excess down their eager throats. I would rather do this some nights, in spite of the side effects, than willingly enter into a fight over a kid movie. Single parents, you know the drill. And Friday night is Movie Night at our place.And I'll confess I drifted off during the movie, since it was the second of two (Neverending Story 2, which is BAAAAD), but not before dully noticing that it was well-acted. On second and third watching I am entering comment-land. I didn't find a weak performance. I loved the story line. All the characters have some depth, do not readily lapse into clichéd kidspeak (gnarly, like, so, overit, etc) but actually verbalize cogent thoughts, and the movie is filled with weird kids being treated normally instead of being ostracized or teased for not fitting in with the DisneyKind. Bad fiddling? Who cared or knew. My impression of those who actually can play the violin well is that you've lassoed some life more fulfilling than sitting around watching kid movies. Myself, I chose guitar, and still wouldn't fault the most amateur airplayer for missing a lick or two. This movie is good stuff. Rent it and enjoy.