We found this movie on Netflix streaming, it is very nicely done and contains a good message.
The story centers almost equally on two characters - a 12-yr-old boy and his 24-yr-old Au Pair. Julian Shatkin is a 12-yr-old genius and cello prodigy Reggie. At one point when his quartet had finished practicing a piece, when asked what it was, he stated that he wrote it. He was always ahead in his school studies, and in class often is staring out the window but knows exactly what the teacher is teaching and can answer any question.
But Reggie is lonely. He lives in an upper East Side mansion of sorts in Manhattan, his father is a businessman often out of the country, and his mother, expertly played by Debra Messing as Mom Barbara, is joyless shrew who pretty much leaves her son to the limo driver.
His Au pair has to return to Mexico so Barbara starts a quick search for a replacement. Luckily, Leighton Meester as Eleanor just moved out of her boyfriend's place after yet another incident of his irresponsibility and she is looking for a job, any job. Barbara interviews her and asks when she can start. That afternoon would be ideal. Eleanor has all her belongings with her in a roll-around suitcase so is delighted.
In many ways this story reminds me of Willy (Tim Hutton) and Marty (Natalie Portman) in "Beautiful Girls". In that story Willy is a seemingly lost musician and Marty is the young girl who suggests that he wait a few years so that they can be lovers for eternity.
In this movie, as it turns out, Eleanor in high school WAS an outstanding musician, a cornet player with an opportunity to attend Juliard, but life and finances got in the way. So part of her character's arc here is to regain her interest in her music. She sees young Reggie as a kid to take care of but Reggie sees her as perhaps the love of his life but he doesn't quite know how to handle it.
There is a touching final scene where Eleanor has left to go back home and figure out what she will do, Reggie is still in NYC, he is playing cello and she is playing the cornet part that he wrote for her. A duet miles apart.
Good movie, maybe I enjoyed it more because I am a musician too, coincidentally a cornet player.
Oct 2020 update: I watched it again on Amazon streaming movies, I probably enjoyed it a bit more than the first time almost 5 years ago. Good movie.
The story centers almost equally on two characters - a 12-yr-old boy and his 24-yr-old Au Pair. Julian Shatkin is a 12-yr-old genius and cello prodigy Reggie. At one point when his quartet had finished practicing a piece, when asked what it was, he stated that he wrote it. He was always ahead in his school studies, and in class often is staring out the window but knows exactly what the teacher is teaching and can answer any question.
But Reggie is lonely. He lives in an upper East Side mansion of sorts in Manhattan, his father is a businessman often out of the country, and his mother, expertly played by Debra Messing as Mom Barbara, is joyless shrew who pretty much leaves her son to the limo driver.
His Au pair has to return to Mexico so Barbara starts a quick search for a replacement. Luckily, Leighton Meester as Eleanor just moved out of her boyfriend's place after yet another incident of his irresponsibility and she is looking for a job, any job. Barbara interviews her and asks when she can start. That afternoon would be ideal. Eleanor has all her belongings with her in a roll-around suitcase so is delighted.
In many ways this story reminds me of Willy (Tim Hutton) and Marty (Natalie Portman) in "Beautiful Girls". In that story Willy is a seemingly lost musician and Marty is the young girl who suggests that he wait a few years so that they can be lovers for eternity.
In this movie, as it turns out, Eleanor in high school WAS an outstanding musician, a cornet player with an opportunity to attend Juliard, but life and finances got in the way. So part of her character's arc here is to regain her interest in her music. She sees young Reggie as a kid to take care of but Reggie sees her as perhaps the love of his life but he doesn't quite know how to handle it.
There is a touching final scene where Eleanor has left to go back home and figure out what she will do, Reggie is still in NYC, he is playing cello and she is playing the cornet part that he wrote for her. A duet miles apart.
Good movie, maybe I enjoyed it more because I am a musician too, coincidentally a cornet player.
Oct 2020 update: I watched it again on Amazon streaming movies, I probably enjoyed it a bit more than the first time almost 5 years ago. Good movie.