Smile (2005/I)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Jeffrey Kramer

Writer:

Jeffrey Kramer (writer)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

Based on 80,000 true stories.

Plot:

Introduced to a volunteer opportunity with the Doctor's Gift Program, Katie (Mika Boorem) signs up for a trip to China, where she meets Lin (Yi Ding), a girl with whom she shares a birthday. Lin has a facial deformity that discourages her from ever showing her face, but her friendship with Katie helps her start to see life in a new way.

Plot Keywords:

Interracial Friendship

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Mika Boorem	...	Katie
Luoyong Wang	...	Daniel
Yi Ding	...	Lin
Beau Bridges	...	Steven
Linda Hamilton	...	Bridgette
Cheri Oteri	...	Linda
Sean Astin	...	Mr. Matthews
Shuai Chi	...	Calvin
Jonathon Trent	...	Ted
Erik von Detten	...	Chris
Jia Song	...	Daniel's Wife
Essie Shure	...	Brittany
Susan Chuang	...	Ticket Agent
Yaojun Feng	...	Conductor
Hua Zhu	...	James

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some mature content involving teen sexuality.

Runtime:

USA:107 min | Argentina:107 min

Country:

USA | China

Language:

Mandarin | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:13 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Jingxi, China

Company:

Konwiser Brothers

Movie Connections:

Features Cowboy and the Senorita (1944)

Emotive and Touching.

This movie isn't about the character makeover that Katie has or the facial makeover that Lindsay has. I kept on wondering why they would call the movie Smile ! I had my answer. "Smile" is about the ability to genuinely smile, to smile for something that doesn't go through you, to smile with mushy emotions inside, to smile with tears in your eyes, to smile at the happiness of someone besides yourself ! Its what you would do while you watched "Smile". They have also probably chosen the perfect tag-line for this movie. Watch the movie and you will find out why !

I give this movie all its rating because of Lindsay and her dad and everything that revolves around them. Very very touching to watch a father sacrifice everything for the love of an adopted child. Cinematography too was excellent. The scenic countryside holding hands with the pleasant music score adds to the feel good touch of brilliantly done scenes such as the father and child dancing etc.

The initial chunk of the movie is a lil overdone potpourri of characters. Character development was essential, but it spills over into more of a striking contrasting difference between the lives of two girls born on the same day. It puts forth a wrong perspective which could well and truly stand in line with the archaic stereotype of lives in developing countries. They could also have gone easy on the last set of photo stills to don the movie screen. It tends to give a lil bit of the "true story" thing away !

Given its pros and cons, I would certainly recommend this movie even if its a date movie !