This delightful film is often overlooked due to it's Canadian origins. However young Serpa more than makes up for any doubts you might have. Serpa shines as the imaginative youngster who takes his stern father's old motorcycle and a few spare parts from a nearby junkyard and builds every kid's dream come true. With a little help from his foster brother, (Baker) he gets the neighborhood bully involved in his project as an unwitting guinea pig. From there the plan goes according to schedule, with the bully chickening out in the end and Baker taking his place to the admiration and surprise of the other neighborhood children. The deaf older sister is very good, and adds a dimension of humanity and emotional depth this comedy might otherwise lack. But it's Cody Serpa who carries the film all the way. The parental figures, Milligan and MacDonald are just window dressing. The story is well told, and amply supplied with laughs and even a few tears. I loved it, my kids loved it, and even their grandfather enjoyed the film. Definitely worth seeing. May even teach kids there is nothing wrong with imagination, as long as it is coupled with ingenuity and hard work. I give it a 6.5 and I hope to see young Cody Serpa in another film.
Review of Once in a Blue Moon
