Rumor Of Angels, A

Here's an offbeat tale of a mischievious young boy (Trevor Morgan) that's failing miserably at getting over the loss of his mom and surviving a boring lonely summer on Cape Cod, until he uncovers the secret of the spooky lady who lives by the lighthouse -- "Crazy Old" Maddy Bennett (a graying but dignified Vanessa Redgrave), who's not as cold, cruel and creepy as first believed.

Seems she believes that "Mozart heard the voices of the angels," and that she can communicate with them and, in turn, the dearly departed (as in a lost son). When the boy's dad (Ray Liotta) finds out about Maddy's beliefs, a battle ensues as a father's protective instincts pit him and his new wife against his son's only real friend. Naive and simple faith, along with the bond of shared human grief is explored and championed, along with the question of the relevance of substance of things hoped for.

Some great lines are spoken by the wise old Maddy, including an explanation about listening and seeing beyond the obvious: "The angels are all out here somewhere...and here (points to heart)," and "People invent machinery to improve on God's gift of perception, but refuse to credit the voices and visions that inspired them..." Another is uttered when the parents tell Maddy to stop hanging around and filling their son's head with the idea that the dead reach out and communicate to the living: "There's no horror in death; and the sooner you're able to understand that, the sooner you'll be able to help James. It's staying alive that's difficult, isn't it?" He's told, "the soul leaves the body, as a schoolboy jumps from a school door -- suddenly, with joy." And then there's the emotionally charged exchange of words between father and son, where James cries out to his travel-too-much father: "I want you to be home! I wanna talk about Mom," venting the pain and anxiety of being there when his mom died and his dad staying in silent denial, punctuating the value of interest, listening, and the pouring out of your heart. While there's real depth to the subject matter, I'm afraid the story isn't one for the ages. The beauty of the writing, however, makes me want to read the book the movie was based on -- "THY SON LIVETH: Messages from a Soldier to his Mother" by Grace Duffie Boylan. Besides the original theatrical trailer, there's nothing extra on the DVD. [MGM / Doug Van Pelt]

Ratings:
Obscenities 18
Graphic Violence 0
Nude Scenes 0
% spiritual relevancy 100

This DVD review wasn't printed in HM Magazine, and thus is an "online exclusive."

Return to DVD Reviews