Mr. Rice's Secret

Death is not an easy topic to deal with in movies. But Mr Rice's secret manages to pull it off, with no problems. The film is centered around a boy, who while coming to terms with the death of his friend (the 400 year old Mr Rice) is led on a kind of treasure hunt. When he reaches the end he finds a potion of life, and learns an important lesson. The boy (played brilliantly by Billy Switzer) is the star of the film (despite it being pushed as a David Bowie film). The character of his mother (played by Teryl Rothery) could have been explored a little more and been more involved with the plot, but apart from that, it felt well cast and acted. A must see for when you want to ponder things like the meaning of life.

I thought this was an excellent movie even though I was uncertain about watching it from reading the negative comments. It really shows a boy learning about what the real meaning of life is.....not how long you live but what you do with the years you have. He has growing up to do, as evidenced by his bending to peer pressure when it comes to an acquaintance who is being bullied. The bullying was bad, but not severe, and the young man being bullied is a strong character. The presence of the mysterious neighbor was a great factor in the boy's adjusting to learning to be sensitive and to enjoy life, not dwell on the down side of it so much. David Bowie did an excellent job and was probably emphasized because he was Mr Rice and because his is a name that will draw viewers. I know that is one of the reasons I watched it...and enjoyed it. He does have a good talent for acting, at least in my opinion. This is not a heavy movie,although some thought it so. It ends very upbeat and you can leave it with a smile. I remember Bill Switzer mainly from The Christmas List and the lady who played his mother....Teryl Rothery.....as the mother in the mini-series 'Alice'. All the boys were good in their roles and very realistic. Granted, the idea of "Mr. Rice" is a bit far-fetched, but adds the specialness to the movie. I have learned to at least give a movie a chance, even though the reviews may not be upbeat about it. This one is especially good to see......at least once.

A nice take on the coming-of-age theme. Fantasy and grave-digging might appeal to many kids sense of adventure. It has secret messages, a code ring, and a mystery--great fun! There were a lot of places I could see where you could initiate a discussion with your kids--about dying, how to treat other people, the true meaning of friendship, etc. I found the lead character Owen to be a likable kid, his friend Mr. Rice was cool--I really like David Bowie. The ending was not a surprise, but expected--maybe not by a kid, a really good movie for parents and kids to watch together. I'll keep it around for my grandkids to watch when they come over.

First, I think what Mel Morris is looking for that distinguishes the Canadian film is the accent. There's not too much that is tougher on the ear than listening to a Canadian adolescent male's voice change with that accent. No offense to the Canadian folk...it's extremely distinctive.

Otherwise, a decent film, and I think the message that is sent in the film is that kids, even 12-13 year-olds who should know better, still can be cruel, even to terminally ill cancer patients who are trying to live out their lives as normally as can be. The one problem that I have with the film is the lack of adult intervention, especially the fight at the tennis courts and at the Little League tryouts. The directors went a little too over the top to drive the point across.

Death is always a difficult subject to cover in the movies. Even more so when dealing with terminally ill children. Mr Rice's Secret succeeds in covering the issues in a sensitive but not mawkish way. Bowie gives a measured performance as the ancient mystic who befriends a young boy with Hodgkin's disease. The real star though is Bill Switzer, who excels as the boy fearing death who must learn to love life.