by Scott Jentsch

Dec 21, 2010

This is a movie that didn't make much of a splash in the theaters, and despite the fact that it was directed by Rob Reiner (When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men, American President, etc.), it just didn't get much love from audiences or even the studio that produced it.

Thank goodness we have home video to provide us with an opportunity to catch good movies that we missed in the theater!

While Flipped isn't as good as When Harry Met Sally or American President, it is a sweet story of the innocence of youth in the early 60's, and like the former movie, it examines the different takes on relationships that males and females of our species have.

The movie starts when Juli and Bryce are in second grade, and it follows them through years of living across the street from each other. Juli is sure that Bryce is worth her affections, and Bryce just wants to run away. By the time he realizes how special she is, he's given her enough reasons to burst the bubble of romance. This is a situation that many viewers are probably going to be able to relate to, no matter what time period they grew up in.

While small kids probably aren't going to be all that interested in it, there is nothing in this movie that would offend even the smallest child. It might even provide seeds of discussion for pre-teen kids that might be going through the same trials and tribulations as the main characters.

While this isn't Oscar-worthy material, it is a good story that is deftly told by a director experienced in the genre, and well-acted by the primary characters as well as the supporting characters.

It's well worth 90 minutes of your time, and I definitely recommend seeing it!