the movie is a bit of a crock - a stacked-deck family drama that's all bits and pieces stuck together out of a screenwriter's handbook. It's watchable, and Webb stages it with polish and taste, but in a larger sense he gets swallowed again
the film is decidedly emotionally manipulative without being cloying, and often finds real humor in the complicated situation that arises around a genius 7-year-old
Evans and Grace are exceedingly appealing together, and their charming chemistry keeps the film afloat even when it doesn't seem to know which direction to move in