The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry (2008) Reviews

• The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry

  radioflyer682010-05-29

  Here you're going to read a lot of unfair commentary on this film that is largely based on hatred of basic Christian values. That's come to be expected and that point is even made in the film. If you want to be entertained by a family friendly comedy about a kid who learns a valuable life lesson(in an unexpected way) without having to worry about the obligatory negatives of the average theatrical release then you won't be disappointed. I think you'll find as I did a great story and surprisingly professional grade acting among the young cast members and outstanding performances among the senior members. I was surprised by the quality of this film and I expect you will be too.

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• A beautiful little film that sadly few will see

  dtucker862009-10-09

  I went to see this film today out of curiosity. I figured that I was going to have a good laugh at it when I read that Gavin MacLeod was the star of it. I didn't think I could take him seriously in a role like this because I always think of him as Captain Stubing on The Love Boat. MacLeod became a born again Christian in real life and making this film was a real labor of love for him. I came to scorn and left to rejoice. I had a very pleasant surprise because this is a beautiful film. Its so sad that it wont even be a footnote in the 2009 box office history. People who are not as brilliant as I am will make fun of it and miss its very important message. It has only limited release and when I went to see it, I was the ONLY one in the whole theatre. It is a real pleasure seeing a film like this because Hollywood has long had a jaded attitude about religion. In other words, whenever they make a film about it they always show the religious person as crazy, corrupt or both. Thinking back over the years, I can only name The Passion Of The Christ as a film that showed religion in a favorable way. People may condemn this film for being preachy, but I loved it. It had such a powerful message and Gavin MacLeod gave an awesome performance. He brought Jonathan Sperry to life and you loved this wonderful old man who had such love in his heart. I can think of no other actor who could have done such a brilliant job and I say give Gavin MacLeod the Oscar! Sadly this will never happen. I also wanted to praise the young actors in the film, they all did a great job even the one playing Nick the bully. I loved the part where Jonathan reached Nick and made him realize the cause of his meaness. I wanted to particularly praise a young actor named Jansen Panettine who played Justin the lead kid. He is a real acting prodigy and I predict a great future for this young man! I kept wondering when he was going to work up the nerve to ask that girl for a date and I was angry at that other waitress for throwing his note away. Watching the three boys and the typical kid problems they went thru sort of reminded me of Stand By Me. I just loved everything about this film from the way they faithfully created the "look" of the seventies (when people only tipped fifty cents!) to the beautiful musical score, the powerful message and the awesome work of everyone involved. If I had my way, this film would have gotten top billing everywhere. SPOILER ALERT, I knew that Mister Sperry would die in the end of the film and Jansen Panettine did a great job showing the grief this boy feels over his beloved friends death. I know that people may mock me for saying this but I feel I am a better person for seeing this film.

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• An unexpected gem!

  allemania_ak2010-08-29

  Our family watched The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry last night and each one of us thought it was an absolutely wonderful movie. We have had this film in our Netflix Watch Instantly queue ever since Netflix acquired it, but had never taken time to watch it. When we decided to watch it as a family last night, my 11-year-old son balked and said it looked like it would be "boring", but even he was brought to unexpected tears and smiles here and there throughout (as were the rest of us); and at the end he was the first to say what a great movie this was and that "we really need to buy this". The main theme that stood out to me in this film was the impact that one person could have on so many other people's lives, especially if they truly live what they profess to believe. I highly recommend this heart-felt, family-friendly, thought-provoking film.

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• Secrets of Jonathan Sperry

  ctlv92009-11-28

  I decided to give this movie a try and went in with an open mind. I usually love to watch scary movies, but some friends who I was with at the time aren't into scary movies and we went in to see Jonathan Sperry. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised and really touched by this film. Gavin MacLeod did a wonderful job as well as the three boys who played friends in the movie, but I have to say one particular guy stood out in this movie for me. Taylor Boggan, the guy who played Nick the bully, did an amazing job. The emotions he displayed, especially the scene when he was in the bedroom crying to God to help him, brought out emotions in me I never knew I had. He made you feel the pain that his character was feeling, it was such a powerful scene for him to have pulled off beautifully. I know we will be seeing more of this kid, and he is going to be recognized very soon as the strong talented actor he is, he has a great future going for him. This film whether you are religious or not, tugs at your heart, it makes you want to be a better person. It's a shame because I think a lot of people won't give this film a try because they will think of it as just some religious movie, but it is so much more than that. It is really a coming of age story about three boys, who are tormented by a bully, who is in so much pain emotionally that he takes it out on those around him. And in enters Jonathan Sperry, the one man who sees through his pain and helps him overcome it. He brings these boys together, through his love, patience and teachings, and in the end they are all a lot stronger and more forgiving of one another. This movie has everything, laughter, tears and excitement. I really am glad I decided to give this movie a try, it is well worth it!!!

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• Highly Recommend This Film

  CodeManBob2009-09-18

  I saw a pre-release version about two months ago. As a fan of movies with car chases, explosions, and superhuman exploits, I did not expect to really get into this movie. The story deals with the relationships between characters in a small town in 1970 and feels like a coming-of-age movie as a young man and his friends deal with a childhood crush on a young lady. The boy-meets-girl subplot is a slight of hand before the real plot unfolds. And the resolution of one of the other subplots is the final coup de grace of the film. I found the film moving and well worth watching...again. The film opens today in limited release. My family and I are going to see it.

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