The setting for "The Secret" is most unusual, and I appreciate that. It's about a family of cranberry farmers who live in Nova Scotia, Canada...and I liked seeing the unusual locale.
The Dunmore family lives in Nova Scotia. Grandpa Mike (Kirk Douglas) runs a small store and his son Patrick (Bruce Boxleitner) is a cranberry farmer. The two do NOT get along very well...and Patrick really resents all the time and attention Mike pays to his grandson, Danny. This stems from Mike not being there much for Patrick as he grew up. Mike never read to Patrick or helped him with his homework...and Patrick seems REALLY bent out of shape about this.
While Danny is a terrific athlete and a nice kid, he has a secret. The boy cannot read and has been faking it for years. But now his teacher has noticed and is trying to get the Dunmores to get Danny tested to see if he has a learning disability. But, inexplicably, Patrick is so against it that he seems a bit crazed (a MAJOR problem with the story actually). So, Grandpa takes Danny to Boston to be assessed...and when Patrick learns he puts a stop to it. But this abortive visit to a clinic isn't all a giant mistake, as Mike decides to take the appointment because he, too, has a secret...he cannot read either.
The film is odd. The acting is generally very good (especially for Douglas). But the character played by Boxleitner is poorly written...too extreme, too angry and too unlikable. He is almost like a caricature, not a real person like everyone else in the story. It's a shame, as otherwise it's an excellent film and Boxleitner is a fine actor...given the parts for him are well written. The film talks about a very common and important problem, dyslexia...so common that it's very possible you or someone you love is struggling with the disorder...so try to look past this problem with Patrick.
The Dunmore family lives in Nova Scotia. Grandpa Mike (Kirk Douglas) runs a small store and his son Patrick (Bruce Boxleitner) is a cranberry farmer. The two do NOT get along very well...and Patrick really resents all the time and attention Mike pays to his grandson, Danny. This stems from Mike not being there much for Patrick as he grew up. Mike never read to Patrick or helped him with his homework...and Patrick seems REALLY bent out of shape about this.
While Danny is a terrific athlete and a nice kid, he has a secret. The boy cannot read and has been faking it for years. But now his teacher has noticed and is trying to get the Dunmores to get Danny tested to see if he has a learning disability. But, inexplicably, Patrick is so against it that he seems a bit crazed (a MAJOR problem with the story actually). So, Grandpa takes Danny to Boston to be assessed...and when Patrick learns he puts a stop to it. But this abortive visit to a clinic isn't all a giant mistake, as Mike decides to take the appointment because he, too, has a secret...he cannot read either.
The film is odd. The acting is generally very good (especially for Douglas). But the character played by Boxleitner is poorly written...too extreme, too angry and too unlikable. He is almost like a caricature, not a real person like everyone else in the story. It's a shame, as otherwise it's an excellent film and Boxleitner is a fine actor...given the parts for him are well written. The film talks about a very common and important problem, dyslexia...so common that it's very possible you or someone you love is struggling with the disorder...so try to look past this problem with Patrick.