WasAnnon Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

Pluskylang Great Film overall

WillSushyMedia This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

Kaelan Mccaffrey Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

morrison-dylan-fan Thinking about DVDs to get for my dad for Christmas viewing,I remembered enjoying the TV series adaptation of Judy Blume's "Fudge" books with him. Sadly failing to find the series,I found out that a film had been made based on a Blume book,which led to me looking into the eye of the tiger.The plot:Trying to make sense of the chaos after her husband is killed in a hold-up, Gwen Wexler takes her son Jason and daughter Davey to Los Alamos, New Mexico.Before the murder of her dad Davey had some stability,thanks to loyal friends,an active social scene at high school and a loving family. Uncomfortable with the attempts her mother is making to find a new route in her life,Davey finds herself withdrawing from the outside world, until she crosses paths with a Native‐ American climber called Wolf,who brings the fire into Davey's "tiger eyes" back to life.View on the film:Slapped with a terrible "family viewing" sticker on the DVD sleeve,the screenplay by Judy and her son Lawrence Blume (which for good timing is partly set at Christmas!) unexpectedly features some very dark moments sprung from the unsolved murder of Davey's dad,to the arguments between Davey and Gwen ringing with pent-up emotion. Climbing the mountains of Davey's pain with Wolf,the Blume's elegantly express Davey's struggle to embrace herself and to find a new optimism which treats the pain respectfully.Produced in 23 days,director Lawrence Blume & cinematographer Seamus Tierney cover the title in a "magic hour" gloss that stylishly casts the light across the screen that has gone from Davey's life.Made when he was dying from cancer, Russell Means gives a great performance with gravitas as Willie Ortiz,whose son "Wolf" is played by Means real son Tatanka,who gives Wolf's relationship with his dad and Davey a touching thoughtfulness. Displaying Davey's raw feelings by wearing no makeup, Willa Holland untangles all of Davey's painful emotions,with Holland's brittle exchanges with a wonderful Amy Jo Johnson as Gwen making the sparks fly,as light comes back into the tiger eyes.

stormwonderevent Sadly, this film is proof that good books can't be always translated into good films.To me, this film is nothing like the book. There is no mood set, the cast is totally wrong---the parents look like they could be the brother/sister of Davey, not parents. All poignant dialogue and scenes from the book are removed. There is no building of scenes, and they just did not translate grief except for a few brief moments. They moved and shifted characters and didn't have enough flash back sequences to unfold the mystery of Davey's grief, like in the book.Sadly, I was thoroughly disappointed all around. The fact they changed the ending as well---nothing was done right--they showed no growth of Davey as we see in the book.There are brief moments where you can really feel the grief, but sadly, with no build up, or even getting to know Davey, it falls too short.

TxMike We found this one on Netflix streaming movies. Willa Holland (of 'Arrow') is Davey, and as the movie opens her family is attending a funeral. It is her dad, and we only find out much later the details. But Davey was close to her dad and this hit her hard.It hit her mom even harder, Amy Jo Johnson as Gwen Wexler. To help her cope and the family to deal with the tragedy, Gwen's sister and husband drive them from home in Atlantic City to Los Alamos, New Mexico. For an indefinite period of time. Gwen is on medication, she doesn't interact much, eat much. It is a problem.Meanwhile Davey and her young brother enroll in the local schools, since they don't know when they might return home. Davey gets somewhat involved, meets some other students, but her best friend results from an impromptu bike ride and slide down a steep slope.There she encounters Tatanka Means as Wolf , later known as Martin Ortiz. He is a mysterious sort, a Native American who knows about hiking and climbing. And who also is having to get used to a loss of family, his sick father is in a hospital, one that Davey now volunteers at, and he doesn't have much longer to live. (His dad in the movie is also his dad in real life, veteran actor Russell Means).It is refreshing to see a movie without foul language or sexual situations among the teens. All the points come across very well without it. The story is uplifting, Davey and her mom eventually learn how to overcome their loss and get on with life.

yevlar2 I saw the film at its premiere at the Sonoma International Film Festival, and I thought it was wonderful. Willa Holland's performance was both subtle and powerful, showing an incredible amount of pent-up anger, frustration, and sadness that truly moved me. I have never read the book (or any Judy Blume novel,) so I was surprised by the film's depth and gentle handling of a very tough subject (the loss of a parent.) The film isn't your typical tale of teen angst and longings - it's a dark and subtle character drama. The film is also incredibly well-shot (mild spoiler - my personal favorite was during a scene where the mother is singing Christmas carols with her new friends, where Davey is watching from the hallway, framed by party guests in this very contrasted light that just reinforces her character's intensity in that moment.)All-in-all I thoroughly enjoyed the film, and I hope that it finds a distributor who not only cares enough to give the film a good release, but also doesn't screw up the marketing by making the film out to be something it's not.