A small film about two families dealing with gentrification, Little Men shows the strength in teenage friendships, even if they are just for a season.
There are some films that you watch and you don’t think they’ve had an effect on you, but a few days later, you find that you are still thinking about them. That is the case with this film for me. I am not sure that I wholly connected with it, but there are a few things that stuck out, and they are special.
Little Men is about the Jardine family – actor father, Brian, psychotherapist mother, Kathy, and 13 year old Jake. When Brian’s father passes away, he leaves a building with both an apartment and a shop below for Brian and his sister to manage. 13 year old Tony, and his mother, Leonor, who rents the store in the building, become friendly with the family, and Tony and Jake hit it off. But the area is becoming gentrified, rents are going for much higher than the father was charging, and Leonor’s store isn’t earning a lot of money, so the Jardines are left trying to figure out what to do.
This is a very quiet film that feels slice-of-life, even though it takes place over several months. There are no major “happenings” and the vast majority of the film is spoken in calm, moderate voices. The boys even give their parents the silent treatment at one point. It is never “in your face,” so it can be easy to feel that it’s not making an impact.
There are a few things that stand out, though. First, watching the friendship develop between the boys is a real pleasure. They are 13, awkward, have passions for video games, acting, and art, and are beginning to explore the idea of dating. But they are real kids with good hearts just trying to find their path, both individually and as pals.
Little Men also brings up the idea of gentrification in specific ways that you don’t see in many movies. Neither family is wealthy and the costs going up in the neighborhood are real. The Jardines have the opportunity to raise the rent on the store to stay competitive, and Leonor is just trying to get by with the shop she owns while raising her son. No one is wrong, it is all just difficult.
But it also leads to conversations around what “family” means. Are blood relations more important than your chosen family? Many people make sacrifices for their family members, but are you required to make sacrifices for someone that your family member considered family? Are they even sacrifices that you can make if you wanted to? These are the things that keep me thinking about this film.
Little Men is a good movie that will keep you interested, but may not have a heavy grip on you while watching. That said, you may find yourself thinking about it later, just like me.
Runtime: 85 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: PG
Languages Spoken In The Film: English
Should You Watch It? Yes
Did I Cry? Nope
My Rating: 3.25/5 Stars
Available: Free for Amazon Prime members or Roku, to rent on Prime Video, or may be available for free on other streaming platforms
There are some films that you watch and you don’t think they’ve had an effect on you, but a few days later, you find that you are still thinking about them. That is the case with this film for me. I am not sure that I wholly connected with it, but there are a few things that stuck out, and they are special.
