'Little Boy' shows faith moving mountains.

• Author: Addiego, Walter
• Position: Living

Byline: Walter Addiego

'Little Boy'

A Metanoia Films production

Rating: PG-13 for some mature thematic material and violence

Running time: 1 hour, 46 minute

Faith-based movies follow a pattern -- they're well-meant, with straightforward production values and a generally sentimental tone. The latest example is "Little Boy,'' about a youngster facing challenges in a small California town during World War II.

The film has a good cast, and is competently made in a plain-vanilla way, but its greatest appeal will be to those who share its endorsement of traditional religious values.

Our hero is Pepper (Jakob Salvati), a child whose unusually small stature earns him the derisive nickname "Little Boy'' from the town's many bullies. His father enlists and is sent to the Philippines, where he is declared missing, possibly a prisoner of the Japanese. A local priest (Tom Wilkinson) tells the heartbroken Pepper that faith may help bring his dad home safely.

The boy tests the notion that belief can move mountains, and the film has a bit of fun with the idea -- he seems to have powers, but almost always there's the teasing possibility of a natural explanation.

The priest gives the Pepper a list of charitable tasks to perform, among them befriending an older Japanese man...