Little Boy (2015) should be watched by everyone.  It is also a strange film for me.  I remember seeing it in theaters when it came out, though I could not tell you how I had heard of it.  I say that because it was produced by a company called Metanoia Films.  From the Greek word for “conversion,” the enterprise was started by Eduardo Verástegui, a Mexican activist and actor known for speaking out against abortion.  Because of this, he is labeled as “right-wing,” which might as well be a pejorative in Hollywood.  Critics panned the film at the time, which should not be surprising given the background I just gave you.  Oddly enough, they stopped short of calling it a “faith-based movie,” which I guess is the kiss of death for any production.  Further proof of this can be found in the dividing line between Christian and secular reviewers.  Those of the former were generally positive and thought provoking, while those of the latter were dismissive, and that is being charitable.  One critique called the film “cynical.”  If you have seen this movie, or read this review, I am sure you will see that this is far from a fair word to use to describe it.  I guess, then, you know to which of these camps I belong.

When we first hear Pepper Flynt Busbee (Jakob Salvati), it is not the voice of a Little Boy.  Instead, he is narrating (Barry Ford) about the O’Hare, California, setting where the diminutive eight-year-old kid lives with his family.  It is the 1940s and World War II is raging across the globe.  Things are good for the moment as Pepper’s dad, James Busbee (Michael Rapaport), is still home.  This is great for Pepper as he and his father have a close bond, the son wanting to grow up to be just like dad.  What upsets this idyllic family life is Pepper’s older brother, London Busbee (David Henrie), being declared “4F.”  Without getting technical, it means that London cannot serve in the armed forces owing to the fact that he has flat feet.  Feeling spurned, but with the government needing a replacement (I guess?), James goes into the army in London’s place.  Nobody is happy with this arrangement, James’ wife Emma Busbee (Emily Watson) understandably among them.  For the sons, Pepper is losing his best friend and “partner,” a term of endearment between them, and London feels responsible for his dad having to leave.  It also kicks off a series of problems for the Busbees.  With Pepper, much it stems from his height, and because of it he gets the eponymous nickname.  He is also bullied by the local kids at every turn.  This treatment has an effect on Pepper, especially when he gets the chance to be on stage with his comic book idol, Ben Eagle (Ben Chaplin).  Ben Eagle is special to Pepper, too, because of how reading these adventures further cemented his relationship with his dad.  Ben Eagle does a live show in O’Hare, which Pepper is to attend with James when his father returns on leave.  Instead, James is captured in the Philippines and is unable to make it.  When Ben Eagle chooses Pepper from the crowd, the boy has to deal with the ridicule of his peers as the fictitious conjurer asks his would-be assistant to move a bottle with his mind.  Adopting Ben Eagle’s trademark pose, Pepper looks on in astonishment as the glass vessel slides across a table towards him.  This jives with a homily he hears in Mass, with the priest talking about one of the parables of the mustard seed, from Matthew 17:20.  It speaks to having faith the size of this tiny pip giving a person the power to move mountains.  To an eight-year-old boy, this can be quite the statement.  Unfortunately, he is also living in a time of rampant racism, particularly against those of Japanese descent.  Living in their town is one such person, Hashimoto (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa).  He is the subject of covert and overt derision, many in the town blaming him personally for what has happened to their loved ones.  London and Pepper are among this hateful lot, and they decide to go vandalize Hashimoto’s house.  London ends up spending some time in jail for his involvement, while Pepper is sent to talk to his pastor, Father Oliver (Tom Wilkinson).  During their conversation, Pepper’s so-called powers come up, which the boy likens to being able to shake the hills.  Pepper has brought the mustard seed, saying that he should be able to use it to bring his father home.  Father Oliver does something better.  I will go into more detail about this in a moment, but for now just know that it is a list of deeds for Pepper to accomplish.  He believes that by doing them, James will come home. They seem pretty normal, save for the one Father Oliver adds: to make friends with Hashimoto.  This is the one Pepper attempts first, though he does not believe it will happen.  Slowly, though, he comes to realize that he and Hashimoto are outcasts in the town.  As their relationship grows, the older Japanese gentleman decides to help Pepper complete his tasks.  Yet, the bullies once more strike, taking the list from Pepper and taunting him when they return it.  In response, he adopts the Ben Eagle pose, points his hands at the mountain just outside of town, and begins straining towards it.  At that moment, an earthquake starts rumbling beneath their feet.  Seeing this, Pepper now thinks that by standing on the coast, and gesturing towards Japan, he can make the war end, which he is sure will get the desired result.  Unfortunately, the family gets news that James had been killed in the process of his prisoner of war camp being liberated . . . or so they are told.  In reality, another soldier who had been killed is found with James’ shoes and dog tags.  Thus, by the end, the mistake is corrected and the family is able to again be together.

There is a lot to unpack in Little Boy, and it starts with the barely perceptible mustard seed.  As mentioned in the previous paragraph, it is originally used in the context of what Pepper sees as essentially telekinetic abilities.  However, the other parable using this item is in Matthew 13:31-32.  There, Jesus points to the mustard seed’s size as not being indicative of its potential.  It grows from the smallest of sizes into a mighty bush (or tree, it can be rendered both ways) with many branches that provide a great deal of comfort to a host of creatures.  The earthquake you see later on relates to the other parable, and it is meant to underscore how it is God that makes things happen, not us.  This is a lesson that I cannot say Pepper ever learns.  Yet, we can observe him change from his myopic views on Hashimoto, for example, to having a more expansive way of treating others.  It comes from the list, and what Father Oliver gives Pepper are what the Catholic Church has codified into the seven corporal acts of mercy.  If you watch the movie, you can see them word-for-word, but they are: feed the hungry; give drink to the thirsty (though here it is written as feed the hungry); clothe the naked; visit the imprisoned; shelter the homeless; visit the sick; and bury the dead.  At first, Pepper treats these as merely things to be checked off as in a set of chores, especially when it comes to the added one of befriending Hashimoto.  Also, let us not forget Pepper’s age.  If you are expecting a major spiritual breakthrough, then I think you are setting the standard too high.  Nonetheless, there is a definite transformation, if for no other reason than his gaining a friend in Hashimoto.  In the end, it is a beautiful rendering of how God works in our lives.  It is not so much about literally moving mountains, or even wishing that you could see your dad once more.  Instead, it pertains more to doing something selfless, which is what each item on the list allows Pepper to do.  We often pray for selfish reasons, wanting specific things done for us by some magical wish granter in the sky.  God hears and answers our prayers as He sees fit, and it is beneficial for us beyond our petty concerns.  In this way, Pepper’s intentions are answered when he lets go of his personal desires for completing the list, and tells what he thinks is his father’s resting place that he did it for him.

Little Boy is what is often referred to as a “tear-jerker,” particularly towards the end.  It is also a sweet testament to faith.  Yes, belief in God can move mountains, but it is more often not the peaks that we are expecting that are moved.  I strongly feel this is something that everyone needs to be reminded of, especially those who struggle with their relationship with God.  This is also an unequivocal recommendation.