Special Note from TheMovieBoy.com - Little Manhattan (2005)

It came and went in theaters last fall with hardly a blip on the radar. Then again, how could any film succeed when its studio opts to throw it out in a handful of random theaters around the country without any detectable marketing or advertising done? So, while 20th Century Fox spent millions upon millions of dollars prepping the ultra-wide release of the disposable, condescending and altogether awful "Cheaper by the Dozen 2," they allowed one of the most touching and sweet and vastly entertaining family pictures in years to die at the box-office without even a halfhearted attempt to do something about it. That beautiful movie—one that is NOT just for kids, but that may be even more appreciated by adult viewers because of its nostalgic value—is named "Little Manhattan," and it ranked as #1 on my "Best of 2005" list.

Why am I writing this? Because on Tuesday, April 4, "Little Manhattan" will be released to rent and own on DVD. Fortunately, it looks like the home release will be a bit more respectable than its theatrical run, as it is even featured in this week's Best Buy and Circuit City ads. Every single person I have personally talked to who has had the fortune of seeing the film (curiously, many of them saw it on an airplane) originally met the movie with confusion, since they had never heard of it, and then were completely enchanted and taken by the lovely story and characters. These same people have asked me why they hadn't heard of the film before, or seen ads for it when it was in theaters. That's a question for 20th Century Fox, who has a lot of explaining to do.

Now that "Little Manhattan" is about to be released on DVD (or already has, depending on when you read this), this is my plea: do whatever you can to make sure this masterpiece does not pass you by again. If you do see it—and I hope you do—I would love to hear what you think. "Little Manhattan" deserved so much more than the bum deal it received last fall by its clueless studio. Let's hope it finally finds its audience on DVD.