Sandy Kenyon reviews 'Little Boy'

NEW YORK (WABC) -- A new movie about the power of faith opens in theaters this weekend.

"Little Boy" tells the story of a child who is willing to do anything to bring his dad home from World War II alive, and it's a film that reveals its treasures gradually.

It's only fitting, given that it's a tale of a boy who comes of age slower than the other kids.

His father is a friend and a partner, and all was good until war broke out.

Dad is soon in harms way, but inspired by a magician and schooled by a priest in the power of faith, the little boy comes to believe that nothing is impossible.

His mother and brother are skeptical, and bullies torment him and his friendship with a Japanese-American who is the focus of bigotry. But the young man perseveres, and mountains move.

So is it a genuine miracle? You'll have to see the movie and decide for yourself. But what could have been hokey in other hands seems just shy of magical thanks to actor Jakob Salvati, who is so natural as "Little Boy," and the rest of the fine cast.

The movie has a pertinent message about the need for tolerance and the power of faith. It may be set back in the 1940s and take place in a small costal town in California, but this coming-of-age story is a timeless gem that anyone can enjoy.