At an older age, love can feel like it’s overrated, but watching Little Manhattan easily makes you remember the way love felt growing up, starting to explore all the feelings one had of the opposite gender, with childhood imagination and freedom from responsibilities making it seem so much more wonderful than it is now. Admittedly, it does suffer from a bit of the 2000s stereotypes and gender essentialism that stupid kids spouted, but as long as you remember the film comes from the perspective of a well-meaning, if a bit immature, 10-year-old boy, Little Manhattan feels like a charming recollection of how first love felt.
Ten-year-old Gabe Burton is just an average kid growing up in Manhattan until Rosemary Telesco walks into his karate class. But before Gabe can tell Rosemary how he feels, she reveals that she won't be going to public school any more. Gabe has a lot more to learn about life, love, and girls.
After joining a karate class, sixth-grader Gabe Burton suddenly finds his first love in a girl he’s known all his life: the third most beautiful girl in class Rosemary Telesco, whose parents are much richer and harmonious than his are.
Look, maybe I’m super biased because I was a kid when this film was made, but I think Josh Hutcherson was (and still is!) so cute and it’s easy to acknowledge that Hutcherson gave a pretty good performance.
Ahh, young love.
