What a lovely film! That was my first -- and still lingering -- reaction after watching Simple Things, a heartwarming drama about a recently widowed Chicago pediatrician who takes his ten-year-old son with him to the North Carolina mountains. Charged with setting up a clinic there to test his readiness for promotion at the hospital where he works, the doctor tells the boy, “It’s just for the summer,” and really believes this to be true. But “mountain time” works its magic on father and son. Both learn to appreciate the special pace of their new surroundings as well as their own feelings for each other while gaining new friends and learning the value of -- yes -- “simple things.”  

Used to the hectic life of the big city and mourning the recent death of his wife, Dr. Evan Gibbs (Cameron Bancroft) finds adjustment to his new location quite challenging. He gets off on the wrong foot with lovely Mayor Terry Hudson (Bellamy Young), humiliates himself at a town meeting, and can’t figure out the strange handyman (wonderfully played by Mickey Jones) who’s assigned “to fix things that need fixing” at the rundown clinic -- which means practically everything. Evan must undergo a massive attitude adjustment in order to make the clinic a success. Fortunately, he’s nudged along by the no-nonsense Terry, who knows and loves the community and its inhabitants.    

Nate (Aidan Mitchell), Evan’s shy and lonely son, fares somewhat better. Although left to fend for himself, he soon meets the mayor’s daughter (Channing Nichols), an imaginative girl about his own age, and her quiet sidekick (Zachary Gardner). During sequences showing these youngsters becoming pals -- as they go on walks in the woods, share childhood adventures and encounter bullies -- the film is reminiscent of To Kill a Mockingbird. A high compliment indeed, for that just happens to be one of my all-time favorite movies!

Simple Things offers a refreshing and uplifting movie experience, especially after seeing so many special-effects-driven films emphasizing violence, action and car chases. The performances couldn’t be better. Bancroft (Mystery, Alaska) and Young (We Were Soldiers) play off each other delightfully in their roles of a doctor and mayor who don’t see eye-to-eye but come to respect, even admire, each other. Mitchell (The TV Set) tugs your heartstrings as Nate comes to grips with his beloved mother’s death. No wonder he was named Best Supporting Child Actor at the 2007 International Family Film Festival, where the movie itself earned a well-deserved “Spirit” Award. Bravo!

(Released by Back 40 Films; not rated by MPAA. For more information about Simple Things, go to www.simplethingsthemovie.com.)