Stolen Summer

Yet "Stolen Summer" played relatively well to Sundance audiences, who seemed to welcome such rare feel-good fare. Miramax has tentatively slated "Stolen Summer" for a limited release in New York and Los Angeles. ... Full Review

Despite high hopes and an inflated budget, Stolen Summer performed poorly in box office sales and never saw a wide theatrical release. The first feature film result, Stolen Summer , was put into limited release on this day in 2002. ... Full Review

This is the film that won Project Greenlight, the brainchild of Oscar-winning screenwriters Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, who also happen to be friends and movie stars, of course. Their participation also ensured that Jones, a former sports anchor in Missouri, got a decent cast for his debut. ... Full Review

In other words, they explain at the outset that their intentions were never to make a good film, but to celebrate the process of filmmaking. No such luckAffleck and Damon undoubtedly picked the most feel-good (read: profitable) film they could find. ... Full Review

Stolen Summer suffers from a nostalgic tone that is undercut by the tragedy at its center, story elements that make for an incompatible fit, and an overabundance of cardboard characters. That may sound mean, but given the success of that HBO series and the wobbly nature of the finished film, Stolen Summer, it is the obvious conclusion. ... Full Review

But Stolen Summer also establishes Jones as a competent director with a long career ahead of him, if he so chooses. Stolen Summer is an accomplished and handsome production worthy of many big screen playdates ... Full Review

Stolen Summer is a compelling....But where Stolen Summer falters is with the erratic performances of the two child actors, which is unfortunate....is a good debut from Jones, which is a far stronger movie than the internal strife-oriented Project Greenlight documentary would lead one to believe.....First-time director Pete Jones gets incredibly strong performances from the likes of Aidan Quinn (Joe O'Malley), Kevin Pollack (Rabbi Jacobsen), Bonnie Hunt (Margaret O'Malley) and Brian Dennehy.... ... Full Review

Don't get me wrong here -- Stolen Summer was a good movie. The movie is enjoyable but, in the end, not particularly memorable. It sounds like a very intense and meaningful script. ... Full Review

Stolen Summer " is a delightful surprise because despite all the backstage drama, this is a movie that tells stories that work--is charming, is moving, is funny and looks professional. The key performance here is by Pollak, as a rabbi whose counterpoint to Pete's quest involves understated reaction shots and instinctive sympathy and humor. ... Full Review

Stolen Summer would hardly be worth comment were it not for the story of how the film got made. With only five hours a day to work with the child actors (the legal limit), Jones lacked the time to shape their performances, and the film suffers accordingly. ... Full Review