Little Manhattan (PG, 2005)

Gabe (Josh Hutcherson) is 11 3/4 and living in a weird world. His mother and father (Cynthia Nixon and Bradley Whitford) are separated and getting a divorce but still live together. When Gabe starts karate, Rosemary (Charlie Ray) captures his imagination. He's known her since kindergarten, but now, as his sparring partner, Rosemary's strength and beauty enchant Gabe, and he grapples with how he's suddenly changing.

Teens are often shown images of romance that are either unrealistically sweet or unbelievably raunchy. Between the two sits LITTLE MANHATTAN, a revelation of a small film that's essentially When Harry Met Sally for the tween set. In fact, it's a little creepy how alike the movies are. In one scene where Rosemary and Gabe are at a birthday party that Rosemary's toddler sister is attending, Rosemary somewhat snootily says, "See, she's using her hands and talking, and he's drooling over a cupcake." The girl toddler, it turns out, is three months younger than the boy.

Anyone who's ever had a crush is likely to relate to Gabe. He feels the need to ride his scooter past her house constantly. His hands sweat. His heart pounds. "You're weak and pathetic and you're going to be alone for your entire life," he berates himself when he finally sees Rosemary on one of his stakeouts. Finally, viewers eventually get to the scene where Gabe races to find Rosemary and profess his love for her. But the refreshing difference here is that the true love story is saved for the adults -- mercifully, Little Manhattan doesn't force its child stars to grow up too fast.