Russkies

Maybe our blood sugar was a little high the day we watched this, because we found it charming. Peter Billingsley (A Christmas Story), Leaf Phoenix (River's little brother) and Stefan DeSalle, are three Key West, Florida youngsters who come across a Russian sailor (Whip Hubley) who's been washed ashore and left after an aborted mission. The kids anti-russkie attitudes, courtesy of the Reagan era, are gradually overturned. Granted, this is a pretty simple fable of brotherly love. But the trio of young actors handle it well (even Billingsley's tears at film's end for his beloved Mishka seemed heartfelt.) The bottom line is that this is a good film for kids, regardless of how old they are.