This Hallmark Hall of Fame production, based on Larry Baker's popular novel, is an entertaining and poignant romp to a bygone era. The story of the eccentric Lee family, told from the perspective of Abraham Jacob Lee (Christopher Larkin in his film debut), an adopted Korean boy whose father,... [More]

This Hallmark Hall of Fame production, based on Larry Baker's popular novel, is an entertaining and poignant romp to a bygone era. The story of the eccentric Lee family, told from the perspective of Abraham Jacob Lee (Christopher Larkin in his film debut), an adopted Korean boy whose father, Hubert T. Lee (Brian Benben); mother, Edna (Elizabeth McGovern); and older Korean sister, Louise Janine (Olivia Oguma), live life by their own unique set of rules. In the mid-1960s, the Lee family, led by the daredevil father, finds a beautiful patch of land on the Northern coast of Florida and builds the Flamingo, the world's largest drive-in movie theater. Hubert is an infectious dreamer, full of eccentric charm that enthralls his beautiful and loyal wife and his doting children. The head of his own unconventional family, Hubert delights in shocking the suburban residents of their new home--especially his new neighbor, Turner Knight (William Hurt), a stoic and religious widower who owns the Knight Funeral Parlor, across the street from the boisterous drive-in. Turner Knight is everything that Hubert T. Lee is not: quiet, cautious, and morally outraged at the antics of his new neighbors. At the heart of this charming coming-of-age tale is the long-standing feud between Knight and Lee, which erupts in a violent and poignant climax. As the young narrator of the film navigates through his own adolescent awakening, he watches his father struggle to accept a man who represents everything he believes to be wrong with the world. Set to a swinging 1960s soundtrack, this highly entertaining and thoughtful film brings together a first-rate cast who delight in the spirit of the offbeat and colorful story. [Less]