Interesting little drama about a youth’s quest for physical proof of God. Joseph Cross is wonderfully endearing as the ten year-old Joshua who questions the existence of God after his beloved grandfather (Robert Loggia) passes away. Denis Leary and Dana Delaney are purely garnish as Joshua’s parents though Rosie O’Donnell is a hoot as Joshua’s parochial school teacher, donning a habit and teaching the word of Jesus through baseball analogies. The film pursues its sensitive material with the appropriate degree of care, but the direction by M. Night Shyamalan turns potentially provocative moments into dull eddies of melodrama. Would have made a perfect “After School Special,” however, it barely makes it across the finish line as a feature film.
