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Smile (2005)
Released By: Screen Media Films   Rating: PG-13   In Theaters: 4/8/2005
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Studio: Screen Media Films
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Director: Jeffrey C. Kramer
Language: English
Official Website: http://www.smilethemovie.com/
Theatrical Release: 4/8/2005
Home Video Release: 9/6/2005
Cast: Beau Bridges, Linda Hamilton, Sean Astin, Mika Boorem, Luoyong Wang, Cheri Oteri
Published ID: 417553
UPC: 025192858123,
Plot: Two girls born at the same time on different sides of the world are brought together by an act of mercy in this drama. Katie (Mika Boorem) is a high-school student who has grown up in a wealthy suburb of Los Angeles. While Katie has never had to want for material things, she feels a certain dissatisfaction in her life, and between dealing with her combative parents (Beau Bridges and Linda Hamilton), her sexually aggressive boyfriend (Erik von Detten), and a mysterious boy who has caught her eye (Jonathan Trent), Katie is ready for a change in her life. One of Katie's teachers, Mr. Matthews (Sean Astin) persuades Katie to investigate Doctor's Gift, an international medical outreach program, as a rewarding volunteer opportunity that would look good on her college admission forms. Katie end up traveling to China with the Doctor's Gift team, where she discovers a world far different than the one she has known. Katie encounters Lin (Yi Ding), a girl who was born the same day she was but has led a very different life; facially disfigured, Lin was abandoned by her parents as an infant, and when she was taken in by Daniel (Luoyong Wang), it caused a rift that ended his marriage. The Doctor's Gift organization has offered to provide plastic surgery for Lin through their affiliated program Project Smile, but after previous surgery failed to correct her defects, Lin isn't so sure she wants to risk another disappointment. Writer and director Jeff Kramer based Smile on his daughter's experiences as a volunteer with Doctor's Gift, and the producers have pledged to donate a portion of the film's profits to the organization ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
IDDateTimeTitleReviewHelpfulVotesTotalVotes
Awful. Terrible acting, ridiculous script, plot makes no sense.
Added 4/24/2007

Actually one of the WORST movies I've ever seen. And what a shame! So much could have been done with this material but the acting is atrocious, the script is laughably ridiculous (more plot holes than a Swiss cheese), and the entire project like a Made-for-TV movie but much, much worse.

I understand that the movie was used as propoganda for various children's deformities organizations, but couldn't the writer, director, producer, and actors have done a better job than this?

I ended up fast-forwarding through half of the movie just because it was so incredibly bad.

Don't waste your money. Instead, send the money you would spend on this piece of garbage to an organization that actually DOES this kind of work!

1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
A Pampered Princess learns a life lesson.
Added 1/10/2007

The touching story of a spoiled girl, Katie, from an upper middle class family who finds out about a school project where a handful of students go to China to help in a hospital program involving some pretty disfigured kids going through surgeries.

The pictures that Katie sees upsets her (especially one girl in particular who shares her Birthday) and she decides to go with the group.
Throughout the movie, we also see glimpses of the chinese girl's life, which is very sad.

She was abandoned as an infant, and a worker found her, and raised her as his own.
His wife became outraged by this, and instead of HELPING the orphan girl,she become jealous of the attention the man gives her. He ends up raising her alone.

When the 2 girls from different worlds finally meet, it is very touching,and Katie gives the girl, (Li) the courage to go through with the operation.
This was just a very nice movie, one without sex and a lot of cussing,and unpleasant characters (except for the stepmom)
It was just one of those movies that restore your faith in mankind.
Very uplifting, and well acted, too.
Also, it was filmed on location in China, so there is a BEAUTIFUL backdrop to a wonderful story!!!!
I HIGHLY reccomend it!

3 out of 4 people found this helpful.
great movie
Added 6/30/2006

this is a great movie for teenagers as well as adults. we really love it a lot.
3 out of 4 people found this helpful.
Smile-review
Added 5/18/2006

While this movie wasn't exactly a good movie, I think it is one of the best out there. It tells the story of a 17 year old spoilt or pampered girl from malibou(Katie), and a girl from rural chinese(Lindsey, or Lin), who shares Katie's birthday. Lin was abonded at birth,due to a severe facial deformity, & is adopted by a worker that finds her. Lin lives with her adoptive father, & his son & wife for seven years, until on Lin's 7th b'day, her dad loses his temper & throw's a cup at his son. The next day, The son & the wife leave. 10 years later, Katie is given an option to participate in a program called "Doctors Gift"(based on real life org. Operation Smile)to get the points she needs to graduate. She decides to go to China as a volunteer with this org. Whislt in China, she has a mental breakdown after she see's the deformities of some of the children. With some help from her room mate, a surgeon, she soons finds the courage to keep going. The next day, she goes off to find Lin. She manage's to convince Lin of what her father wants her to do; Get surgery on her face. This is a very moving, touching story. I cried, because it shows all the hardships people have to put up with and how people reach out to help those people.
5 out of 6 people found this helpful.
A Little Slow, But a Tear Jerker Nonetheless.
Added 1/30/2006

East meets west. A Barbie doll born on the same day as a young Chinese girl inevitably crosses paths and makes a point so many superficial people would be well to heed. It doesn't matter what you see at first; there is far more to people than anyone wants to believe, and their true beauty lies in more than appearances. Lin was already a beautiful person, and Katie had to go to China to discover her own worth.

I cried because so many people think their lives are so crappy around me, but they never had to grow up living like so many of the children this movie exemplifies. It is not the best movie in the world, but it brings home the valid point that western civilians feel way too sorry for themselves over absolutely nothing, and pretend they never saw things like this. My only question is this: if you're looking for volunteers to help physically deformed children in a world that's already devoid of compassion on other levels, where do I sign up?

4 out of 5 people found this helpful.
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