Completed - ENGLISH - Drama - 94 minutes
It's what you do in life that counts" A man befriends a boy and leaves him messages of hope that send the boy on an excursion of self-discovery.
Year of production : 1999 Director(s) : Nicholas KENDALL Writer(s) : J.H. WYMAN Cast : Jason ANDERSON, Zachary LIPOVSKY, Garwin SANFORD, Tyler THOMPSON, David BOWIE, Bill SWITZER, Teryl ROTHERY Producer(s) : Colleen NYSTEDT
Twelve year old OWEN WALTERS has just lost his best friend, the elderly and enigmatic MR. RICE. His parents have decided it's best he doesn't attend the funeral-but friends VEG, FUNNEL HEAD and GILBERT have other ideas. Challenged by his peers, Owen sneaks into the church to videotape the funeral of Mr. Rice. It's a terrifying experience, made more so by Owen's own acute fear of impending death. Owen suffers from an illness he'd just as soon forget. But the passing of MR. RICE, the seemingly omnipresent hearse of mortician MR. DEATH, and the chilling reminders of SIMON, a fellow patient, leaves Owen little escape from the nightmares that plague him. Seeking adventure, the boys decide to break into Mr. Rice's house to view the videotape. In the bedroom, they discover a sealed envelope. It's addressed to Owen-a letter from Mr. Rice, written in a secret code. When Owen's friends leave for the summer, he is left with nothing but the letter, his chilling nightmares and a nagging reminder from Mr. Rice that "only a great man can laugh in the face of death." Owen is soon to discover that Mr. Rice has left him a medieval code ring, a treasure map and a series of clues. Clues that will lead him on a most uncanny treasure hunt. A hunt filled with life lessons revealed in the magic of the human heart. Each clue leads Owen a step closer to his destiny-and reveals a little more about the fantastic Mr. Rice. Fantastic because Mr. Rice has the potion of life and has left it for Owen to discover, but also to discover what he meant when he told Owen, "it's what you do in life that counts." Great men can come in small packages and there is much to be learned if one has the courage to embrace life's challenges-even one as daring as MR. RICE'S SECRET
Country(ies) : CANADA