Directed by : Mark Levin
Produced by : Arnon Milchan,Gavin Polone
Written by : Jennifer Flackett
Starring : Josh Hutcherson,Charlie Ray,Cynthia Nixon,Bradley Whitford
Music by : Chad Fisher
Cinematography : Tim Orr
Editing by : Alan Edward Bell
Studio : Regency Enterprises,New Regency
Distributed by : 20th Century Fox
Running time : 115 min.
Language : English
Release dates : September 30, 2005

PLOT :

While Gabe (Josh Hutcherson) and his father have a master plan to launch his Tiger Woods-like career as a place-kicker, he decides to begin taking Karate lessons. He takes the course because he is afraid that a kid in his school will beat him up. There he meets Rosemary Telesco, a girl he's known since kindergarten. But after being partnered with her for sparring, he suddenly notices her as a girl, not another face. To Gabe's elation, they begin spending time together and he is completely enamored with not only her, but her life. She lives with her loving upper-class parents on the edge of Central Park. Rosemary's parents take her and Gabe to hear a jazz pianist at The Carlyle, where the young twosome finally hold hands. The Telescos' life is in contrast to Gabe's; he lives with his soon-to-be-divorcing parents, who have declared an awkward truce while waiting for their divorce to be finalized.

As their relationship progresses, Gabe begins to question what is happening to him and why he is falling in love with Rosemary. When things seem to be going perfectly, Gabe's world is suddenly turned upside down. He discovers that Rosemary is soon leaving for camp for six weeks and won't be back until summer's end. And since she has moved up a belt in their karate class, she is given a new partner, a handsome and more athletic boy named Tim Staples, whom Gabe likens to Ashton Kutcher. With their remaining time running out, Gabe tries to move closer to Rosemary but only drives her away. In a desperate move to win Rosemary back, Gabe tests for his yellow belt, but fractures his hand in a painful (and failed) attempt to break a board.

Being crushed with what love really is, he learns from his father that the parents' marriage fell apart because of things left unsaid. Realizing he is out of time, Gabe goes to find Rosemary. He interrupts her during the wedding reception she is attending and declares his love. Taken aback, Rosemary replies she doesn't think she is mature enough to be ready for love, but is really happy to see Gabe. She asks for a dance and Gabe agrees. As they dance, Gabe muses that he and Rosemary were on different paths - "like two ships that passed in Sheep Meadow."

He returns home to find his parents laughing over their honeymoon experiences. Gabe is pleased and surprised when his father says he "cleared out some old stuff" and his parents appear to have reconciled. They happily go out for dinner, and as the movie ends, Gabe, narrating, summarizes what Rosemary meant to him: "...I'm never gonna get another first love. That one is always gonna be her."

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