Young Actor’s Appeal Can’t Save ‘Mistake’

After the sudden death of her beloved husband, Philadelphia widow Liz Donovan discovers that she’s financially strapped: inexplicably, hubby had secretly used the couple’s life savings to buy an island off the coast of Maine.

A rather strange island too. The inhabitants, who seem to know all about Liz and her family, include a burly and bearded skirt-wearing postman; a sexy, cleavage-displaying, combination mayor and general-store proprietor; and a newfound Irish aunt and other Old Country types called “travelers.”

Not to mention a beer-lapping, feline barfly, a goat with an appetite for lingerie and, quite possibly, the devil himself . . .

Quirky fun? Not enough. The intended magic in the Wonderful World of Disney movie “Bailey’s Mistake,” written by Oliver Goldstick and directed by Michael M. Robin, is fraught with too much angry/weepy face-time for Linda Hamilton as the bereaved and bewildered widow. Liz’s perpetually sullen teenage daughter (Paz de la Huerta) is simply tiresome.

The film’s charm and fantasy fun are most evident--and less self-conscious--when the focus shifts away from angst-ridden Liz to her son Dylan.

Played by appealing young actor Jesse James, 9-year-old Dylan is visited by the ghosts of his father as both a boy and a man. He recognizes the devil, too, when he spots a tail where no tail should be. Has Dylan also inherited what the odd islandfolk say were his father’s gifts for flight and healing?

The rest of the eccentric characters played by the capable cast don’t exist beyond brief turns in the spotlight, although Joan Plowright, grande dame of theater and film, adds a redeeming dash of salt to her role as the mysterious keeper of the Donovan family history. The island scenery is nice too.

* “Bailey’s Mistake” can be seen Sunday at 7 on ABC. The network has rated it TV-PG (may be unsuitable for young audiences).

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