COME AWAY HOME

 Doug Mckeon's family film, co-scripted and produced by former Pittsburghers Steve Zakman and Robert Slane, tells the story of a 12-year-old New York City girl, Annie (Jordan-Claire Green), who reluctantly spends the summer with her grandfather (Paul Dooley) on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. Annie's quite petulant, but gradually warms to the island's charms with the help of various locals, including a sad handyman and a lively hairdresser. The film's true focus is on Annie's developing affection and respect for her granddad, initially won in a moment of shared deception. Come Away never probes its dysfunctional family roots very deep, preferring instead to present a winsome if not entirely realistic portrait of a simple summer that can change a dozen lives for the better. Still, lessons about sharing, family and resolving life's woes are well intended, if a little well worn. (AH)