August Rush

Unapologetically preposterous, but it is a (very sweet) fairy tale and Highmore is captivating.

I'm telling you, the ghost of Dickens would be applauding.

...all the way through, there's a genuine sense of "No, really, this is totally all really happening...

Vague realism (bleak orphanage scenes) plus fantastical plot twists (our hero goes to Juilliard and conducts a Central Park concert) produce a muddled series of off-key notes.