Wild about "Harry"? Then you'll warm to "December"

If the producers of "December Boys" had not had the very good sense to secure Daniel "Harry Potter" Radcliffe to star in their film, it's unlikely we'd be seeing this pleasant but unremarkable Australian import in American theaters. But let it be said that the young man famous for portraying fiction's favorite orphan here plays a less-celebrated orphan with grace, subtlety and a perfectly serviceable Australian accent. (And he gets to romance a pretty blond non-orphan and get much further than he ever got with Cho Chang, for those clamoring to know.)

Radcliffemania aside, "December Boys" is a sweet-natured tale of four parentless boys (all born in December, hence the title) growing up in a Catholic orphanage in 1960s outback Australia. Given the opportunity for a holiday by the seaside, the boys are thrilled to discover a different kind of life — and a charming, childless couple who just might wish to adopt one of them. Over the course of the holiday, they learn some Life Lessons and solidify their brotherhood.

Director Rod Hardy treats us to some gorgeous shots of the rocky Australian coastline and some whimsically lit fantasy sequences from the boys' imaginations, including a nice vision of cartwheeling nuns. What he doesn't do is surprise us in any way (except for those nuns). "December Boys" follows a predictable tear-jerky path, but it does so with warmth and good humor. Particularly for Radcliffe fans, it's an agreeable journey.

Moira Macdonald: 206-464-2725 or mmacdonald@seattletimes.com