I remember watching this on Hallmark, a long, long time ago. I loved it as a middle-schooler! Saw it again, after 15+ years... Time flies!The focus of the story is the friendship between the two boys... the hit-man and the target, as it turns out. I can see how the moment of the teenage hit-man's poignant realization that he's only being used, that the man he looks up to doesn't really care a fig about him, might seem too cliché and obvious to some... Not me :DWatching it again, I think the movie has held up pretty decently: 10/10.

I really wanted to like this story and was willing to suspend disbelief but this film just had too many continuity/believability problems to allow that for long.The two leads are both attractive young men and it was fun watching their friendship form. It was also fun watching the inter-relationships between the other boys but I kept getting distracted by just how unlikely the plot devices were. Also, the next time a head master of a distinguished private school is giving a speech and the best literary reference that he can make in his speech is a lame reference to Great Expectations perhaps the head master's speech should be written out. Before watching this I'd recommend School Ties (1992) or Dead Poets Society (1989) or The Emperor's Club (2002) or even A Separate Peace (2004) (TV) All have much more convincing plot lines than this. In two separate spots the "villain" is about to be lurking just around the corner when something saves him. The villain is looking for one kid on a list of about 8 and the kid we KNOW he's looking for keeps making obvious mistakes that would clue in anyone who was really looking in a heartbeat. e.g. claiming to be from Tampa and not knowing whether its on the Atlantic or the Gulf. It also bothered me how dyslexia was tossed about as a plot point without any real understanding or compassion.The actors did great with what they had to work with but this could have really used at least one more script revision before it got shot.

Teenager witnesses both of his parents murdered. He is placed into the witness protection program and given a new life. Things seem to be getting better, but one of his best friends harbors a dark secret. Undistinguishable and unmemorable thriller, but an appealing cast carries it as well as some nice life lessons and values. More entertaining then it ought to be.Rated R; Violence.

The bad guys send a kid to a prestigious boys' school to find the student who is in the witness protection program, for the usual reasons. Of course, this kid doesn't fit in,socially or otherwise. He tries to befriend the studens in an effort to eliminate, by "friendly" questioning, the possible students on his list. Don''t want to spoil plot by saying more. The student "infiltrator", taught never to trust anyone, is presented as multi-dimensional, and is affected by the other students. Good suspense, excellent characters,and gives insight into how one's upbringing affects who you are.