Rating: 
Summary: Good premise, ok film
Review: As the previous reviewers have stated, this is indeed a powerful film. However, it's the premise and some (certainly not all) of the performances which make it so. The film itself leaves much to be desired. The thankfully original and wholly worthy premise is that a 13 year-old boy who was once sexually exploited by his own mother happens to be in love with an older married man who is now his counselor. There is a mutual and highly plausible love between the boy and the man. But when it's discovered that the man has had sex with the boy, the man, of course, must pay. His job, his career, his reputation, his life with the wife he loves (who's expecting a child), will all be lost when the news is made public. When the man dies from wounds sustained in an accident, the boy avenges the man's accuser by claiming the accuser ' not the man he loved ' 'molested' the boy. The remainder of the film is devoted to the accuser's trial ' and, in a nice twist, the accuser's guarding of the boy's 'secret' from the eyes of the law, which could certainly never understand. Most of the performances in the film seem completely amateurish with the notable exception of the boy, Tommy, played with a sad, noble innocence by Andrew Martin (who has only two gratuitous underwear shots and conveys a very convincing need to be loved, really loved, throughout). The accuser, his lawyer and the trial judge also play their parts very effectively. The film's direction, brave and welcome as it may be to present a story of this magnitude, seems far more hackneyed. The choice of black and white video filming may seem ultra cheap (the movie was never transferred to film), but it lends the atmosphere a somewhat appropriate air of exploitation documentary like you'd expect to see on late-night cable TV. But the incessant talking (everybody has A LOT to say in this film) and the annoying two takes that director Rocky Costanzo uses in almost every one of the far too long dialog scenes are unnecessary AND unartful (one speaker bathed by white, another speaker bathed in black, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth'you get the point). I'd recommend this film to any of the witch hunters out for so-called child molesters who don't understand the potential of love that a boy can have for a man and the love that a man can have for a boy. But it doesn't matter. The only people who will see this film ' or care about its message ' are the people who already agree with its premise. Interesting, none the less.
Rating:
Summary: Good premise, ok film
Review: As the previous reviewers have stated, this is indeed a powerful film. However, it�s the premise and some (certainly not all) of the performances which make it so. The film itself leaves much to be desired. The thankfully original and wholly worthy premise is that a 13 year-old boy who was once sexually exploited by his own mother happens to be in love with an older married man who is now his counselor. There is a mutual and highly plausible love between the boy and the man. But when it�s discovered that the man has had sex with the boy, the man, of course, must pay. His job, his career, his reputation, his life with the wife he loves (who�s expecting a child), will all be lost when the news is made public. When the man dies from wounds sustained in an accident, the boy avenges the man�s accuser by claiming the accuser � not the man he loved � �molested� the boy. The remainder of the film is devoted to the accuser�s trial � and, in a nice twist, the accuser�s guarding of the boy�s �secret� from the eyes of the law, which could certainly never understand. Most of the performances in the film seem completely amateurish with the notable exception of the boy, Tommy, played with a sad, noble innocence by Andrew Martin (who has only two gratuitous underwear shots and conveys a very convincing need to be loved, really loved, throughout). The accuser, his lawyer and the trial judge also play their parts very effectively. The film�s direction, brave and welcome as it may be to present a story of this magnitude, seems far more hackneyed. The choice of black and white video filming may seem ultra cheap (the movie was never transferred to film), but it lends the atmosphere a somewhat appropriate air of exploitation documentary like you�d expect to see on late-night cable TV. But the incessant talking (everybody has A LOT to say in this film) and the annoying two takes that director Rocky Costanzo uses in almost every one of the far too long dialog scenes are unnecessary AND unartful (one speaker bathed by white, another speaker bathed in black, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth�you get the point). I�d recommend this film to any of the witch hunters out for so-called child molesters who don�t understand the potential of love that a boy can have for a man and the love that a man can have for a boy. But it doesn�t matter. The only people who will see this film � or care about its message � are the people who already agree with its premise. Interesting, none the less.
Rating: 
Summary: An example of independent cinema at its best
Review: Based on the subdued novel, which is a very good read, Return to Innocence tackles the issue of an alleged sexual abuse on a minor, with the unique spin of placing the man in the position of victim and the boy as aggressor. You really get a sense of the danger the man is in and you find yourself pulling for him during the trial. Richard Meese (the man) nails the sympathetic male role to perfection, while Andrew Martin (the boy) does a very convincing job at making you love and hate him at the same time. This film is not for everyone, but those of us who work amongst children as I do (teacher) will find this little film to be an educational tool in addition to its entertainment value. It is a well-crafted movie, and a true example of independent cinema at its best. .
Rating:
Summary: A Salutary Narrative
Review: For his directorial debut, Rocky Costanzo has chosen an uncommonly ambitious story that tries to comment on child abuse and the prejudices surrounding an intergenerational relationship. Unfortunately for him though, the screenplay by Gary Frazier touches on issues of homosexuality and pedophilia, which even in the hands of an experienced director may have been difficult to get across the factual emotions and reactions necessary to lift the film from the level of simple drama to that of extraordinary motion picture. Occasional missteps cause this film to get abandoned somewhere along the way, but despite its flaws, it is an affecting film and surprisingly good for someone's directorial debut.
Rating:
Summary: It's time for a high budget version!
Review: Great Movie and good acting (for a low budget actors), my favorite actor was a defense lawyer. However, I believe that the movie was somewhat incomplete and "safe", as there were many details and facts missing. It appears as if there was a tight timetable and very little planning in production of R.T.I. Though it is fairly well done, Return To Innocence should be redone in the high budget arena and with more daring. Unfortunately, it is difficult to produce movies with this subject matter in mind, and have it be daring. So maybe Canada should take over, Eh?
Rating: 
Summary: Justification of Pedofilia
Review: I am NOT a professional movie critic but I still can fine a bad movie. The story line was good, not as good as the novel, but I have yet to see a movie that's better than the book. I felt the actors were being carried through thier lines. They felt hollow and unconvincing to me. I felt that the relationship between Chris and Tommy should of been given more time on the film. To be thrown in to thier relationship, without decent actors, created an empty void for me. I also felt the Black & White aspect of the film degrated the film even further. It looked cheap and homemade. Though this topic is highly taboo in America today, it still should of been made to show how this type of "LOVE" truly begins and that all things aren't always as the seem to be on the surface. Thus breaking the darkness that surrounds people who love those how turly care about them. Regardless of gender, skin, or age difference.
Rating:
Summary: Return to Acting School
Review: I am NOT a professional movie critic but I still can fine a bad movie. The story line was good, not as good as the novel, but I have yet to see a movie that's better than the book. I felt the actors were being carried through thier lines. They felt hollow and unconvincing to me. I felt that the relationship between Chris and Tommy should of been given more time on the film. To be thrown in to thier relationship, without decent actors, created an empty void for me. I also felt the Black & White aspect of the film degrated the film even further. It looked cheap and homemade. Though this topic is highly taboo in America today, it still should of been made to show how this type of "LOVE" truly begins and that all things aren't always as the seem to be on the surface. Thus breaking the darkness that surrounds people who love those how turly care about them. Regardless of gender, skin, or age difference.
Rating: 
Summary: Powerful
Review: I bought this DVD not knowing what to expect -- it had been recommended by Amazon.com -- and the initial thoughts that swept through my mind when I started watching it were "It's in black and white!" and "wooden acting." But after only 20 minutes, I had to turn off the film. Only about 18 months later did I find the courage to watch the entire film -- not because it is has a dreadful director or actors but because it contains stomach-wrenching power.
The director, Rocky Costanzo, concedes in the audio commentary that he picked the script, which draws a broad line between pederasty and [...], and directed it at the age of 27 just to get noticed. But he is so disarmingly frank about the film's weaknesses that it's impossible to hold any grudges.
That said, Costanzo and every actor clearly gave this no-budget film everything they had and then some. The film is hauntingly shot and makes a superb use of shadows. Some of the actors -- particularly the police detective and the defense lawyer -- give compelling performances but, most importantly, the actor playing the sexually abused boy, Andrew Martin, then 14, manages to arouse simultaneous feelings of sympathy and anger -- a difficult feat for any actor.
The film is at its best in the courtroom, where the hero goes on trial on false sex abuse charges. The surprise testimony from a former boy prostitute whose life was changed by the defendent brought tears to my eyes.
"Return to Innocence" symbolizes all that is wonderful about independent films and DVDs. No major studio would have picked up this project, and if it wasn't for the DVD, I never would have seen it.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Enough
Review: I caught this movie at the local art-house about a year ago, and got wrapped up in it. I haven't read the book so I can't compare the two. I thought this was an intelligent and entertaining movie. It has a good ending - not sure if it's a happy ending or not. There were only a few times I found scenes to be a little on the long side - like when the doctor is trying to get the boys' counselor to admit what he did (I won't spoil it here) but I thought the doctor was great and I was rooting for him all the way to the end. If you are looking for more of a simple movie, you will probably like this one. No computer generation, no special effects - just good old-fashioned storytelling.
Rating:
Summary: Suspect, superficial, amaterurish in the extreme
Review: I've seen movie students' first year projects that were more professionally made and acted that this, but let's ignore the poor camera work, the feeble "atmospheric" lighting (read "poorly lit"), and move right onto the content.* Spoiler alert!!!* The movie purports to be "a riveting look at the processes and agendas involved in the prosecution of a child sex abuse case" But it's nothing of the sort. I could have written more plausible and scientifically supportable material than this film depicts in an afternoon, and I'm no expert.... This film is crass and superficial and I'm deeply suspicious of its raison d'etre. Anyone familiar with the story surrounding Victor Salva's Clownhouse will understand that all is not always as it seems. If it's on the level, then this film is a cheap, poorly made and sensationalistic attempt to capitalise on the current child sex abuse hysteria, with voyeuristic and needlessly graphic and scandalistic dialogue. The actors may as well be supported by strings, such is the ineptitude of their wooden performances, though all except the truly woeful judge, can be forgiven considering the embarrassingly poor script and dialogue. On the plus side, the DVD was easy to take out of the DVD case...
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