AllMovie

A homesick, 12-year-old Israeli immigrant exchanges letters with her friend back home and connects with a young Vietnamese refugee, and learns an important lesson in friendship as they begin to grow apart. A misfit in school, young Ellie copes with her outsider status by cherishing the letters sent to her from her best friend back in Israel. When Ellie meets Thuy, whose family recently arrived in America after fleeing war-torn Vietnam, she senses an immediate connection. Over time, the two grow close, though their tenuous bond is later shattered after Thuy places more importance on her school work than her friendship with Ellie, and Ellie takes it personally. Now, in order to win back her friend, Ellie must throw caution to the wind and embrace her individuality. In doing so, she discovers what it means to be a true friend.