Mr. Rice’s Secret (2000): Cast & Plot

Owen Walters is 12 and battles Hodgkin’s disease. He moves in a social circle where a group of friends awards points for taking risks or pulling off strange, boundary-pushing acts. This brash, competitive dynamic often clashes with a deeper longing for normalcy and connection. His parents push him to befriend Simon, a boy who has leukemia, but Owen keeps Simon at arm’s length, convinced that Simon’s illness makes him seem more fragile and reminds him of his own mortality. He also distances himself from his best friend Funnel Head, choosing rather to chase the approval of their bullies than risk genuine friendship.