Based on Dodie Smith's much-loved novel, I Capture the Castle turns out to be an equally lovely film, delightful and surprisingly wise. When her family moves into a glamorous castle in the countryside, Cassandra (Ramola Garai) imagines great things will happen. But the decaying castle loses its appeal as her novelist father (Bill Nighy) develops writer's block and her mother dies of cancer. From this sad beginning, I Capture the Castle becomes an utterly engaging coming-of-age story as 17-year-old Cassandra and her older sister Rose (Rose Byrne) struggle to win the attentions of their new American landlord (Henry Thomas)--but when everything goes the way Cassandra wishes, her hopes fall apart. Garai's wonderful performance carries the audience through bittersweet discoveries about life and adulthood with hope and yearning. The entire cast--also featuring Tara Fitzgerald and Marc Blucas--is superb. --Bret Fetzer