Tru Confessions facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tru Confessions
Film poster
Written by	Stu Krieger
Directed by	Paul Hoen
Starring	Clara Bryant Shia LaBeouf
Theme music composer	Mason Daring
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
Production
Producer(s)	Kevin May
Running time	81 minutes
Production company(s)	Chanticleer Films
Distributor	C.O.R.E.
Release
Original network	Disney Channel
Original release	April 5, 2002 (2002-04-05)

Tru Confessions is a 2002 Disney Channel Original Movie. It was directed by Paul Hoen. The movie is based on a book by Janet Tashjian.

The story is about a girl named Tru Walker, played by Clara Bryant. She dreams of becoming a famous filmmaker. Tru has a twin brother, Eddie, played by Shia LaBeouf. Eddie has a learning disability because he didn't get enough oxygen when he was born. Tru decides to make a documentary about Eddie for a film contest.

What the Movie is About

Trudy "Tru" Walker is a teenager who wants to have her own TV show. Tru often feels unhappy with her life. Her twin brother, Eddie, has a learning disability. This makes him act like a younger child. His behavior can sometimes cause problems in public.

Eddie is a loving brother. But his actions often make Tru feel frustrated. She finds it hard to talk to him sometimes. Tru also gets upset when other kids are mean to Eddie. She feels her mom might favor Eddie. Tru loves Eddie, but she wishes she could do more normal things.

Tru's Big Idea

Tru gets very excited about a video contest. The winner will get their own TV show! She tells her mom, but her mom doesn't seem as excited. Tru isn't sure what to make her documentary about.

Her English teacher tells her to pick a topic that means a lot to her. Tru decides to follow this advice. The deadline for the contest is coming soon. Tru is very worried about finding a good topic. She makes a video, but her friends think it's boring.

Then, Tru decides to make a video about something very personal. She creates a film about her brother, Eddie. In the video, she shows how Eddie has made her life better. She also shares that living with a brother who has a disability can be hard.

Family Matters

The movie also shows Tru's relationship with her mom, Judy. Tru often feels like her mom doesn't understand her. So, she looks for advice online. She finds support from someone named Deedee. Deedee helps Tru through tough times.

Deedee tells Tru that great things often need sacrifices. She says Tru will be rewarded for being herself. Later, Tru and her mom have an argument. Tru's mom then repeats the same advice Deedee gave her. Tru realizes that Deedee is actually her mom. This makes Tru upset with her mom again.

A Difficult Moment

The Walker family goes to a street fair. Here, Tru faces her fears about how cruel people can be. Tru sees Eddie wearing a new hat. She asks him where he got it. Eddie points to a group of teenage boys. Tru reminds him not to take things from strangers.

One of the boys is Billy Meyer, a boy Tru likes from school. Later, Tru finds out that the boys did something mean to Eddie's hat. Tru is very sad and disgusted. When Billy calls her a "freak" like her brother, Tru pushes him into a creek. Tru doesn't tell her parents everything that happened. She thinks they won't understand.

Winning the Contest

Things get better for Tru. She gets a letter saying she won the contest! This means her video will be shown on TV. Tru worries that everyone at school will make fun of her. She shared very personal things in the video.

To make things worse, Tru's dad is a brain surgeon. He is busy at work and can't come home for her show. In the movie, Tru's dad is often harsh with Eddie. But Tru's dad watches the show at the hospital. He is very touched by what he sees. The next day at school, all the students loved Tru's show. They clap for both Tru and Eddie in the hall.

Dad's Realization

Tru's dad asks her why he wasn't in the film much. She shows him the parts she filmed of him. These parts show him in a bad way. Another part of the movie is about the dad's struggle to connect with Eddie. He often gets angry with Eddie and finds it hard to be patient.

Tru and Eddie understand that their dad's job is stressful. But their dad realizes he needs to be a better father to Eddie. He learns that no one should live like that. The video helps him remember to be better.

Tru sadly realizes that she will have a normal life. She will go to college, have a job, get married, and maybe have kids. But Eddie will always be the same. Mr. Walker starts spending more time with the family. He tries to be more patient with Eddie. Tru and her mom try to talk to each other more. Tru promises to really listen.

Eddie and Tru watch a soccer game they played in. Eddie keeps rewinding to a part where Tru passes the ball to him, and he scores a goal. Tru says, "Eddie, come on! We've watched this scene like ten times. Let's move on. It's not like it's going to change." Eddie replies, "I like it. I don't want it to change. It's you and me. Being twins."

Cast

• Clara Bryant as Trudy "Tru" Walker
• Shia LaBeouf as Edward "Eddie" Walker
• Mare Winningham as Ginny Walker
• William Francis McGuire as Dr. Robert "Bob" Walker
• Nicole Dicker as Denise Palumbo
• Kevin Duhaney as Jake
• Yani Gellman as William "Billy" Meyer
• Craig Eldridge as Mr. Taylor
• Jennifer Foster as Judy "Deedee" Walker
• Rahnuma Panthaky as Ms. Hinchey
• Colm Magner as Coach Rice
• Arnold Pinnock as Dr. Dean Cutler

Setting

Most of the movie was filmed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In one scene, when the kids leave the ferry, you can see the CN Tower. You can also see other big buildings in Toronto. The school scenes were filmed at Danforth Collegiate and Technical Institute, which is also in Toronto.