I saw this yesterday, by pure luck - it was on tv and I was just supposed to turn it off an start a game, but I saw Tom Hanks and decided to give it a shot...
3 hours later (the movie itself is 2h long, but I had to endure an hour of commercials..) I was really glad I did, though I have to say it was an emotional rollercoaster to put it mildly.
I don't think I've ever seen a movie that is as sad as this one, and so cheerful and energetic at the same time. So emotionally shattering and inspiring at the same time.
I rarely see movies like this -they bore me. When people get emotional I get frustrated.. but not here. And to be honest I'm not sure why.
From the reviews it seems most people either love this movie or hate it, either find the depth I found or can't find a trace of it. One thing many reviewers seem to miss is that the boy is mildly autistic, this explains much of his seemingly bizarre behavior.
Anyway, I found the whole experience absolutely stunning. The movie broke me emotionally and then fixed me back up. And to be honest I think it actually helped me with some of my personal issues.
Give it a try.