A Movie for Every Mood

Movie reviews from someone who really likes movies!

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Name: Sue Blazier
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States

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Saturday, April 22, 2006

Disney's The Kid

Bruce Willis stars in Disney's The Kid, a light family comedy/drama/fantasy rated PG. Children will enjoy this film as it is very entertaining and funny, and it is also a poignant film for adults to watch sans children as the screenplay goes deep into the psyche of middle age.

Bruce is Russ Duritz, a high-powered image consultant soon to be 40 years old. He is mysteriously visited by himself when he was an overweight 8-year-old called Rusty (Spencer Breslin). The question is: Is Rusty there to help Russ, or is Russ there to help Rusty?

Don’t stress out about the impossibility of the situation; this is a fantasy after all. Russ, although highly successful in his career, lacks all the important things in life: a wife, a family, and a dog. Rusty is very critical of this, and despairs that he grows up to be a loser.

Russ meanwhile is embarrassed by this young version of himself. Rusty is a painful reminder to him of all he has struggled to overcome. It’s fun to watch Rusty go after what he wants as an adult while only a child, much to Russ’ dismay. I know that sounds cryptic, but I don’t want to spoil the surprises for you.

Russ and Rusty finally work things out, and in the process of regaining memories of his childhood, Russ is able to see a brighter future for “them”, with all the important things present that he wished for when he was 8-year-old Rusty.

The film also stars Lily Tomlin as Russ’ long-suffering assistant Janet, and you may recognize other character actors Jean Smart and Dana Ivey. This is a very funny movie, and very touching as well. The screenwriter did a great job bringing childhood into physical form in the persona of Rusty, so that what could have been just a mental exercise digging into childhood memories in a therapist’s office, becomes a flesh-and-blood person for Russ to talk to as he sorts out his life.

Rent this one soon. And have your box of Kleenex handy.

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