"Disney's The Kid" Not Just For Kids

JOE'S SUMUP: genuine, hilarious, introspective

(2000) It was recently suggested to me to make a list of must-see films in different categories, be it adventure, mystery, comedy, etc.  I have yet to do that, but it did somehow spark my desire to review one of my favorite true-to-form family adventures made in recent years.  Meet "The Kid".

Without giving much away, I will say, suspend any disbelief if you will.  Any good movie about 

time-travel is obviously not about time-travel at all (now if you want to sample really BAD time-travel cinema, go rent "Timeline", a film based on the fabulous Crichton novel).  This film takes a cue of sorts from "A Christmas Carol" in that Bruce Willis, playing an "image consultant" named Russ, is as Scroogey as they come.  His egocentric life amounts to giving advice to people about how they may better fit their image to their profession.  His cynicism was so excessive I thought it almost endearing, which I think was the point.  On the verge of 40 and still single, he is in denial of his attraction to his adorable colleague, Amy (played enchantingly by Emily Mortimer and her British charm).  So, the powers that be decide to pay him a visit, in the form not of a ghost, but of himself, 30 years younger.  Enter "Rusty" on the set.  Both are totally spooked by each other, and neither Russ nor Rusty can figure out how the kid got there nor what to do about it.

Jon Turtletaub is a director I would definitely place in a division of lightweights for his trade.  His accolades amount to "While You Were Sleeping", "National Treasure", "3 Ninjas", etc.  Generally his are not the most stellar films in history, and this is one that could have followed suit.  The reason it peaks over the top to greatness is its performances.  The story is outlandish enough that it requires something dry, perfect coming from Bruce Willis who excels at such roles, to help us buy it.  The tone of the film

in turn needed some lighthearted balancing, and it is gracefully achieved by Mortimer's absolute sweetness and integrity.  Where child actors go, as Jake Lloyd proved in "Star Wars Episode I", it takes some doing to find a decent one.  Spencer Breslin was only 7 years old when he made this performance, and he makes me laugh every time he comes onscreen.  Rusty, in definite need of my services with his lateral lisp (and how many movies out there actually reference speech pathology?), constantly livens up the room with all the delightful quirks of an insecure 7-year old.  Upon his arrival, Russ is disgusted, but Amy is enchanted, realizing there's a lot more to this man than his ugly cold exterior.

The show makes good discussions on who we were as children, why we would sometimes prefer to forget that time, and what merit there is in remembering.  Seriously who would want to be 

confronted with the joy and the innocence of the kid they were at age 7, staring it all in the face, wondering where it went?  A lot of people right now need the message that "Disney's The Kid" conveys.  The greatest problem, I would say, is the film's title, or more specifically the inclusion of "Disney's".  This was surely done so to differentiate it from Chaplin's 1921 film of the same name.  Meanwhile, the title could easily mislead adults when they see it sitting on a shelf, that the movie is just another Disney flick strictly for kids.  Be aware, not the case in this case.  If you are looking for a sweet, fun, entertaining family film, this one's better than the bulk of them made this side of the 21st century.  Running time: 104 min.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0219854/