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"The
'Kid' Grows Up"
by Scott Mantz
"Disney's The Kid"
Bruce Willis, Spencer Breslin,
Emily Mortimer
Directed by Jon Turteltaub
It's too bad
we were too young to realize it, because the experiences we have
in our youth determine who we will eventually become. Knowing this,
what would you do if you had the chance to go back in time and confront
yourself in these exciting, confusing, and formative years? What
kind of advice would you give your younger self, and, more importantly,
would that person look at you and be proud of the person he turned
out to be? In "Disney's The Kid," Bruce Willis gets the opportunity
of a lifetime, and though the film gets corny at times, it remains
an inspiring, heartwarming, and fun family movie. What else did
you expect with a name like "Disney" in the title?
Russ Duritz
(Bruce Willis) is a high-powered image consultant who could use
a pretty good makeover himself. He's a jerk with a chip on his shoulder
the size of Texas, and though he may be wealthy beyond his dreams,
he lives a lonely, miserable existence. He has sporadic contact
with his father, and he has yet to realize that the woman of his
dreams (Emily Mortimer) is right around the corner. In a bizarre
set of circumstances, Russ Duritz, age 40, comes face to face with
Rusty Duritz (Spencer Breslin), age 8. Russ cannot stand being reminded
of the alleged loser he used to be, and Rusty is ashamed of the
loser he will turn out to be. Together, they help each other work
through their shortcomings, as Russ re-establishes contact with
his inner child, while Rusty gains the inner strength to finally
stand up for himself.
Bruce Willis
in a movie with a kid? Hmm. The last time he tried that formula,
he did OK, and while "Disney's The Kid" doesn't have a prayer in
reaching the box office heights of "The Sixth Sense," it will no
doubt make a connection to the whole family . After all, we can
all relate to that poor kid who always wound up being the brunt
of the jokes (especially if you were that kid). After so much neglect
and emotional abuse, who can blame Russ for putting so much distance
between his adult self and the so-called "loser" that he keeps referring
to himself as? The problem is that by suppressing these painful
feelings, he's lost so much contact with the person he used to be
that, even at 40, he has yet to find an identity beyond his material
possessions.
Considering
that "The Kid" is Bruce Willis' fifth movie in 12 months (after
"The Sixth Sense," "The Story of Us," "Breakfast of Champions,"
and "The Whole Nine Yards"), he could very well earn a reputation
as being the hardest working man in show business. He's gotten to
a point in his career where his presence alone is enough to make
an impact on a movie, but that's when he tends to simply walk through
his roles. His performance here may not be among his best work,
but he is convincing as the emotionally battered Russ who has yet
to face the music. Spencer Breslin holds his own against Willis
and is downright hysterical in his disappointment with his future
self. After all, he reaches 40 only to find himself still single,
doing a job that has no emotional value, and most of all, he still
doesn't have a dog. Emily Mortimer puts her girl-next-door look
to good use as Willis' potential love interest, but it's an otherwise
underwritten role.
Take notice
of how the musical score for "Disney's The Kid," a movie about time
travel (sort of), resembles the music for "Back to the Future,"
another movie about time travel. It has that vibrant and fairy tale-like
feel that stays with you long after you leave the theater. Another
thing to look out for is a brief, but crucial, performance from
Jean Smart, who plays a TV newscaster who takes some of Willis'
image advice, only to turn it around and use it back on him. Also,
keep an eye out for "Friends" star and Willis buddy Matthew Perry
(they bonded during the filming of "The Whole Nine Yards"), who
shows up in a cameo buried under a horrendous wig and long beard.
The film can
be uneven at times, with the sagging scenes a stark contrast to
the vibrant and schmaltzy ones. It also contains an ending that
may be a little hard to swallow, even for a Disney film, but as
long as you keep in mind that it's a fairy tale in the vein of "Field
of Dreams," you'll walk away feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.
Young Rusty may have been disappointed by his future self's occupation
as an image consultant (he looks at it as helping people lie about
who they really are), but considering how good he is at giving his
future self a makeover, it was a job that suited him just fine.
If the film makes you re-evaluate some of your own decisions, then
maybe there's still a chance to re-connect with your own inner child.
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