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All-Reviews.com Movie/Video Review
The Kid
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  out of 4
 Review by Susan Granger 3 stars out of 4
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Working with Hayley Joel Osment in "The Sixth Sense" boosted
Bruce Willis's career and now he's got a new pint-sized co-star in
pudgy, eight year-old Spencer Breslin. Spencer plays Willis's
character, Russ Duritz, as a child. He's transported from the '70s to
the present to help his arrogant, aging self - that's Willis - an
unhappy, unmarried, insensitive "image consultant" who is alienated
from his family and doesn't even own a dog - get back in touch with
the kid within. Rusty, as he was called back then, is appalled to
learn what will become of him, moaning, "I grew up to be a loser!" But
Russ eventually finds out what went wrong along the way, causing him
to give up his dreams of being a pilot and to acquire a twitch in his
left eye. Working from a script by Audrey Wells ("The Truth About Cats
and Dogs," "Guinevere") under the restrained direction of Jon
Turtletaub ("While You Were Sleeping," "Phenomenon"), Willis is
utterly charming and captivating, as he discovers that being rich,
living in an Architectural Digest house and driving a shiny black
Porsche isn't as fulfilling as loving people and having them love
you. 'Sound like "It's a Wonderful Life?" So be it - except Frank
Capra would never have tolerated Marc Shaiman's intrusive, syrupy
score. If you think Spencer Breslin looks familiar, he's the
TV-commercial kid who ordered "two all-beef patties, cheese, pickles,
lettuce, onions, special sauce on a sesame-seed bun." As for the
women, Lily Tomlin plays Russ's long-suffering assistant, Emily
Mortimer's his perky co-worker, and Jean Smart's the savvy TV
anchorwoman I wish he'd wound up with. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1
to 10, "Disney's The Kid" is a sweet, not-overly-sentimental 7, a
heart-warming family fantasy. And you'll discover why the moon
sometimes looks orange.
Copyright © 2000 Susan Granger
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