Movie Review: The Kid

I don't often re-watch a movie, but the other night I was in the mood to see The Kid starring Bruce Willis as Russ Duritz. Many people are familiar with Bruce Willis's action films and haven't seen this Disney movie. I highly recommend it.

In this movie, Willis is a high-powered image consultant. He's demanding, rude, and obnoxious. He manipulates people and situations for his own benefit. In an early scene he asks a waiter how many times someone has to be called a "jerk" to make it so. It was lunchtime and 4 people had already called him one. According to one reviewer: "Russ Duritz is a success--he has looks, he has money, and he has power. The only things he's missing are friends and a conscience.

And then, somehow, his 8 year old self shows up. "Rusty," played by Spencer Breslin, is disgusting, uncouth, and embarrassing to Russ.

As the story unwinds, the 8 year old and the 40 year old must come to terms with the other. One of my favorite lines by the little boy is "What! I'm forty years old and I'm not married and I don't have a dog?! I grow up to be a loser!" The older Russ must deal with uncomfortable and even painful memories from his childhood.

Both Russ & Rusty are motivated to get the little boy home. Unlocking memories in the older man appears to be the key.

Both characters are well played and Breslin is absolutely adorable. Possibly because I've reached the mid-life phase of my own life, I found this movie touching. I often find myself reflecting and trying to reconcile who I am with who I thought I might be with who I still want to become.

Two more plusses for this movie: it's clean and has a high "giggle" factor.