twohaneys Bruno had two ineffectual parents - an intelligent boy who is out of place except in his own world of spelling. The movie allows the viewer to feel the hurt of the various characters without damning any of them. It shows how adults can be so wrapped up in their own turmoil and battling their inner demons and disappointments that they fail to see just how their children are being affected.Bruno manages to touch your heart on one hand and make you want to shout at the screen characters at the same time.The mother is so over the top that at times you are waiting for the punch line to come, but it doesn't - and you are left wanting to shake her and say get over yourself - look at your son! The father mopes around and turns to a shallow witch who on one hand you can see that he cringes with her behavior but his own pitifully low self-esteem makes him gravitate right back to her - maybe her being so low makes him feel so much better? Anyway, the film will grab you and at times frustrate you but there is an underlying redeeming message - tolerance, recognition of uniqueness.

mattymatt4ever Is this movie supposed to bring out some sort of message? That little boys should feel free to wear dresses? If I had a son, I'd be ticked off at him for wearing a dress. The movie tries to make a point by saying that all great figures throughout history wear or wore dresses: the pope, the Dahli Lama, Jesus. A robe is much different from a dress. Because the Pope wears a robe doesn't give a little boy the right to wear a pink sequined dress. Now, I didn't hate this movie. It's hard to hate a movie like this. The cast is great. Gary Sinise is one of my favorite actors, and I was excited to see his name pop up in the credits. Kathy Bates (another one of my favorites) has some hilarious moments as the foul-mouthed, New York-accented nun who sneaks a cigarette when her students aren't looking. Alex D. Linz is a fine young actor and Shirley MacLaine has some amusing moments when she actually shows up on screen (after the first half). I haven't read the other user comments yet, but I can predict what 50 percent of them have written: It's a cute family comedy. Well, it is somewhat cute and possesses the standard schmaltz of a family movie, with people landing in the hospital left and right. But there's a surprising amount of foul language for an alleged "family film." I never went to a strict Catholic school, but I'm pretty damn sure the kids aren't allowed to run amok like they do in this film. I mean, come on! You get your butt paddled for chewing gum in schools like that! How can they get away with trampling on a little kid, screaming out obscenities and racial slurs and throwing eggs at passing cars? I can imagine the students from Joe Clark's school watching this film and saying, "That's too much." If anybody who works at a strict Catholic prep school can prove me wrong, please send me a private message, but I'm quite sure the portrayal is hugely innacurate. "Bruno" is a harmless film with good performances and a good deal of originality, but it had very little impact on me. I wasn't crying, I wasn't enlightened. It didn't change my mind about boys wearing dresses. If a boy wants to wear a dress, he can turn gay and become a drag queen. But if you like girls--you don't wear dresses!My score: 6 (out of 10)

jerieg What started out, at least for the first two-thirds of the movie, as a very fantastical-enigmatic-true-to-life-at-the-same-time movie about a little boy who just likes to wear women's clothing have to turn into a Shirley comeback vehicle? Never mind that she was driving the car - it was fine when the back seat drivers were guiding her way. As soon as she takes over and dominates the entire movie do we all feel like getting out of this vehicle. The first two-thirds of the movie are fine - you feel for everyone involved, even Shirley. But when it appears that the script went south and Shirley came north, all hell breaks loose. Still, watch it for the great performances by all involved (yah, even Shirley in her crusty matriarch role she seems to ease into so conveniently) and let it make you wonder what could have been.

bill_farrell This funny, quirky, and touching story of individuality and tolerance makes it one of 2000's best films.David Ciminello's film writing debut and Shirley Maclaine's second directorial opus populates the screen with the most memorable characters since "Matilda," "Gilbert Grape," and "Christmas Story." Bruno Battaglia (expertly played by Alex D. Linz) is an eight-year-old prodigy who aspires to win the National Catholic School Spelling Competition and its grand prize, an all expense paid trip to Rome for a private audience with the Pope. After a near-death experience and encounter with angels, he resolves to compete wearing various dresses (which he insists are "holy vestments"), much to the distress of the Long Island school's nuns (Kathy Bates as Mother Superior, Lainie Kazan and Brett Butler as his teachers) and the ridicule of his classmates. Bruno's morbidly obese mother (Stacey Halprin), his estranged father who is ashamed of his son (Gary Sinese), his hyper-masculine grandmother (Shirley Maclaine), and his Annie Oakleyesque best friend (Kiami Davael) round out the cast with stellar performances. Watch for cameos by Gwen Verdon and Jennifer Tilly.