Lamar Martin
It's a perfect movie in every way. I guess everyone carries a little (maybe a lot) of shame from their childhood into their adult life. This is a wonderful story about healing the shame. There is a meditation exercise in the book Healing the Shame that Binds You by Bradshaw, where the adult you can go back in time, so to speak, to talk to the child version of yourself to give "the kid" a new perspective about a shaming event, that heals the kid and the adult. It is a very loving thing to do for yourself, and this movie does just that, in a magical way. Love the movie! And having used the mediation exercise in Bradshaw's book in 1992 to go back in time to stand up for the child version of myself, on the first day of school in 1960, I know it works. Great to see a movie that brings the experience to life in a way with a super happy ending.
Amy Adler
Russ (Bruce Willis) is a hotshot "image" consultant. He flies all over the country, advising business folks about how to improve their profiles in the minds of the American public. Because he is such a busy guy, he has no time for a personal life. His secretary (Lily Tomlin) caters to his every wish and his work colleague, Amy (Emily Mortimer) ties all of the loose ends in his business dealings. One day, as he is approaching his fortieth birthday, he goes home to find a young boy (Spencer Breslin) at his posh apartment. It's not long before Russ realizes that this chubby kid is himself at a far earlier age. Calling himself "Rusty", the kid has quite a bit to say about Russ' current life, which includes no dog, no wife, no junk food, and no relaxation time. Will the older Russ get the message and find a way to take his life in a different, more positive direction? This film is a fairly successful family film, even though it doesn't quite work smoothly. The story goes in one direction and then turns abruptly into another direction completely, making the overall ride a bumpy one. The cast, however, is not to be faulted at all, as Willis is terrific and Breslin, Tomlin, and Mortimer do very fine jobs as well. The costumes, sets and production techniques are all quite wonderful, too. At its heart, the movie is very similar to a more successful film called "If you believe", although The Kid is told from the male perspective, not a female one. In short, if you like Willis, cute kids, family films, and/or happy endings, here is one for you to try. Although you may not ultimately put the film on your list of movie favorites, it is a pleasant enough affair for an evening of light-hearted fun.
Sa'ar Vardi
Imagine you have the opportunity to see yourself again as a kid. Now think what would happen if you had the chance to speak with your younger self, or even change him/you. Would you try to influence or try to change your younger self's beliefs in light of your future experience? Or perhaps the encounter would change your older self's perception of life and reality? Walt Disney's The Kid tries to engage this complex thought by putting "older self" Bruce Willis in a collision course with "younger self" Spenser Breslin (from The Santa Clause 2 and The Cat in the Hat "fame"). The result is a sometimes funny sometimes touching encounter, which makes you ponder about your own past, present and future – and truly believe it is never too late to change your course.
