- Actors: Elijah Wood, Graham Greene, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bruce Willis, Jussie Smollett
- Format: Dolby, PAL, Surround Sound, Full Screen
- Language English
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3 - 1.33:1
- Classification: PG
- Studio: Cinema Club
- VHS Release Date: 5 Feb 1996
- Run Time: 87 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B000058402
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,388 in Video (See Top 100 in Video)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
I actually bought this movie by mistake, thinking that I had picked up Mr. North, the film adaptation of Thornton Wilder's book of the same name. The video lay around my house unviewed for some time after I bought it, and by the time I realized my error, it was too late to return it. So, I decided just to watch it and see what I had actually gotten.
Well, what I got was an enjoyable little fantasy/comedy directed by Rob Reiner. It centers around a terrific eleven year old kid named North (Elijah Wood) who feels that, despite his scholastic, athletic, and thespian achievements, his parents just ignore him. So, he does the unthinkable. He gets himself an attorney. He gets a legal separation from his parents. He then travels the world, searching for the perfect parents. In doing so, he inadvertently causes a mini-revolution that puts kids in the driver's seat, as parents scramble to remain the parents of record.
There are some very funny moments throughout this film, which boasts a stellar cast. Jason Alexander and Julia Louis-Dreyfus are well paired as North's self-absorbed parents. Jon Lovitz plays the role of North's sleazy attorney. Bruce Willis is the sage that mysteriously appears in every vignette in which North is trying out new parents for size. Probably the funniest potential new parents are those played by Reba McEntire and Dan Ackroyd. Moreover, one of the bonuses of having Reba McEntire in the film is that she sings in it and is simply terrific, as is the rest of the cast. This is definitely a funny little film that turned out to be a pleasant surprise.
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
This film is one of the best films Elijah Wood has ever been in (except Lord Of The Rings). He is really fit in it even though hes about 12. Its really funny and enjoyable for the whole family. I've seen it 24 times and im still not sick of it. Bruce Willis plays a great role in this film aswell. The funniest place is Hawaii. You have to watch it to know what i mean so buy it now.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
44 reviews
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
THE SEARCH FOR THE PERFECT PARENTS...
22 Feb 2005
I actually bought this movie by mistake, thinking that I had picked up Mr. North, the film adaptation of Thornton Wilder's book of the same name. The video lay around my house unviewed for some time after I bought it, and by the time I realized my error, it was too late to return it. So, I decided just to watch it and see what I had actually gotten.
Well, what I got was an enjoyable little fantasy/comedy directed by Rob Reiner. It centers around a terrific eleven year old kid named North (Elijah Wood) who feels that, despite his scholastic, athletic, and thespian achievements, his parents just ignore him. So, he does the unthinkable. He gets himself an attorney. He gets a legal separation from his parents. He then travels the world, searching for the perfect parents. In doing so, he inadvertently causes a mini-revolution that puts kids in the driver's seat, as parents scramble to remain the parents of record.
There are some very funny moments throughout this film, which boasts a stellar cast. Jason Alexander and Julia Louis-Dreyfus are well paired as North's self-absorbed parents. Jon Lovitz plays the role of North's sleazy attorney. Bruce Willis is the sage that mysteriously appears in every vignette in which North is trying out new parents for size. Probably the funniest potential new parents are those played by Reba McEntire and Dan Ackroyd. Moreover, one of the bonuses of having Reba McEntire in the film is that she sings in it and is simply terrific, as is the rest of the cast. This is definitely a funny little film that turned out to be a pleasant surprise.
Well, what I got was an enjoyable little fantasy/comedy directed by Rob Reiner. It centers around a terrific eleven year old kid named North (Elijah Wood) who feels that, despite his scholastic, athletic, and thespian achievements, his parents just ignore him. So, he does the unthinkable. He gets himself an attorney. He gets a legal separation from his parents. He then travels the world, searching for the perfect parents. In doing so, he inadvertently causes a mini-revolution that puts kids in the driver's seat, as parents scramble to remain the parents of record.
There are some very funny moments throughout this film, which boasts a stellar cast. Jason Alexander and Julia Louis-Dreyfus are well paired as North's self-absorbed parents. Jon Lovitz plays the role of North's sleazy attorney. Bruce Willis is the sage that mysteriously appears in every vignette in which North is trying out new parents for size. Probably the funniest potential new parents are those played by Reba McEntire and Dan Ackroyd. Moreover, one of the bonuses of having Reba McEntire in the film is that she sings in it and is simply terrific, as is the rest of the cast. This is definitely a funny little film that turned out to be a pleasant surprise.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Lighten up bad reviewers!
17 Mar 2005
This movie is not intended to be taken seriously, and to watch it, you have to remember what it was like to be a kid. Kids are a little egocentric(some more than others) and that is where the humor comes in. The stereotypes of all the places North visits are a dead giveaway that this is how these places are percieved in a child's mind. Typical things most people hear about a place, such as the french people being obsessed with Jerry Lewis. I must reiterate, you cannot take it seriously. Those people that find it offensive completly miss the point. The point was that North is a typical kid who doesn't appreciate his parents. The fact that he sees his parents as not appreciative of him is what is typical of children, and what makes him so amusing and adorable. He is not unreasonable in expecting acknowledgement of all his acheievements, and his baffled expression when he tells his coach his problem is just so believable. I think any kid can relate. "A child is born. He is given a life. And he is appreciated by everyone but the parents who gave him that life." That's pretty close if not an exact quote. He doesn't whine when he says this. Just looks confused. And when you see the opening scene of his parents rambling on about their work problems not even listening to each other while North feins a heart attack, you have to agree there is a problem. But it's obvious that they do care, because they finally acknowledge him when he falls out of his chair onto the floor yelling dramatically. The point is parents aren't perfect, although this is an exaggeration of that point. This is one of the things North realizes at the end of the movie, and he is all the wiser for his outrageous adventures.I thought this movie was charming, but not the best family film I ever saw. It could've done without the inappropriate adult humor in some scenes, although most would go over young viewers heads. Like the scene where Bruce Willis is doing stand up and tells a tacky joke about sex, which is one of the more noticable examples. Otherwise, it's worth at least a rental if you have a light-hearted silly side and can relate to kids and their troubles. The celebrity cameos are very entertaining.
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Camp and Corn with Bruce Willis in a Bunny Suit
9 Jun 2003
You have to see this movie to see macho man Bruce Willis in a bunny suit. Beyond Bruce Willis, Elijah Wood plays North, a young boy whose parents live the yuppie stereotype. It seems they never have time for him, though he's every parent's "perfect child". Because North is so unhappy, he decides to find new parents. There is a small plot twist here that I leave the viewer to find for themselves. During North's travels he meets all sorts of strange people, including one relatively normal family.
Perhaps the strangest and funniest of North's potential parents are Dan Ackroyd and Reba McEntire as over-the-top Texans. Everything on their ranch is big, and everything they do has a sense of exaggeration about it. It's campy and funny and corny. North also gets to go to Hawaii and Alaska among a couple of other places. There was one place where I felt a bit uncomfortable during his stopover in Alaska, though, as Grandpa (Abe Vigoda) was getting set to sail off into the sunset. While there may be some truth in the custom, I felt the portrayal was a bit disturbing.
Some reviewers have faulted this movie as being terrible or awful. While this movie was unlikely to win any awards, Elijah's performance was good. Further, I felt that this movie was suitable for children. The reaction I've seen from children thus far has been positive.
Many adults will likely not appreciate this movie as there are too many clichés. Furthermore, some aspects of the movie have been previously done. Lastly, the corny way in which some vignettes are done can be distracting. However, you need to remember the source of the vignettes, and realize that the camp and corn are appropriate to the source. Enough said.
I thought the movie was interesting and watchable. Admittedly portions are weak, but I found a number of funny points. The first time I watched I wasn't paying as close attention, and lost how North transitioned from being in the mall to looking for new parents, and thus I lost part of the point. The second time I watched, the movie made much more sense and I understood why everything was so corny. Give this one a shot if you like children's movies.
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