A Buena Vista release. Walt Disney Pictures. Produced by Jon Turteltaub, Christina Steinberg, Hunt Lowry; Executive produced by Arnold Rifkin, David Willis; Written by Audrey Wells; Directed by Jon Turteltaub.
Opens July 7, 2000
Bruce Willis plays a smug image consultant who has a pretty lousy image himself. At least, that's according to the kid who shows up in his life: After all, he's 40, not married and doesn't even have a dog.
An amiable and fun-spirited comedy about a middle-aged workaholic who literally rediscovers his inner child, The Kid blends comedy with the supernatural. Anyone with a kid still in them will warm to this pleasing, old-style Disney fun.
In this smart send-up of yuppie lifestyles, David (Bruce Willis) has crafted such a successful self-image that he doesn't realize what a loser he is deep down. He's an over-achieving, over-compensating prig, who has channeled his neuroses and energies into a prosperous career as an L.A. image consultant. Smartly tapped into the deep pockets of the vanity capital of the world, David tools around tinsel town in an obnoxious Porsche, wears power-silk ties, and has a headset permanently attached to his crown. His snide, supercilious manner and passive/aggressive patter keep people at bay, and himself safely bunkered in this trophy hut of glass, steel, and concrete. If you're an old enough Kid to remember the Beatles' Fool on a Hill you already know this guy.
David's professional life is soaring off the success chart, but his personal life is going straight down the toilet until one night when a roly-poly, eight-year -old kid (Spencer Breslin) pops into David's world (this guy is certainly no Dave). It turns out the mystery kid is none other than David as an eight-year old, a turning point in his boyhood life when he resolved to become a success and show everyone. Seeing the kid brings back painful childhood memories, remembrances that David has long strived to wipe out: In the kid, David sees an awkward, pudgy, but loveable human being. The self-reflection begins to take shape for David - he comes to realize that although he has overcome the awkwardness and the weight, he's lost his endearing essence.
Although such a premise - getting in touch with the child within you - sounds like talkshow babble, it's engagingly and smartly rolled out here. Neither cloying nor preachy, The Kid combines smart character insights with goofy fun. Without descending into the Oprah zone, screenwriter Audrey Wells has nimbly laid out a sparkling and downright funny lesson-in-life. Best, Well's deft scripting never wallows in saccharine excess or gets bogged down in overly intricate plot explanations, or the mechanics of the supernatural/comic premise. It's braced with some delightful, tart comedic volleys, especially from David's acerbic secretary (Lily Tomlin) whose straightforward manner and pithy delivery pack psychological perspective. Also rounding out the cast is the utterly sympathetic character of David's longtime employee/on-and-off girlfriend, endearingly played by Emily Mortimer, and clue-ing us to what David is truly missing out on in life.
In the best senses, The Kid is a youthful and happy movie, a comic spoonful of life lessons that goes down in an easy and tasty way, topped off with Willis' savvy performance as the mis-directed consultant. Willis' breezy manner and brash arrogance are nicely melded; although David comes across as conflicted and pompous, we see the inner goodness and charm that he has largely suppressed. As the kid, Spencer Breslin is a huggable delight, a wondrous puddle of fears, hopes and strengths
Director Jon Turteltaub raises The Kid with just the right mix of humor and heart. He keeps the pace brisk and light, and fleshes out the comedy and characters with some droll visual touches. The set and costume design are both telling and funny: You'd have to venture