Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #497 in VHS
• Released on: 1995-09-19
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of tapes: 1
• Running time: 87 minutes

Customer Reviews

THE SEARCH FOR THE PERFECT PARENTS...
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.

Camp and Corn with Bruce Willis in a Bunny Suit
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.

"North" definately goes in the right direction
"North" was a movie that came out in Summer 1994 and was the target of getting lost in the shuffle of big budget hits and was subject to extremely bad reviews. "North" is a fantasy which is fun for numerous repeated viewings (I went back several times to the theatre to see it again). Although it gets very unrealistic and quite silly at some points, there is a reason for it. Everything gets explained in the suprise ending. Elijah Wood is perfect, and fits in perfectly with Bruce Willis playing his co-star. If you're in the mood for something a little silly, try this delight. You should expect a fantasy to be somewhat ridiculous at times. The few silly parts will be explained in the suprise of an ending.