Fiona says: The film opens at a fancy dress party with Karen Powell leading a conga line dressed as Dorothy complete with her little red shoes. Sitting at a table nearby are two rather large and very unnattractive fairies who make bitchy comments about how fat Karen is looking. Suddenly Karen clutches her, practically non-existant, tummy and doubles over in pain. Anxious husband -dressed as the tin man- and a couple of friends rush her to the hospital where it appears that she is in labour. This is cause for concern as she is only 10 weeks pregnant. However, much to everyones relief and amazement she gives birth to a full term baby boy. Thus arrives Jack.

10 years later local children stand outside the house whispering about the "Freak who lives in there". Finally we meet Jack as played by Robin Williams. For the first few minutes I found it quite hard to accept this big person as a little boy but as Robin Williams performance became more self assured I forgot that I was watching the man who did stand up live at Madison Square Gardens and played Dr. Oliver Sachs in Awakenings. He plays the part of the 10 year old boy as though he is still 10 years old himself. All those dreadful things that 10 year olds are capable of seem to come easily to him. The untied shoelaces, the gangling running about everywhere, the refusal to eat certain foods because they are not nice even if they are good for you and the ability to turn the tears on and off at will.

The local children won't accept Jack at first because they refuse to believe that someone in a grown up body could actually be a child himself. However all is sorted when Jack is invited to join in a basketball game, mainly due the fact that he is taller than the roughy, toughy types on the opposing team. A bit cliched but it works. There are some very moving scenes when Jack begins to realise that he can't do everything that the other children can do because he is ageing so much faster than them. Nevertheless the film is extremely funny in places and just very amusing in others. I couldn't see the point though in getting a cross between Marisa Tomei and Laura San Giacomo to play the part of Louis's (Jack's best friend) mother. Why not approach one or other of these actresses instead?

Finally I would have to say that I think this is a very strange direction for director Francis Ford Coppola to have taken. Not that I don't think he did a good job. I just think he's better at the more grown up stuff. Still, at least there are no horses heads or vampires to worry about in this. Take some hankies with you and just be entertained by this very pleasant film which won't offend anyone. Unless you're a moron or someone visiting us from another planet!

Fiona gives it:

last updated: 17th October 1996