Hoot (2006) User Reviews

Plain and simple, a NICE movie

[BlackCat725 · 7/10 · 2 May 2006]

My family (two 40-somethings, an 8 year old and my 71 yr old mother) saw this at a sneak preview on April 29th. We all enjoyed the movie very much. The story was a good one, and knowing it was based on real-life events made it that much more enjoyable. Luke Wilson was a hoot (pun intended) to watch as was Tim Blake Nelson. And seeing Neil Flynn play something other than "the mean janitor from Scrubs" was nice. The kids in movie did well and I'm sure they will all appeal to a certain demographic on the heartthrob level. The visuals were just lovely and the Jimmy Buffet music added to the "Florida feel". OK, maybe the story was a little too neat and well packaged for some adults, but hey, who cares? I can't compare it to the book, I honestly hadn't heard of it until the movie came out.

It was just a NICE movie and it had a good message. Plain and simple.

Cute, lightweight movie that is entertaining if you are in the mood.

[TxMike · 17 September 2006]

Poor Roy Eberhardt, teenager, his parents' jobs require them to move often, so he never gets any stability in one location. The movie begins with them in the beautiful mountainous country of Montana. What would be the exact opposite? How about Florida?? Yep, they move to Florida, the Gulf Coast area not too far from Tampa. As Roy gets to know his new environment, he meets the big bully kid on the bus, and has to break his nose to get away. Out the bus window he sees a kid about his age running very fast with no shoes. And, he somehow befriends a no-nonsense girl named Beatrice.

Luke Wilson plays a hapless local cop, Officer David Delinko, but Wilson plays it with enough sympathy that we actually learn to like him. His heart is in the right place. Underrated actor Tim Blake Nelson is Curly Branitt, hired to guard a near future construction site for a new pancake house, the 100th in its chain. Manager Chuck Muckle is determined to get that feather in his cap, the 100th one.

The problem is, the land set aside is also habitat for a ground dwelling owl (I don't even know if those exist, but no matter...) and building the new pancake house would be the death of them. So much of the movie is Roy, Beatrice, and Mullet Fingers doing things on the sly to prevent the dozers from beginning construction.

Brie Larson was only 15 and not well-known, she is Beatrice who becomes a friend of Roy's and helps thwart the illegal construction project.

Robert Wagner has a token appearance as Mayor Grandy. Jimmy Buffett, who was a producer, wrote some of the songs, also has a good part as teacher Mr. Ryan. I don't know Buffett, and didn't realize at first it was him, but was impressed with his natural acting manner.

SPOILERS. As the teenagers begin to learn more about the construction project, they follow the paper trail. Specifically, they wonder how the environmental impact was overlooked. They found it wasn't, and the company was hiding the fact that owls were threatened. Straightening that out just in time, the location was spared and 3 teens were new best friends.

Update: November 2023 - My wife and I watched it again, on DVD from our public library. Just a nicely entertaining movie with no shootings, no sex, and no R-rated language.

Hoot is a good family film

[marc-262 · 8/10 · 4 May 2006]

It is great to see a film starring kids whose idea of "acting adult" is not engaging in sensuality. Instead, these kids see a problem in their community and take responsibility for helping to solve it. Hoot is a film aimed squarely at families looking for a fun day at the cinema. The production values are good, especially sweeping shots of Montana and Florida. The soundtrack by Jimmy Buffet is a perfect fit. The young actors are spirited and refreshing.

The plot, about a trio of kids who work together to save some burrowing owls from death at the hands of an unscrupulous pancake house empire builder, will engage kids. So many films make children appear powerless, it is nice to see a movie that shows children working hard to make a difference. And even though parents are absent or temporarily distracted, it was pleasant to see kids who want to follow in their parents footsteps and try to right injustices.

If you are tired of all of the self-indulgent story lines about children that fill the cinema, give Hoot a shot. Then take some time to talk to your kids about the adventure of serving others and caring about the world they live in. A positive message from a positive film.

The film has lots of humor, and a message of saving the environment

[the-movie-guy · 6/10 · 2 May 2006]

(Synopsis) Roy Eberhardt (Logan Lerman) is a teenager who loves living in the wide open spaces and mountains of Montana. Unfortunately for him, his father's job is forcing him to move once again, this time to a small town in Florida. As the new kid in school, Roy has the usual encounter with the school bully on the bus. While riding on the bus, Roy is also intrigued by a teenage boy who was running like the wind and passed the bus in his bare feet. The next day, Roy gets off the bus and tries to catch him, but loses him at the golf course. Roy eventually meets the boy, known as Mullet Fingers (Cody Linley). Mullet Fingers is a runaway living on an abandoned boat near the golf course and a vacant lot that is about to have a pancake house built on it. All by himself, Mullet Fingers has taken up the cause of protecting the burrow owls that are nesting on the vacant lot. If a pancake house is built on the lot, it will destroy the habitat of the burrow owls. Roy joins forces with Mullet Fingers and his sister Beatrice (Brie Larson) to save the owls.

(My Comment) This is one movie the whole family can see. The story is entertaining and heart-warming for all ages. You will love the music of Jimmy Buffett that was played throughout the movie. Jimmy Buffett produced and played a small part as the marine science teacher. This is a pro-environmental film that shows what can be accomplished by three teenagers using the act of civil disobedience. The film has lots of humor, and a message of saving the environment and some beautiful cinematography of Montana and Florida. And of course, don't forget the owls. (New Line Cinema, Run time 1:30, Rated PG)(6/10)

Hardly a Hoot.

[anaconda-40658 · 3/10 · 9 June 2015]

Hoot (2006): Dir: Wil Shriner / Cast: Logan Lerman, Brie Larson, Luke Wilson, Tim Blake Nelson, Cody Linley: Misfiring family film about serving a cause. After being moved several times, the new kid now resides in Florida where he is bullied but eventually he teams with two independent teenagers in their struggle to save ground owls from a construction site. From the makers of Holes yet lacking the intelligence and wit of that wonderful film. Setup is rushed and structure contains a pointless subplot regarding a school bully. Director Wil Shriner does his best but even the ending is ridiculous with a foolish standoff that would seem laughable in within the maddest of slapstick comedies. Luke Wilson does his best as a rookie cop but the role is cardboard. He is the standard cop often seen in these films that is expected to do little but ends up solving the case. Logan Lerman and Brie Larson play two of the teenagers whose actions are far from believable. Tim Blake Nelson plays an idiot who manages the site for construction. Cody Linley plays Larson's ambitious stepbrother who also has a knack for being on the opposite end of the law when attempting a statement. Great message about endangered wildlife and other issues taken for granted. Regretfully it is reduced to stupidity with its misplaced humour and a script should have been placed in one of those owl holes and buried. Score: 3 / 10

a refreshing change

[gpazan · 10/10 · 20 May 2006]

what a refreshing change from the PG movies that have teen girls jumping in and out of bed, young high school boys counting how many girls they can "hook up" with, kids drinking, doing drugs, etc., etc., etc. Carl Hiaasen has written so many books that are enjoyable but hardly classic literature. but he has finally written something that Middle School kids WANT to read. And this movie sends a message to kids that maybe they can make a difference, that maybe their voices can be heard. Filmed in South Florida, the scenery is beautiful and natural and REAL. Who cares if its predictable, and a little corny. So was FREE WILLY and look how well that did. This is a good family movie..........a rare breed.

Very nice family film

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 3 September 2010]

I am not going to lie and say Hoot is the best family film I have seen, but I am going to say I actually rather liked it. True, the pacing is a little too slow at times, the story perhaps a little predictable and some of the characters are rather clichéd particularly the bully. However, Hoot is beautifully photographed with lovely scenery and the cinematography was very nice. The soundtrack was a pleasant touch and had a somewhat nostalgic feel to it, while the dialogue is humorous and has some sweet parts too, the message is admirable and the direction is above-adequate. And the acting was good on the whole, Logan Lerman is an appealing lead and Brie Larson while petite is alluring and likable enough, while Tim Blake Nelson does a very good job with his role as does Luke Wilson. Overall, very nice and likable, nothing outstanding but it's not awful either. 7/10 Bethany Cox

For a first time producer, I thought Jimmy Buffett put together a quality piece of work

[Movieguy_blogs_com · 8/10 · 28 April 2006]

In 'Hoot' Logan Lerman plays Roy Eberhardt, the new kid in school who has just moved from Montana. But Florida is a lot different from Montana. Despite is troubles in blending in, Roy discovers a bigger problem. A new franchise restaurant is coming to town and families of burrowing owls are in trouble. Can the new kid, a tomboy (Brie Larson) and a runaway (Cody Linley) stop big business from destroying these owls' home?

This movie was pretty good. The kids (Logan Lerman, Brie Larson and Cody Linley) are the real stars of this film. Luke Wilson (Officer Delinko) is okay, but really does not have a very big part. Neither does Robert Wagner (Mayor) or Jimmy Buffett (Mr. Ryan).

Nevertheless this was a fun film that the whole family will enjoy. For a first time producer, I thought Jimmy Buffett put together a quality piece of work. Plus the owls were really cute.

actually kinda good?

[BigDaddy4000 · 6/10 · 18 February 2021]

I wasnt expecting this movie to be decent, the only reason why i watched it all was for the nostalgia value from when i watched this as a kid, but surprisingly this was actually kinda decent. its really wholesome but not overly corny, most "save the environment" flicks end up being waaay too cheezy but you can tell this one tried its best to be as realistic as possible with its message and not talk down to its audience. now dont get me wrong this movie does have its fair share of problems, a lot of the acting preformances werent great, some actors were trying, others werent. theres quite a few conveniences in the script and some of the characters are kinda flat. but overall this was better than i was expecting, it wasnt a great movie by any means but it was a lot more decent than i thought it would be. probably not a movie i would recommend watching but it was still decent for what its worth

A little adventure to pacify youngsters.

[michaelRokeefe · 3/10 · 27 November 2014]

Based on a book by Carl Hiaasen, three middle-schoolers pit wits with corrupt politicians, money hungry real estate developers and some local not-too sharp cops. Roy(Logan Lerman)is the new kid in school, moving from Montana to Florida. Roy meets Beatrice(Brie Larson), kind of a tough girl, but really worth knowing. She is trying to help a boy that is going shoeless. Upon following this barefoot boy, they find he may be involved with vandalism at a construction site. When the small group, now friends, discover a burrow of hoot owls being threatened by the new construction crew, it is time to declare war against the people who should know better.

The cast includes: Luke Wilson, Tim Blake Nelson, Neil Flynn, Jimmy Buffett, Jessica Cauffel and Robert Wagner.

Soundtrack includes: "Floridays" and "Good Guys Win" by Buffett. Along with "Barefootin'" by Alan Jackson with Buffett.

Great family movie, strong Florida Ecology Message.

[nethoppers · 10/10 · 7 May 2006]

If you read the book by Carl Hiaasen, the movie follows pretty much true to form, with a few minor changes for Hollywood. In my opinion this is a great family movie. Luke Wilson (Officer Delinko)pretty well steals the show from an all-star cast that includes Robert Wagner and Jimmy Buffet. The kids in the movie do a great job led by Logan Lerman, Brie Larson, and Cody Linley.

Brie Larson is maybe a little too petite to play Beatrice. I pictured a bigger girl, maybe 6 foot, 175 lbs, in the role of Beatrice. This might have made her more believable in her role of beating up Dana. They should have developed her "tough girl" character more, and had her bite through a tire, or kick a soccer ball through a person. She is very pretty, and I understand why she was cast, she is a box office attraction.

This is about as PG as a movie gets these days, no sex, and very little violence. This movie is a parents'dream come true, a movie with a strong environmental message, with kids that have deep appreciation for the beauty of Florida and its wildlife. It shows how adults have fallen short in the stewardship of our planet, and that our children can demand better. One of my favorite lines in the movie is when Mullet Fingers says, "Florida could use some mountains like Montana. Florida is so flat there is nothing to stop developers from clearing it coast to coast". Also, the photography of Florida wildlife spoke volumes without dialog. As a family movie with kids ages 5-15, this is a great movie! As a bonus parents' will be entertained, especially if they're "parrotheads".

Pleasant family movie... With good goal and shady methods :)

[BeneCumb · 7/10 · 22 February 2013]

True, the plot is hectic and some elements could have been avoided (e.g. the bullying kid related ones), but elaborated characters and good performances (leading with Logan Lerman as Roy E. Eberhardt, Luke Wilson as Officer David Delinko, Tim Blake Nelson as "Curly" Brannit, Clark Gregg as Chuck Muckle, above all) make this movie rather catchy to follow - and more attention and praise. The protection of nature, particularly endangered species is so important that respective schooling should be started as early as possible. On the other hand, running away from a policeman and binding up a person could induce ambivalent feelings...

I can easily recommend the movie to families with schoolchildren, especially those living in urban areas. For those who find Hoot dull and plain: there are several different environmentally focused movies, On Deadly Ground with Steven Seagal, for example :)

PS Logan Lerman has really become a magnificent young actor, The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) is an evident demonstration of this!

Good clean fun for the young or young at heart

[wrlang · 9/10 · 26 August 2006]

Hoot is a nice young person's film about a group of middle school kids that try and keep a pancake house chain from bulldozing a plot of land that is home to some endangered burrowing owls. The acting is pretty good and the fresh faces are nice to see. Many well known comedians are in this film and keep the humor going almost nonstop. It is a film for the young crowd, perhaps 5 to 11 years of age. I thought it was a nice change of pace from the adult films that pervade the screen these days. There is no realism here or accuracy about life in general for adults or kids. It's just a bunch of fun with a constant message about saving the beautiful places in this country from becoming over developed. If you can remember back to the day when you weren't fight for a buck you may remember that money isn't everything. Not many people over 12 are going to enjoy it unless they really have a soft spot for the old after school special series.

terrible

[donavanman1969 · 1/10 · 12 June 2010]

Terrible, terrible movie. Not that the thought behind it was terrible, but the execution was. Yes, kids might like it, but if a grown-up subjects him or herself to this farcical, poorly written, and pitifully acted Movie then you should be looked after in a nice nursing home in years to come.I found a few things to like..um..the kids had a common goal (chasing off the greedy profit-driven corporation..teamwork--working with a hodgepodge of folks usually outside their social caste. But let's be honest, the teenage kid who is "neglected" or "misunderstood" by his parents is pretty lame material. Then pair him up with the "bad boy" and cute little girl and worry about plot development later. 13 year olds breaking into government buildings, vandalizing private property and being lauded as heroes is not cool to most parents. So..the movie just stunk. Watch at your own peril.

Against all odds, three kids take it into their hands to make a change for the better.

[fam143 · 10/10 · 5 May 2006]

I took my younger niece to an early showing and she LOVED it (I enjoyed it myself as well). I don't need to explain the plot, since the movie remains completely true to the award-winning, top-selling book by famed author Carl Hiaasen. The movie takes the popular book and layers it with beautiful cinematography (I want to go to Florida now!), humor (thanks to funny-man, Luke Wilson and some new-comers), and Great music! I have to get to get a Jimmy Buffet CD now! I know a movie is good when I get goose-bumps in the end. Overall, it was great family film that I felt comfortable taking my younger niece to. I'd recommend it to any and everyone.

Good old-fashioned Disney fun for the whole family.

[Carycomic · 10/10 · 7 May 2006]

Logan Lerman plays Roy Eberhart, the son and only child of a Justice Department official who's been transferred six times over the last ten years. And, for Roy, Cocoanut Cove, Florida, definitely doesn't seem like a case of "saving the best-for-last."

But, he changes his mind after meeting Beatrice "the Bear" (a pre-teen Amazon who plays soccer), and her eco-activist stepbrother. A barefoot speed demon nicknamed "Mullet Fingers," for his manual fishing skills.

The three of them team up to thwart a greedy restaurant executive, who's out to win a much-coveted promotion at the expense of some Federally-protected burrowing owls. And, the Marx Brotherly way they go about it provides many of the charming laughs for this movie.

How they save the day provides a nice environmental moral to this story. Without being overly-preachy about it!

In short, HOOT lives up to its name. And, one more thing. The marine biology teacher is Jimmy Buffett; the office flunkie who interrupts Muckle's argument with "Mother Paula" is Carl Hiaasen; and the file clerk at city hall is Kin Shriner (the director's brother from GENERAL HOSPITAL).

review of Hoot

[DanaWarren · 8/10 · 1 June 2006]

I took a group of young people who were the same age as the protagonists and it appealed to us all. I agree with the other post, the Wilson guy worked a thankless script into a great minor character. It is good to have a movie for a certain age demographic (too old for PG, too young for R). It also shows how they think and maneuver in junior high school. You had to love how well Jimmy Buffet did as the cool teacher. He kept us adults awake. The level of kids questioning authority was kept reasonable. Their motives were specific and not like some A.D.D. rebel. The setting and music were beautiful. Overall, if you enjoyed Holes, this is really similar.

Those damn developers are ruining Florida

[lastliberal · 7/10 · 5 April 2007]

The message was plain and simple; Florida is flat and they will bulldoze it until they have cleared it coast to coast and there is no room left for the wildlife. They have bought all the politicians and they are tearing the state up little by little.

This isn't an Oscar winning film, but it is a good story and it had some good characters. I mean, I would have loved to go to science class taught by Jimmy Buffet.

Logan Lerman (The Patriot) as Roy did an excellent job, and Brie Larson was cute as a button. And, we even got to see Carl Hiassen, the writer and one cool dude.

If you care at all about the environment, then you should have your kids see this. maybe they will get inspired to do something before there is nothing left.

A Good Movie with a Good Message!

[g-bodyl · 9/10 · 9 July 2008]

Hoot is a nice plain movie with a simple message. It seemed like that this film was for young children, but I know that adults will like this film. The storyline is pretty simple. A kid who moved to Florida must help a soccer jock and an outcast save burrowing owls from construction of a pancake house. The message in this film is big especially for animal activists and lovers. The message is about doing all you can to save endangered animals. The acting in this film is decent. All the three kids looked like they had good chemistry. The music is not too shabby. I liked Jimmy Buffet's songs in this film. Overall this is a good family film. I rate this film a 9/10.

Nice movie!

[Vic_max · 6/10 · 17 May 2007]

This movie was pretty good. It had a nice upbeat tone throughout and was a pleasant experience to watch.

It's about a kid who moves to Florida and, in addition to being hassled as the 'new kid' at school, gets involved with learning the about the mysterious "barefoot kid" and some little critters in need of help.

What keeps this movie moving along are two things. One is great acting performances by Logan Lerman (lead role), Brie Larson (scary tough girl) and Luke Wilson (police officer). The other is the intrigue level the story maintains by slowly revealing things about the characters and the story.

All in all, this is a pretty nice, well-made, upbeat movie that just can appeal to both kids and adults.

Lets give an enjoyable Hoot

[DarkVulcan29 · 9/10 · 13 July 2006]

The story is incredible, it begins with a new kid in town named Roy, while on the bus to school, he notices a kid running with no shoes, and on that same day he breaks the big bullies nose who is trying to fight with him. Roy soon discovers that kid is a runaway, and he and his step sister are trying to mess a construction sight, that could kill all the beautiful owls that live there. Roy decides to help them him there fight, Can they win this fight before the smart but bumbling cop Dave Delinko(Luke Wilson) Stumbles on to them. An enjoyable film, funny and adventurous. I do admire Luke Wilson for taking this role. I don't think his brother Owen would even take this role.

Execrable Disney do-gooder with inept teenagers...

[moonspinner55 · 1/10 · 12 January 2010]

Watching Disney's "Hoot", based on Carl Hiaasen's young adult novel, one's mind begins to wander early in the proceedings, conjuring up images of the casting process wherein presumably thousands of juvenile actors auditioned for the leading roles. If true, how then did they come up with the utterly talentless kid-performers seen here? Casting agents in Hollywood seem to be perpetually out-of-touch with reality; they overload films like "Hoot" with unnatural, exasperating, self-conscious young people who act as if they were being assigned the next sequel to "Home Alone". Eyeball-rolling high schooler, moved from Montana to Florida (an excuse to give us a nifty travelogue credits sequence!), is immediately picked on by bullies but fights back. His success gives him the courage (I presume) to track down a Tarzan-like older kid who runs like the wind and lives in the foliage just outside the country club; together, the two boys hope to save endangered owls who are burrowing on land designated for a new pancake restaurant. The picture is a series of bad ideas, misconceived sequences, and hopeless attempts at comedy while offering us a plastic kind of youthful conviction which was already molding over as far back as the 1950s. NO STARS from ****

A new kid is school becomes friends with two kids who are trying to stop construction of a pancake house that will destroy the homes of 18 owls.

[lakewoodoh2002 · 7/10 · 29 April 2006]

It's a kids movie. I saw it a week early. If you're over 15, you will think it's a dumb movie. It's sort of like the thinking in 1971 when "Billy Jack" came out. I saw it again in 1975, and thought, "What a piece of crap." Anyway, it's a nice thought -- protecting the owls -- but the problem I have with the movie is that too much of it is illogical. While he is getting bullied, the main character sees another kid running barefoot. So he immediately thinks the barefoot kid is somehow connected to the vandalism that's taking place at the construction site. He immediately becomes friends with the girl, who had threatened him. She then tells her life story to him. Jimmy Buffett, as a teacher on the first day of school, is teaching a college course to a bunch of seventh-graders. A hospital begins treatment of the barefoot kid without bothering to contact his parents. A policeman just walks into a classroom without bother to contact the office. My son liked it. I didn't hate it. But I've seen better.

Luke Wilson or Luke Perry?

[freakfire-1 · 2/10 · 24 March 2008]

I will give it this: it tried. It did try to make it good and even got Luke Wilson involved. Luke Wilson is good, but he can only do so much. He can't make up for the fact that the story was very flawed and the characters were underdeveloped.

The running "gag" with the bully was asinine. He was never funny and I got tired of the gag really fast. And the barefooted kid bit was kind of weak too. He hitchhiked to Florida? Yeah OK.

The movie felt like an average kiddie film at times with this underlining mantra: adults stupid, kids smart. And that bit gets tiresome.

But the only moments that were funny was the police cart Wilson drove around when he lost his squad car. I loved that little cart, especially when Wilson turned on the sirens. But, other than that, nothing else was worth my time. "D-"

Saving The Owls

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 1 April 2010]

Hoot is a pleasant and innocuous comedy about a trio of teens who save an owl nesting place from being bulldozed to make way for a fast food type pancake house. As if Florida didn't already have enough of them.

The teens are Logan Lerman, Brie Larson, and Cody Linley. The characters seem to be borrowed from Tom Sawyer, Becky Thatcher, and Huck Finn. Well if the Magic Kingdom is going to borrow, borrowing from someone like Mark Twain is certainly a good idea.

Lerman is a new kid in town who because of that becomes the target of the school bully. But when he's not dealing with that or when Ms. Larson isn't dealing with Eric Phillips the bully, he's gotten himself in their crusade to save some owls who have nested on the property the corporation wants to build on. This is by no means a new theme for Disney, as far back as Cesar Romero and Keenan Wynn played tycoons whose only interest is making money no matter what the cost.

I like what Cody Linley did with his role. He's the barefoot kid just like Huckleberry Finn along the Mississippi only here its the sands of the Florida beaches.

Hoot is nothing terribly special, but it is a pleasant 90 minutes viewing.