Sick of the neglect he receives from his mom and dad, a young boy leaves home and travels the world in search of new parents.Sick of the neglect he receives from his mom and dad, a young boy leaves home and travels the world in search of new parents.Sick of the neglect he receives from his mom and dad, a young boy leaves home and travels the world in search of new parents.
IMDb RATING
4.5/10
14K
YOUR RATING
- Director
- Writers
- Alan Zweibel(novel)
- Andrew Scheinman(screenplay)
- Stars
Top credits
- Director
- Writers
- Alan Zweibel(novel)
- Andrew Scheinman(screenplay)
- Stars
- See more at IMDbPro
- Awards
- 4 wins & 9 nominations
Videos2
- Director
- Writers
- Alan Zweibel(novel) (screenplay)
- Andrew Scheinman(screenplay)
- All cast & crew
Storyline
Eleven-year-old North has had it with his parents. They are always busy with their careers and don't give North the attention he needs, so he files a lawsuit against them. The judge rules that North should either find new parents or return to his own parents within two months. Thus North starts off on a hilarious journey around the world to find the parents that really care about him. —Peter Huiskes <huiskes@westbrabant.net>
- Taglines
- North's hopping mad with his parents, and now he's off on a world wide adventure!
- Genres
- Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
- Rated PG for a few words
- Parents guide
Did you know
- TriviaAt the time of its release, Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel considered this to be one of the worst films they'd ever reviewed. Ebert wrote, "I hated this movie. Hated hated hated hated hated this movie. Hated it. Hated every simpering stupid vacant audience-insulting moment of it. Hated the sensibility that thought anyone would like it. Hated the implied insult to the audience by its belief that anyone would be entertained by it." The pair later reviewed it on their television show, where Ebert went on to say that the movie made him "cringe... just sitting here thinking about it." Gene Siskel characterized it as "junk" and said that it made him feel "unclean." The clip of their review would go on to become a popular Internet meme associated with bad movie reviews. When Rob Reiner was roasted at the New York Friar's Club, Richard Belzer asked him to read Ebert's review, Reiner did so, then joked "if you read between the lines, [the review] isn't really that bad." Screenwriter Alan Zweibel keeps a clipping of the review in his wallet, sometimes reading it at public appearances. Ebert's review eventually became so notorious (arguably more so than the film itself) that he later released a collection of negative reviews titled "I Hated, Hated, Hated This Movie."
- GoofsWhen the lawyer, Arthur Bell, meets North for the first time on the street, he hands North his card and promptly takes it back. In the next shot, North is still holding the card. At that point, Mr. Bell reaches to shake North's hand (which is still holding the card) and in the next shot the card disappears again.
- Quotes
Joey Fingers: A bird in the hand is always greener than the grass under the other guy's bushes. It's a metaphor used by gardeners and landscaping people in general.
- SoundtracksIf I Were a Rich Man
From Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick
Performed by Elijah Wood
Top review
Not for Kids, Not for Adults
NOTE: Some of you may be offended by the language in this review. If you are, DO NOT see the movie. All the language here is taken directly from the movie.
Roger Ebert "hated, hated, hated" this movie, and while I wouldn't go as far as to say that, this certainly ranks as the worst (by far) Elijah Wood movie on record. The quality of such an actor as Wood or Bruce Willis can't overcome the fact that "North" has absolutely no idea what kind of movie it wants to be.
At first glance, "North" seems to be a kids movie. The plot, in which the title character searches for the ideal parents, is a child's dream. The main characters (except Willis' "guardian angel" role) are either kids or stupid. The message is a simple one about what constitutes a true family, and only a child would be unable to determine the exact outcome within the first thirty minutes of the film. "North" feels like a live-action Saturday morning cartoon.
But do kids movies have sex jokes? Do kids movies talk about men having blood in their stool or boys balls sticking to their legs in hot weather? Do kids movies have children utter words like "asshole"? Do kids movies have the main character apparently get shot in the head? It's one thing to have elements that will appeal to adults, but those elements shouldn't force parents to cover their kids' ears.
North is a bad movie. Parents (and everyone else) be warned.
Grade D- (a few good jokes and the always lovable Wood, but this is a movie that never should have been made)
Roger Ebert "hated, hated, hated" this movie, and while I wouldn't go as far as to say that, this certainly ranks as the worst (by far) Elijah Wood movie on record. The quality of such an actor as Wood or Bruce Willis can't overcome the fact that "North" has absolutely no idea what kind of movie it wants to be.
At first glance, "North" seems to be a kids movie. The plot, in which the title character searches for the ideal parents, is a child's dream. The main characters (except Willis' "guardian angel" role) are either kids or stupid. The message is a simple one about what constitutes a true family, and only a child would be unable to determine the exact outcome within the first thirty minutes of the film. "North" feels like a live-action Saturday morning cartoon.
But do kids movies have sex jokes? Do kids movies talk about men having blood in their stool or boys balls sticking to their legs in hot weather? Do kids movies have children utter words like "asshole"? Do kids movies have the main character apparently get shot in the head? It's one thing to have elements that will appeal to adults, but those elements shouldn't force parents to cover their kids' ears.
North is a bad movie. Parents (and everyone else) be warned.
Grade D- (a few good jokes and the always lovable Wood, but this is a movie that never should have been made)
helpful•4536
- RestlessRust
- Feb 18, 2003
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Norte
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $40,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $7,182,747
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $3,036,050
- Jul 24, 1994
- Gross worldwide
- $7,182,747
- Runtime
- 1h 27min
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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