North (1994)

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.

Director:

Rob Reiner

Writers:

Alan Zweibel (novel), Alan Zweibel (screenplay)

Stars:

Elijah Wood, Bruce Willis, Jason Alexander

4 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Elijah Wood	...	North
Jason Alexander	...	North's Dad
Julia Louis-Dreyfus	...	North's Mom
Marc Shaiman	...	Piano Player
Jussie Smollett	...	Adam
Taylor Fry	...	Zoe
Alana Austin	...	Sarah
Peg Shirley	...	Teacher
Chuck Cooper	...	Umpire
Alan Zweibel	...	Coach
Donavon Dietz	...	Assistant Coach
Teddy Bergman	...	Teammate
Michael Cipriani	...	Teammate
Joran Corneal	...	Teammate
Joshua Kaplan	...	Teammate

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.

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Plot Keywords:

voice over narration | video games in office | child protagonist | divorce | based on novel | 

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Taglines:

North's hopping mad with his parents, and now he's off on a world wide adventure!

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Family | Fantasy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for a few words

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 July 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

North

Filming Locations:

West Caldwell, New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,036,050, 24 July 1994

Gross USA:

$7,182,747

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$7,182,747

Company Credits

Production Co:

Castle Rock Entertainment, Columbia Pictures, New Line Cinema

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The cast includes two Oscar winners-- (Alan Arkin and Kathy Bates)--and three Oscar nominees: (Dan Aykroyd, Graham Greene, and Marc Shaiman).

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Goofs

When North's Alaskan family is walking their grandfather to the shore, the ceiling of the studio the scene is filmed in is visible.

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Quotes

Federal Express Truck Driver: If you absolutely, positively have to get home by tomorrow morning, you've come to the right truck.

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Connections

References Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988)

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Soundtracks

Fine and Dandy
by Kay Swift and Paul James

User Reviews

A perfect example of Expressionist film, delightful

Those who argue that North is sexually pornographic or unrealistic or lame don't seem to get the point and present arguments that just sound unfounded and absurd. I really think some people use these film comments as an excuse to vent their frustrations at their spouse or their boss through their ridiculous tirades. I'll try to present an intelligent and useful opinion of this fantastic movie.

Cherubic at 11-ish, Elijah Wood delivers an astounding performance for an actor of his age as North, a model child who doesn't like his parents, not because they "don't let him do everything he wants to," as one reviewer wrote, but because they're negligent and self-absorbed (I believe there is a difference). He wins at court, not because this is a political drama, but because this is a FANTASY. It's a perfect example of Expressionist film: An Everyman character with a journey, a quest to prove something, including a character that represents guidance and purity of thought and mind, with a resolution and a moral. See this film for what it is people. It is a FABLE, the fact that the revolution is led by kids is just a symbol. It could be dogs or infants for that matter. It's not even a fable about negligent parents or abused children, it's about finding out who you are and where you belong. Honestly, it even has spiritual overtones to it.

Bruce Willis I find does his best work opposite kids (check out the Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Mercury Rising, the list goes on). The supporting cast as the alternate as well as the original families are top-notch. I particularly enjoyed Jason Alexander, Jon Lovitz, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Reba McEntire's performances.

What confuses me is how Siskel and Ebert could rate this the worst film of 1994, with its brilliant script, stellar cast and incredible look and feel. I usually agreed with their reviews (that is, until Roeper came along). So see this movie, try not to be overly-intellectual, like I know many people love to be, and try to actually learn something rather than be constantly entertained, although North does both. I strongly recommend this for parents and children alike. The BRIEF language is somewhat offensive, so parents can use discretion if they must.

11/10.