Good Copies of Underrated Gem

Posted by Paul Klinger on Jul 16th 2016

This little seen film flopped in 1993 at least partly due to its release when "Jurassic Park" came out, and marketing it to the wrong audience. While it is almost entirely about 2 children, it is not a film children under about 12 are likely to enjoy. The story is very complicated. It is almost entirely built on dialog, and spoken quietly. It is very sad in parts, and has only a little action, and those are the weakest scenes, especially when Sam is driving a car. The tagline "Why run away from home when you can drive?" is very misleading. The film has multiple themes. It is about the pain of blended families; It is about the humiliation non athletic boys face, especially nerdy ones. It is about sibling rivalry. It is about parents who are more interested in their love lives than the children they produce. It also illustrates what happens when you tell lies so well that when you try to tell the truth, no one believes you. And all these are about lack of sensitivity. I, now 75, but in my early 50's when this film came out, have watched it alone and with dozens others over 30 times at least. It requires careful attention, and is not a comedy, though it has some funny moments. Thomas Newman's score is wonderful, but requires repeated hearing. The film's budget was 18 million and it only made about 2 back when released.