Product Details

• Actors: Bruce Willis, Spencer Breslin, Emily Mortimer, Lily Tomlin, Jean Smart
• Directors: Jon Turteltaub
• Writers: Audrey Wells
• Producers: Jon Turteltaub, Arnold Rifkin, Bill Johnson, Christina Steinberg, David Willis
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Walt Disney Video
• VHS Release Date: January 23, 2001
• Run Time: 104 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (107 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000053VF2
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #369,320 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential video

Russ Duritz (Bruce Willis) is an ultracynical, 40-year-old L.A. image consultant who fashions bogus façades for scumbag clients. Oblivious to his own need for a makeover, he's a tyrant in the office (to the chagrin of his sarcastic assistant, played to perfection by Lily Tomlin), and he's emotionally unavailable to the morally centered woman (Emily Mortimer) who senses goodness beneath Russ's hardened veneer. Not a moment too soon, a pudgy kid (Spencer Breslin) mysteriously appears in Russ's life, revealing himself to be Rusty Duritz--that is, Russ's 8-year-old self, arriving by some magic to put the adult Russ's life into beneficial perspective. This variation on A Christmas Carol has Rusty guiding Russ on a tour of his past to reveal how he became a loveless, hard-shelled loser. It takes a bit of smarmy chicken-soup psychology to explain it all, but The Kid is an otherwise charming and involving fantasy, suggesting that perhaps we'd all benefit from a bit of counseling by our younger selves. Written with admirable restraint by Audrey Wells (who brought a similar appeal to The Truth About Cats and Dogs) and directed by Jon Turteltaub (Cool Runnings), the movie doesn't force its supernatural elements or attempt to explain Rusty's existence. It's just a fable for our modern age and a reminder to embrace the better angels of our nature. Delivered with an easy blend of humor and sentiment, that message makes The Kid an unexpected pleasure. (Look closely for Matthew Perry as Willis's shaggy-haired client.) --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Kids Movie that Adults Will Love, Too!, November 19, 2001

By 

Cynthia Sue Larson "www.realityshifters.com" (San Francisco bay area, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Disney's The Kid (DVD)

THE KID tells a story about a workaholic man, Russ Duritz, (Bruce Willis) who thinks his life is humming along just great, yet who claims the questionable distinction of being called a jerk several times by many different people in the same day. Full of his own sense of self-importance, Russ would prefer to spend time with his wealthy clients with questionable ethics than with his own parents. Things change overnight when Russ finds himself face-to-face with his chubby, long-forgotten childhood self, Rusty (Spencer Breslin).

This movie is laugh-out-loud funny in several places, including one hysterical scene in which Russ (Bruce Willis) asks his secretary, played by Lily Tomlin, to help make young Rusty vanish. As Russ begins to accept that Rusty will be with him for some time, he begins to take a closer look at his life. Little by little, Russ starts to find value in a past that he had long forgotten and repressed, and his love life even benefits from this introspection.

While the supernatural/mysterious nature of what is happening is never fully explained, the significance of it becomes clearer by the end of the film -- yet this film never for a minute bogs down in sappy sentimentality or false emotions. In fact, this movie is one of those rare screen gems you'll find yourself wanting to see again and again -- a perfect selection to get on DVD!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A TERRIFIC FILM FOR ALL!, August 6, 2001

By 

Michael Crane (Orland Park, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Disney's The Kid (DVD)

I really don't watch too many Disney movies anymore, now being all grown up, but I saw the previews for "Disney's The Kid", and it looked pretty good. It wasn't pretty good, it was terrific!

Bruce Willis stars as Russ, an image consultant who's grumpier than Scrooge. He simply has no respect for anyone else, and hates a whiner. (Favorite line: Somebody call the whaaambulance!) He has also done his best to foget his childhood.

That all changes when he is visited by an eight year old boy. A boy who seems very familar. As it turns out, the kid is Russ at age eight, visiting him from the past. Russ starts to think that he is losing it and has no idea what to do with the kid.

They start to get along, and Russ starts to remember a few things from childhood. Later on, he figures out that the kid is there to help him remember something, something that has been long forgotten.

"Disney's The Kid" is a wonderful film, and didn't get the attention it should have since it was a "Disney" flick. Don't let the "Disney" logo fool you. This is a funny and touching film for audlts and children. This is another easy five out of five.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars No Kidding, January 23, 2008

By 

C. A. Luster "The Rook" (Burke, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Disney's The Kid (DVD)

This is a fun movie with Bruce Willis going from an overly serious businessman to a guy that can have fun with a spouse and dog. All thanks to his older self sending his younger self his kid self. His kid self teaches him many of the things he had forgotten about his childhood. It makes him realize he is now to tough on himself and those around him. Reminded me of another entertaining Disney movie "The Blue Yonder" which unfortunately isn't on DVD yet. In that one a kid travels in time to help his great great grandfather. Overall this is a well rounded family movie and will appeal to most fans of Disney movies or light romantic comedies. Good quality DVD with no extras. Fair replayability.