Product Details

• Region: Region 2 (Read more about DVD formats.)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0018V9EHA
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #367,078 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars THE SEARCH FOR THE PERFECT PARENTS..., February 21, 2005

By 

Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: North / Movie [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I actually bought this movie by mistake, thinking that I had picked up Mr. North, the film adaptation of Thornton Wilder's book of the same name. The video lay around my house unviewed for some time after I bought it, and by the time I realized my error, it was too late to return it. So, I decided just to watch it and see what I had actually gotten.

Well, what I got was an enjoyable little fantasy/comedy directed by Rob Reiner. It centers around a terrific eleven year old kid named North (Elijah Wood) who feels that, despite his scholastic, athletic, and thespian achievements, his parents just ignore him. So, he does the unthinkable. He gets himself an attorney. He gets a legal separation from his parents. He then travels the world, searching for the perfect parents. In doing so, he inadvertently causes a mini-revolution that puts kids in the driver's seat, as parents scramble to remain the parents of record.

There are some very funny moments throughout this film, which boasts a stellar cast. Jason Alexander and Julia Louis-Dreyfus are well paired as North's self-absorbed parents. Jon Lovitz plays the role of North's sleazy attorney. Bruce Willis is the sage that mysteriously appears in every vignette in which North is trying out new parents for size. Probably the funniest potential new parents are those played by Reba McEntire and Dan Ackroyd. Moreover, one of the bonuses of having Reba McEntire in the film is that she sings in it and is simply terrific, as is the rest of the cast. This is definitely a funny little film that turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Lighten up bad reviewers!, March 17, 2005

By 

C. Petersen "nicegirl90247" (Gardena, Ca United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: North / Movie [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This movie is not intended to be taken seriously, and to watch it, you have to remember what it was like to be a kid. Kids are a little egocentric(some more than others) and that is where the humor comes in. The stereotypes of all the places North visits are a dead giveaway that this is how these places are percieved in a child's mind. Typical things most people hear about a place, such as the french people being obsessed with Jerry Lewis. I must reiterate, you cannot take it seriously. Those people that find it offensive completly miss the point. The point was that North is a typical kid who doesn't appreciate his parents. The fact that he sees his parents as not appreciative of him is what is typical of children, and what makes him so amusing and adorable. He is not unreasonable in expecting acknowledgement of all his acheievements, and his baffled expression when he tells his coach his problem is just so believable. I think any kid can relate. "A child is born. He is given a life. And he is appreciated by everyone but the parents who gave him that life." That's pretty close if not an exact quote. He doesn't whine when he says this. Just looks confused. And when you see the opening scene of his parents rambling on about their work problems not even listening to each other while North feins a heart attack, you have to agree there is a problem. But it's obvious that they do care, because they finally acknowledge him when he falls out of his chair onto the floor yelling dramatically. The point is parents aren't perfect, although this is an exaggeration of that point. This is one of the things North realizes at the end of the movie, and he is all the wiser for his outrageous adventures.I thought this movie was charming, but not the best family film I ever saw. It could've done without the inappropriate adult humor in some scenes, although most would go over young viewers heads. Like the scene where Bruce Willis is doing stand up and tells a tacky joke about sex, which is one of the more noticable examples. Otherwise, it's worth at least a rental if you have a light-hearted silly side and can relate to kids and their troubles. The celebrity cameos are very entertaining.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful movie with a great message and very funny!, July 21, 2000

By 

Rosemary Thornton "Niece of Addie Hoyt Fargo ... (Norfolk, VA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

When I first heard about this movie, I was expecting a "bratty-kid divorces-his-parents" kind of flick. But this movie was a joy and a delight. It has a good moral message for families and also tells a funny FUNNY story in the process. It's full of stars and Bruce Willis is perfectly cast as a Guardian Angel.

Whoever wrote this screenplay is a funny FUNNY guy and the movie is full of sight gags, too.

Above all, the movie has almost no dirty language or inappropriate scenes for young viewers.

This is a real classic and our whole family enjoyed watching it.