Tom Arnold wrote and stars in this heart-on-sleeve "comedy" that will go down in cinema history as one of the most awkward additions ever made to the genre.
The Kid & I (2005)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:26
Fresh:9
Rotten:17
Average Rating:4.6/10
Consensus: Well-intentioned but sappy, The Kid & I is a strange hybrid of comedy and cinema verite.
Synopsis: An offbeat piece of real-life wish-fulfillment, THE KID & I stars Tom Arnold as Bill Williams, a down-and-out actor who, just like Arnold himself, had his greatest screen success opposite Arnold... An offbeat piece of real-life wish-fulfillment, THE KID & I stars Tom Arnold as Bill Williams, a down-and-out actor who, just like Arnold himself, had his greatest screen success opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in TRUE LIES. Just as Williams is about to kill himself, he gets the offer to write and star in an action film in which he will be teamed with hardcore TRUE LIES fan Aaron Roman (Eric Gores, Arnold's real-life neighbor), the cerebral palsy-stricken son of multimillionaire Davis Roman (Joe Mantegna). In a slightly cracked mirror version of the film's behind-the-scenes true story, Williams reluctantly agrees to the offer, only to find himself transformed by his young costar's indomitable spirit. As with reality TV, THE KID & I could almost be marketed as a documentary. Star Gore's wealthy father did commission neighbor Arnold to pen THE KID & I for his TRUE LIES-loving son, director Penelope Spheeris (WAYNE'S WORLD) appears as herself, and we even get to see some home movie footage of Gore as a child. But the result, which could have been cloying or exploitative, is an unusual family-friendly satire of Hollywood that doesn't shy away from a little darkness when necessary. Gore--who really does suffer from cerebral palsy--is a winning presence, game for anything and with sharp comic timing. And though one could go crazy trying to figure out where Bill Williams ends and Tom Arnold begins, his patented manic self-deprecation is appealing and he has a great foil in veteran character actor Richard Edson. [More]
Starring: Tom Arnold, Richard Edson, Joe Mantegna, Henry Winkler
Starring: Tom Arnold, Richard Edson, Joe Mantegna, Henry Winkler, Shannon Elizabeth, Linda Hamilton
Director: Penelope Spheeris
Director: Penelope Spheeris
Screenwriter: Tom Arnold
Composer: Damon Fox
Reviews for The Kid & I
Works most poignantly as a testament to a father's love and an unapologetic celebration of Hollywood's m.o.
With the exception of some weird-on-purpose flicks such as those by Jim Jarmusch and David Lynch, "The Kid & I" is arguably the weirdest movie I've seen since 1987.
The mesmerizingly awful The Kid & I is a historic first: a comedy about the making of a vanity production that is itself a vanity production.
It isn’t perfect but it is so oddly sincere that I found myself growing a sort of affection for it even as all common sense was telling me to think otherwise.
It’s terribly uneven, it’s far too corny and it’s really not all that great, but it’s so strange and so compelling that you have to see it.
Either the most inept vanity production ever made or the most deadpan satirical prank ever pulled.
Manages to be cloying, insulting, and self-serving in equally dire measure.
It would be nice to say that The Kid & I delivers a heartwarming message of perseverance while showing a lighter side of Arnold and spotlighting a new star. Unfortunately, it would not be true.
Tom Arnold does have talent, but some self-defeating streak keeps him from using it.
What sets The Kid & I apart from most Hollywood comedies is its restraint, on the part of Arnold, both as writer and actor, as well as Spheeris. Comedy actually grows out of character and situation.
Newcomer Gores is endearing onscreen, but the film built around him is a mess: an amateurish script, a treacly score, barely there direction by Penelope Spheeris and a pointless parade of celebrity cameos.
This wan attempt at inspirational comedy doesn't bother to look closely at anything.
Despite a sentimental streak a mile wide and a truly worthy theme, Penelope Spheeris' The Kid & I is a truly bad film, an awkward and cringe-worthy effort.
The greatest mitzvah ever produced by Hollywood... I don't care what's wrong with this thing, you couldn't pay me to badmouth it.
A chore to watch, The Kid and I is self-congratulatory, excruciatingly sentimental and sloppily written and directed.
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