In the grand tradition of Mark Twain and Alice Walker's "the Color Purple" and some of the other Coming of Age movies ever to come out in 80s such as "Stand by Me", comes what is by far the best family films that ever premiered on television such as the Disney Channel and on Wonderworks which aired on PBS. set in the south in 1940s Yazoo City, Mississippi during World War 2, 12 year old Willy (Ryan Francis) spends most of times roaming with his friends including Spit McGee (Douglas Emerson of Beverly Hills, 90210), playing practical jokes and getting out of trouble until one day their lives will soon change until a string of strange crimes committed by the trouble as he seeks the advice of his old grandfather Percy (Richard Farnsworth). the film itself is brilliant and so are the cast of characters including screen legend Maureen O'Sullivan in her last film role in which she plays Aunt Sue and Anne Ramsey (the Goonies) who plays the Hag in her last role after her death it will make you laugh, make you cry and based of the novel by Willie Morris and fans will adore this film since it's no longer on DVD to this day and in a way this is worth checking out for those who are from the South or from the Northern States of America this a generic fun flick for those who have or haven't read Willie Morris original novel that's based off.
6 Reviews
Like a bunch of spooky stories being told around a midnight campfire in the middle of nowhere.
mark.waltz20 December 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Like "Radio Days" and "Stand By Me", this non-linear tale of growing up takes a bunch of situations and melds them together as part of a similar theme. The film focuses on young Ryan Francis and his life down south in a small town surrounded by a gorgeous countryside during World War II, having just moved there to be near his grandparents (Maureen O'Sullivan and Richard Farnsworth) and his desire to fit in. Anne Ramsey had her last role in this playing what else, a scary old battleaxe.
Told through the narrating older version of Francis years later, this has individual episodes of his life, hit and miss in their overall impact, and it's best when these situations are either quirky or spooky. I'll never forget the sequence of a giant water snake approaching Francis and a friend, its mouth opening in a scary manner as he lays there frozen. Then there's the mysterious voices of the night exaggerated as children's minds often have them to be, the unknown more eerie than what they see.
The pacing is more like something you'd see on PBS or A&E in 1988, frequently funny and often poignant. The presence of a young black boy among the gang of friends he makes gives this a southern "Our Gang" feel, closer to what those shorts were in the mid 30's rather than what they were when the series ended in 1944. Francis questions his grandfather's prejudices over his objections to the friendship, reminding the viewer of how prejudice starts in the first place. Goes from light and heart tugging to profound and disturbing without blinking an eye.
Told through the narrating older version of Francis years later, this has individual episodes of his life, hit and miss in their overall impact, and it's best when these situations are either quirky or spooky. I'll never forget the sequence of a giant water snake approaching Francis and a friend, its mouth opening in a scary manner as he lays there frozen. Then there's the mysterious voices of the night exaggerated as children's minds often have them to be, the unknown more eerie than what they see.
The pacing is more like something you'd see on PBS or A&E in 1988, frequently funny and often poignant. The presence of a young black boy among the gang of friends he makes gives this a southern "Our Gang" feel, closer to what those shorts were in the mid 30's rather than what they were when the series ended in 1944. Francis questions his grandfather's prejudices over his objections to the friendship, reminding the viewer of how prejudice starts in the first place. Goes from light and heart tugging to profound and disturbing without blinking an eye.
Great film all-round.
billybrown4116 May 2001
I think the first time I saw this movie, I was close to eight years old. It was on the disney channel and I didn't see it again until I was nineteen. This one was really well made for a kids' movie. The acting, directing, story, and script were all excellent. Having grown up in the delta myself, I really appreciate the authenticity that went into the whole thing. I really liked Ann Ramsey (the Goonies) as "the hag" and Richard Farnsworth ("the Grey Fox", "the Straight Story") was also great as Willie's grandfather.
Personally, I think that anyone who sees this movie will like it. It's a great coming of age story and it has really stuck in my memory.
Personally, I think that anyone who sees this movie will like it. It's a great coming of age story and it has really stuck in my memory.
Made me feel like a kid again
ironchain1525 May 2002
I did not grow up in the South, but I did grow up in what was once a small town. Watching this movie made me feel like a kid again. I envy Willie Morris for getting the opportunity to grow up in a small southern town, something I have always longed for. I had friends that were pretty much like Willie's friends too.
A little slice of heaven!
grubbscd1 June 2006
One of my all time favorite movies! It's a great coming-of-age story. I watched this movie so many times as a kid that the VHS tape was in bad shape. My mom taped it off PBS so I thought it was going to be lame, but I fell in love with it. I wish everyone my age had it memorized like myself, but then again I'm glad it's my little treasure!
It takes you back to a simpler time and place that everyone can relate to their childhood.
Also, over the years I've picked out the cast in other movies like Buzz from Home Alone, Scott from the episode of 90210 (he's David's friend who shot himself - that was a big episode), Mama Fratelli from The Goonies, etc.
It takes you back to a simpler time and place that everyone can relate to their childhood.
Also, over the years I've picked out the cast in other movies like Buzz from Home Alone, Scott from the episode of 90210 (he's David's friend who shot himself - that was a big episode), Mama Fratelli from The Goonies, etc.
Terrible movie
kidchaos196913 February 2014
After reading the shining reviews for this I picked it up for my nephew on VHS. I'm not sure what the other reviewers are talking about. I mean yes the film is set in a small town in the south, and yes that is a lovely setting to have a film about boys growing up. But that doesn't mean that this film is good. The acting from the kids is horrible, the adults are OK. Anne Ramsey seems like she is not altogether there, often just dawdling in the background. I expect this behavior was due to a lack of direction. Even great actors can falter if there isn't any real direction for them. The pacing was slow and silly. The main plot comes and goes and then when you think the film is finally (thankfully) coming to a close, it goes on for another painful twenty minutes. In those last painful minutes the film tries to deal with death, love, growing up, and disillusionment. What a mess! Maybe back in 1988 some 8 year old thought this was a good movie (by the way, just for the record "The Goonies" isn't a masterpiece either), but this movie would bore almost any kid or adult to tears. Normally I have to really fight to get my nephew to go to bed. But he was glad to turn this movie off before it was finished and hope for better stories in his dreams.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
