The Mighty
Tags: murder

Plot synopsis:
Kevin (Kieran Culkin) is a 13-year-old boy who has Mucopolysaccharidosis IV (or Morquio syndrome) and lives with his mother Gwen (Sharon Stone). He is extremely intelligent and prone to flights of fancy but due to his disability walks with leg braces and crutches. Max (Elden Henson) is an 13-year-old oversized, yet good-natured, teenage boy suffering from dyslexia who lives with his maternal grandparents Gram (Gena Rowlands) and Grim (Harry Dean Stanton). He has flunked the seventh grade twice and is tormented by Tony "Blade" Fowler (Joseph Perrino), a teenage gang leader. When Kevin is assigned as Max's reading tutor, they form a bond of friendship over the similar circumstances they share, such as both being outcasts and their fathers abandoning them (Kevin's dad heard the words "Birth Defect" and disappeared).
Kevin and Max go to a local festival to watch a firework show and get attacked by Blade and his gang called the "Doghouse Boys". The two escape into a nearby lake with Kevin riding on Max's shoulders and they make it out okay. Kevin later witnesses that same gang of teens putting someone's purse in a sewer. The two retrieve the purse, but, are once again confronted by Blade and his gang. They attempt to attack Kevin, but Max stops them by picking up a manhole cover and throwing it at the gang, who run away, fearing for their lives. Both Max and Kevin see the purse belongs to a woman named Loretta Lee (Gillian Anderson). Kevin and Max return the purse to Loretta and find out that she is married to Iggy Lee (Meat Loaf), a former gang leader.
Loretta recognizes Max from when he was a child and, after some questioning, she and Iggy learn that Max is the son of the infamous murderer Kenny "Killer" Kane, who brutally murdered Max's mother by strangling her to death when Max was around 4 years old (which is why Max lives with Grim and Gram), and an old friend of Iggy's from prison. Afterward, the two boys help each other out with Kevin acting as Max's brain, and Max acting as Kevin's legs by carrying him around everywhere on his shoulders. This allows Kevin to partake in activities he couldn't before such as a basketball game.
Kevin and Max are now well-known to their schoolmates, and they sit at a lunch table with their friends. As Max is getting his food, Kevin is playing with his noodles and attempting to impress his classmates. Kevin eats his noodles but chokes and blocks his airway. He is taken to the hospital, where the doctor tells Gwen that he may only have one year to live given his progressively failing health.
One day, Kevin showed Max a research center where he was to be rehabilitated. It appears that he knew about his condition, as he said that he'd be the first one to be retrofitted with a new body.
On Christmas Eve, Max is kidnapped by his father (James Gandolfini), who had been in prison since Max's mother's murder and had recently been released on parole. Max is taken to Iggy and Loretta's apartment by Kane, who tries to strangle Loretta after she attempts to help Max escape. This leads to Max remembering how Kane murdered Max's mother, which was one of the reasons why Kane went to prison in the first place.
Kevin tracks Max and Killer Kane to Iggy and Loretta's, and breaks in with a squirt gun his mom got him for Christmas. He tells Killer Kane that he has sulfuric acid in it. Kevin shoots Killer Kane with the squirt gun and Kane thinks his eyes are burning from acid; Kevin actually filled the gun with harmless compounds (soap, vinegar, and chili powder).
An angered Killer Kane attempts to attack Kevin. Max reacts and attacks his own father in order to prevent him from harming Kevin. Police come and arrest Kane, who is then incarcerated to prison for life without the possibility of parole. Max and Kevin go home and celebrate Christmas. After exchanging gifts, Kevin gives Max an empty book and tells Max to write in it. Kevin dies in his sleep due to heart problems.
The next morning, Max learns of Kevin's death. Not wanting to leave his friend, he chases after the ambulance. Recalling his conversation with Kevin on how he would get a new body from a research center, Max heads there immediately, only to discover that Kevin had lied and the research center is really a commercial laundromat. Heart-broken, Max breaks down with grief among the laundry workers.
For the next few weeks, he continues going to school, but spends his spare time locked in his basement, even missing Kevin's funeral and Kevin's mother moving away. But he runs into Loretta (now wearing a neck brace due to Killer Kane strangling her) at a bus stop, and she reminds him that "[doing] nothing's a drag". He decides he has to go on, and even works up the courage to answer a question his teacher presents to the class.
Inspired by their bond, Max remembers Kevin and all the adventures they had and he decides to write it all in the empty book Kevin had given him. Max eventually gets writer's block on the last page so he puts an illustration of King Arthur's grave, which reads, "Here Lies King Arthur, Once and Future King", to symbolize his belief that he will see Kevin again. Max takes Kevin's ornithopter and winds it up, making it fly. A narration by Max is heard as the ornithopter flies off:

Review: The acting is, well Harry Dean Stanton and Gena  Rowlands do their usual great job and the two boys who play Max and the Freak (Kevin), Elden Ratliff and Kieran Culkin are impressive.
Meat Loaf and Gillian Anderson are a trip to watch and Sharon Stone showed me acting that I didn't think she had in her.
I heard about "The Mighty" after I saw The Battle of Shaker Heights and thought I'd find more movies with Elden Henson.
I have never read "Freak the Mighty" but this movie has me out seeking a copy.Of course, Rowland's and Stanton's acting was solid.
Both of the young actors are fantastic, especially Eldon Henson, and the adults in the movie are pretty good, too.
As well as very able minded,a genius he is!I wont spoil this movie by going into too much detail except to say,watching these two young actors "interact" is what makes it such a triumph in film-making.
Stone is great also as the little boy's mother and one would almost not recognize Gillian Anderson outside of the X-Files,I know I didn't!
Max(Henson) is a big kid who has a rough past, while Kevin or "freak" as they call him in the film is a boy with a physical disability that prevent him from walkin without stilt like crutches.
Kieran Culkin was great in this film, very good performance early in his career.
I really liked the two friends, especially the tall kid (I'm too lazy to look his name up again)...anyhow...he has done some good work in some very small films (mostly), and he always gets the characters he plays just right.
I really like the use of music in this movie, it goes a long way in making the story that much better...and it seems to lend a certain mood to the entire film.
It's refreshing to see "feel- good" movies like this, without all the pointless, useless violence and/or sex scenes.
The result is as moving as any kiddies film you've seen in the last ten years.Kevin is suffering from Morquio's syndrome, a progressively degenerative disease that makes him unable to walk without leg braces.
Of course, if you're watching it for the first time, you won't have to start crying right away, but on subsequent viewings I advise getting the Kleenex box before you press "Play." The performances of Kieran Culkin and Elden Henson are just superb, even allowing for their both being considerably older than their characters.
This is a great film, it is so beautiful, incredibly emotional and moving, simply without any major flaws.It's a brilliant, very unusual story about friendship and loyalty.
Kieran Culkin and Elden Henson both deserve at least nomination for best actor of the year, but you know Academy and others simply too conservative.
The supporting cast also is fantastic (Harry Dean Stanton, Gena Rowlands, Sharon Stone, Gillian Andersson, James Gandolfini and others).
The music in the movie was great and emotional so like main theme Freak, the Mighty.
They brought to us many great films but only strange and stupid marketing and publicity campaign didn't let many of these true gems become a successful box office hit also like didn't let win major awards.Thanks for reading and sorry for my bad English..
Every single cast member gives a riveting and moving performance in The Mighty, a beautiful film about the power and strength of friendship and imagination and especially faith.
With Kevin on Max's shoulders, they go around on adventures and doing good deeds like their heroes, the Knights.My only problem with this film is that I think Sharon Stone gets way too much credit.
They live through the book of King Arthur and the knights of the round table.This book enables them to win out over a gang of school bullies and rescue the learning disabled youth when his father suddenly reappears and kidnap him.When our sickly youth succumbs at the end, his friend is able to go on and write a book.This is a warm story that carries us through adversity.Nice to see that Sharon Stone sacrifices her usual sexy roles to portray the mother of the ill youth..
It's one of the best movies I've seen in my life and it takes a lot to impress me.A true 9.5/10 film..
Two unlikely friends combine to make "Freak the Mighty" , which doesn't exactly make sense unless you've seen this movie.
I thought this movie had a sad ending, but beautiful in its own sorta way.
I guess I'm just a sentimental kind of guy, but this movie does have the power to move - unless you have a heart of stone, or are so taken up with 21st century 'cool' that you don't feel anything anymore!This is a beautifully acted, unsentimental piece that is principally about friendship.
Beyond that I have to mention the great direction by Peter Chelsom - don't miss "Hear My Song" and "Funny Bones" - and the awesome performances by all the actors, especially the two young protagonists Kieran Culkin and Elden Henson.
Old pros like Harry Dean Stanton and Gena Rowlands (as well as a very able Sharon Stone; who makes quite the departure from her usual film fare as the not very glamorous mother of Freak), "frame" this wonderful film.
Its upsetting at times (just like life) but overall, it makes you feel good.
There aren't enough films released today that touch its audience in a real and emotional way.
We need more movies like this, that make you happy to be a part of the human race, and encourage you to better yourself, form deep friendships, and to help others.
A mighty good movie.
I find this movie to be very good, it touched me in many ways....
The acting is excellent, especially by the two child actors, Kieran Culkin and Elden Henson.
The film is very moving, a scene near the end nearly brought a tear to my eye, something very few movies do.
Talent must run in the Culkin family because Kieran shines in "The Mighty."As I sat through "The Mighty," I kept thought to myself how it resembled another inspirational film; "Simon Birch." This was a clear indication that I would enjoy "The Mighty."Elden Henson who played Max Kane was a good choice to play the friend of Culkin's character, Kevin Dillon.
Talent must run in the Culkin family because Kieran shines in "The Mighty."As I sat through "The Mighty," I kept thought to myself how it resembled another inspirational film; "Simon Birch." This was a clear indication that I would enjoy "The Mighty."Elden Henson who played Max Kane was a good choice to play the friend of Culkin's character, Kevin Dillon.
I say this because it is based upon how much each have in common including the fact that they seemed to click well together.I can't forget to mention the superb supporting cast that included Sharon Stone, Gena Rowlands and Harry Dean Stanton.
I say this because it is based upon how much each have in common including the fact that they seemed to click well together.I can't forget to mention the superb supporting cast that included Sharon Stone, Gena Rowlands and Harry Dean Stanton.
Rowlands and Stanton provided support at just the right times to make this film worthwhile."The Mighty" immediately brought a smile to my face because it told the story of two people who were isolated until one day they were brought together, which made a perfect fit..
Rowlands and Stanton provided support at just the right times to make this film worthwhile."The Mighty" immediately brought a smile to my face because it told the story of two people who were isolated until one day they were brought together, which made a perfect fit..
If you don't want to be seen teary-eyed, don't watch this with others.If you were a kid who was beaten up every day of your life at school, or or had an abusive parent, this movie is a triumph fantasy.The hero of the story is really the secondary Kieran Culkin character the "cripple" who simply does not let his handicap slow him down for a second.
On the surface THE MIGHTY is yet another of those TVM schmaltz-fests with its disease of the week story lines featuring dying children and kids battling against physical and social adversity but give it a chance and you'll see beyond the clichés The story starts with Max , as a kid from the wrong side of the tracks whose father is serving serious time for murdering Max's mother getting picked on by the local gang ( Yes it's a multi ethnic gang as always )but as the story goes on he strikes up an unlikely friendship with a crippled kid called Kevin .
I say unlikely and the more you think about it the more unlikely it becomes but both Elden Henson as Max and Kieran Culkin as Kevin act convincingly enough to compel you enough to believe this is entirely genuine Both Henson and Culkin carry the film but they're ably assisted by big name actors namely Sharon Stone , Gillian Anderson , Harry Dean Stanton , James Gandolfini and Meat Loaf so you can't fault the acting especially if the story could have descended into overly sentimental schlock .
THE MIGHTY, in my opinion, is a very touching movie about the quest for friendship.
Really, I think this movie touches me more strongly every-time I see it.
I think a lot of it is due to the young man (also in the Mighty Ducks movies) that plays Max Cane, the large, allegedly slow-witted young man.
I think it's his performance, his emotions and his character development that make this such a touching movie.
Other than that very forgivable "flaw" this movie is definitely FAR superior to Simon Birch, both in story, acting, inspiration, and heart.
When we watched parts of the movie, I thought it was really cool so I rented it and I LOVED it!
Once in a while, from Hollywood their comes a real gem, succeeding in getting famous names like Sharon Stone and Harry Dean Stanton (although the latter is not a star, he's strong in characters).
First of all, it can put its strengh from marvellous actors like Sharon Stone, that gives a very good performance as the sick boy's mother.
Sharon Stone, Harry Dean Stanton, Gillian Anderson and James Gandolfini provide good supporting roles that add to an enjoyable film.One note though, there seems to be two pages on IMDB dedicated to this film, the other being the 'Freak the Mighty' page, which hasn't got a cast list.
I didn't really intend to sit and watch a movie at that time--just keeping my husband company for a bit, and we debated whether to watch it, but couldn't quite tear ourselves away and enjoyed every minute, probably more because we didn't have any expectations and were able to be carried along freely by the story, the music, the whole thing--a very well-made film that we taped later and will keep in our collection.
Until now.'The Mighty' is not a great film, such as Citizen Kane or Gone With the Wind, but never-the-less, was one that touched my heart.
It is a beautiful scene where self-giving and love are shown.The music in this movie plays a very important role.
"The Mighty" is a pretty good film about two young boys who do not fit in.
Then, we saw the movie, which was also pretty good.Times have changed and I am now a graduate of high school.
I recently revisited this film and I was quite amazed at how excellent it was.The whole cast turned in great performances.
This film is truly great and one of my favorite movies.
In this instance, the mightiest actors are billed below the supporting "stars": Elden Henson (as Maxwell "Max" Kane) plays a learning disabled young man, who has twice failed the seventh grade; and, Kieran Culkin (as Kevin "Freak" Dillon) plays a chronically crippled boy genius.
An excellent film for everyone who is a child.******** The Mighty (1998) Peter Chelsom ~ Elden Henson, Kieran Culkin, Sharon Stone.
Gillian Anderson's name was also a way to get people in, but I think she did a wonderful job with this character proving she should not be type-cast to just Scully-type parts.
The Mighty is the best movie I've seen in a long time...
If you like to feel pure goodness and deep friendship, this movie is for you.
They become friends imagining themselves as a Knight in King Arthur's Roundtable as Freak the Mighty.The movie starts off poorly with the school bullies.
This movie has a lot of depth and Sharon Stone is excellent in her role as the mother of a physically disabled but very smart kid who makes friends with another kid with a tragic past.
I've seen you a lot better but your career gets worse every time.Also the movie is over-sentimental (a minimum amount of tears is required to go to the next scene), and over-all it's more something between "Good Will Hunting" and "Dragon Heart".To end with something positive: Elden Ratliff and Kieran Culkin did a great job at saving the movie a bit..
Sharon Stone is convincing as the mother of Kevin, the boy with a spinal defect, and Gillian Anderson stands out in an unconventional role as Loretta Lee, the "hooker with a heart".All in all, it's a real tearjerker at the end and is definitely worth a watch.
One of the best movies I have seen in my time.
Despite a lot of cliches, such as big bad bullies threatening the two heroes of the story, and the boys becoming more popular because of their friendship(i very much doubt that would happen) and obviously, you don't have to be a genius to know how the movie will end, but it still made me bawl like a baby.
I really think that kieran culkin and henson, the one who played max, should have got top billing, however, instead of gillian anderson, sharon stone, etc.
I thought THE MIGHTY is just a great movie that'llmake you laugh and cry.
With great actors Kieran Culkin and Elden Hensen who play 2 young Elementary School children who have been both mentally and physically challenged backrounds.
But anyway, it's a great movie and all the actors did a nice job.
For example, the mother figures in both films took the friend in and take care of him as well as the tight knit friendship they share in both films.Elden Henson who played Max Kane was a good choice to play the friend of Culkin's character, Kevin Dillon.
Wonderful, touching and just great, 3 cheers to Culkin who I didnt give enough credit to before, he pulled it off nicely, and Sharon Stone, well, she's just a classic, and she looks very good in this.
I don't know whose idea that scene was...who thought it up...who filmed it, but it is absolutely beautiful and tragic at the same time.
If you have the opportunity to see The Mighty, don't miss it; it's an extraordinary movie, a real gem.We need more movies like this one, it has so much to say and knows how to touch the audience's heart.
You become part of the movie, you laugh and cry, you feel that there is nothing more important than honor and friendship, and that your imagination is the most powerful tool you have in this life.Rent The Mighty today, don't wait any longer..
If you like to watch really great movies then do not miss this..
Take a cast with Sharon Stone, Gillian Anderson, James Gandolfini, Gena Rowlands and Harry Dean Stanton and you will probably get a decent film.
In the case of The Mighty, you get a great film, but not simply due to the aforementioned cast.
Based on a children's book, 'Freak the Mighty', the film manages to portray the challenges and and friendship of two special young people without being patronizing.Max, played brilliantly by Eldon Ratliff, is a slow boy, big for his age, whose mother was killed by his father, who is now serving a prison sentence.
His life is changed when Kevin, played by Kieran Culkin (Macauley's more-talented younger brother) moves next door with his single mother, well played by Sharon Stone.
The movie never resorts to cheap sentimentality, and this was one of the first films to make me cry in a long time.
There was no need to make Sharon Stone less beautiful, since this film is about the boys, and she is the mom, a supporting role, and her good looks are not really an issue.I was disappointed in Gillian Anderson's performance as a white trash biker chick.
The next motif that struck me was later in the film were a building important to the plot was made to look like a tower.This movie went all the way towards making us believed that the world that Max and Alex built was real, just as real as the world grownups inhabit.
This movie was perfect visually the script was good, but the story was so well presented that the lack of real throat grabbing dialogue can be de-emphasized.The casting was also great, besides Henson, Kieran Culkin is so charming (more so than his brother) that he pulls off the hard job of making someone so physically vulnerable also so tough and gutsy.
This movie star Elden Henson as the boy with disturb past and Kieran Culkin as the disable boy, they two become friend and that when imaginary adventure begin.The movie also consist of many A lister star such as Gena Rowlands, Sharon Stone, Gillian Anderson, Meat Loaf, and James Gandolfini.
I will say this: Sharon Stone and Gillian Anderson managed to shine through this terrible film with good performances, but that didn't change my opinion of the movie.