The Kid & I
Tags: satire

Plot synopsis:
Former actor Bill Williams (Tom Arnold) is about to commit suicide over his ruined career. He throws out all his stuff and gives his clothes to a poor alcoholic. The man drinks Bill's vodka and takes half of his pills messing up his suicide plan and takes off. Bill drinks his alcohol and then takes the pills not knowing he won't die. He then lies down in the bathtub and closes his eyes. Three days later a demented film agent named Johnny Bernstein (Henry Winkler) shows up at the apartment with a business offer for him. He says a billionaire, Davis Roman (Joe Mantegna) will hire Bill to write and co-star in a movie exactly like 1994's True Lies so that his son, Aaron Roman (Eric Gores), whose favorite film is True Lies, can live out his dream of being an actor and star of an action movie. Not knowing much about the boy or the billionaire, Bill agrees to do the project since he would make thousands by the end of the movie.
Later at the park, Bill meets the drunk who took his drugs and alcohol. His name is Guy Prince (Richard Edson), a broke loser who hasn't had a job in almost 13 years. Bill finds he has a lot in common with Guy and asks him if he wants to be an actor. Guy agrees and he becomes Bill's unconventional "best friend".
Johnny, Bill and Guy later show up at the lavish Roman mansion, meeting with Davis and his wife, Shelby (Shannon Elizabeth). They are a nice couple which makes Bill think they have a nice normal son. However, when Aaron shows up Bill becomes uncomfortable and assumes he will be making a bad film with a mentally impaired person. He attempts to back out of the offer when his ex-wife, producer Susan Mandeville (Linda Hamilton), comes in with a film crew and tells everybody she will be producing the movie. Shortly after she shows up, Davis tells Bill about how normal Aaron is despite having cerebral palsy. Bill, remembering the money he will receive, agrees again to make the movie. Aaron is tenacious and happy to see Bill in person. He excitedly tells Bill about his interesting movie ideas as they begin to write the script. Though some of Aaron's ideas were unrealistic Bill becomes confident they will be able to shoot the movie. Aaron decides to call the movie Two Spies. Guy is enjoying himself as well as he flirts with the local women and spends time drinking all the Roman family's beer and wine. Aaron tells Bill he wants to kiss a beautiful women at the end while in a hot tub. He has his actress/model crush, Arielle Kebbel in mind. Bill agrees to the idea.
Susan helps keep the movie on track by taking the production to a big movie studio in California. The actors show up, including Arielle Kebbel, which pleases a lovestruck Aaron. A pushy, overweight police woman becomes Bill's movie girlfriend. Guy plays a character named Lester Loser who gets blown up by a terrorist's bomb. Aaron's character rescues a dog and delivers it to the government officials it belongs to. Bill is happy with the movie's progress until he discovers it will only be shown at Aaron's birthday party. He quickly becomes depressed and angry with himself again. To make matters worse, Aaron forgot his dog allergies and has a bad reaction. His overprotective mother Bonnie is furious when she finds out his attack and arrives to take Aaron home for the summer. She convinces Aaron that Bill is bad and the boy begins to believe it. He leaves to be with his mother for the rest of the year. Davis still offers to pay Bill for the incomplete movie but Bill refuses. Guy and Bill go home, where Guy begins to throw all his money away on beer. He is soon broke again, living in a trailer attached to a car. Distraught, Bill avoids any contact with Susan and plans his next suicide attempt.
Bill watches some of the film's footage and starts to see not everything is lost for him and Aaron. He flies out to where Aaron and Bonnie (Brenda Strong) live. He then convinces Bonnie that finishing the film will be a positive experience. Bonnie agrees and a very happy Aaron flies back to California to shoot the long-awaited hot tub scene with Arielle.
On the night of Aaron's birthday hundreds of people show up at the local movie theater where Two Spies is booked. Susan gets a lot of attention from reporters and tells everybody she believes in Aaron. Davis, Shelby and a surprising Bonnie all like the movie. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis show up at the screening to surprise Bill and wish Aaron a happy birthday. Guy tells Bill he'll drink less and wants a career in show business. Johnny even considers distributing the movie worldwide because the screening went so well. Bill is happy again and tells Aaron he wants to continue working with him.
Ultimately, Aaron and Arielle sit in a hot tub, giving each other a tender and romantic kiss.

Review: Funny, heartfelt, appropriate family movie..
I saw 3 new movies this weekend (12/3/05), and of them all The Kid And I was the best.
This one is from the heart, and the only recent movie you could say that about.
It's based on the true experience of Tom Arnold (who appeared with Arnold Schwarzenneger and Jamie Lee Curtis in True Lies) with a young neighbor, Eric Gores, who has cerebral palsy.
In the fictionalized movie, Arnold plays out-of-work actor Bill Williams (who also appeared in True Lies), about to commit suicide when his agent (Henry Winkler) tells him millionaire Joe Montegna (Searching For Bobby Fisher) offered half a million dollars to make a movie co-starring his son (Gores), who, like the actor playing him, has cerebral palsy.You could tell the film was made with a relatively low budget (occasionally imperfect lighting, for instance), and Arnold's script has a few corny clichés, but on the whole it's original, imaginative, somewhat poignant, and as funny as most comedies out this year.
What's more, the film is both entertaining for adults and appropriate for the whole family, with a minimum of the crude humor that permeates most of the other funny movies I've seen this year.As an added bonus there are a number of cameo appearances by big stars.
If you liked Arnold in The Stupids, this one doesn't have quite as much silly humor, but on balance is just as good.
Heartily recommended for the whole family..
Short Review.
The Kid & I was much better than I expected it to be.
It wasn't great, but it did leave you feeling good at the end.The performances were good as well.
Good humor by Tom Arnold and laugh out loud moments by Val.
(Gabby Sanalitro) Let's hope we get to see more of her in the future.
I would suggest seeing this film with your family.
It is definitely the type of film that kids can relate to.
Gores also did a fine job, and should be an inspiration to other families that have children with CP.If you can't catch it at the theater, it's worth renting..
Forest Gump Meets Hollywood.
A dark comedy about a has-been actor and a kid with a disability would have been an impossible task had it not been for the brilliant screen writing by Tom Arnold and the amazing performances by both him and Eric Gomes.
I walked into this movie thinking it would be another lame comedy about L.A. and was blindsided by an extraordinary experience.
The movie is about love and friendship and compassion.
I laughed and I cried.
I was lucky enough to be able to attend the premiere of this film at the AFI film festival in L.A. and got a chance to meet the filmmakers.
I was lucky enough to tell them something I would rarely tell an actor, producer, or director.
What I said was, "Thank you for making such a beautiful movie.".
"The man of many talents".
Now now now now ,before i begin bare in mind this man MR TOM ARNOLD is one of those people who makes a 1000 films but will be remembered for..1.being married to Rosanne barr and 2.The great action flick TRUE LIES.Now type in this film "The kid and i" in to search engines and well the review make the film suck but pay no attention and sit your bum on a seat a watch.Now i walked in to this film already thinking oh its a film about disabilities we are going to be made to cry and donate money but i was surprised to see this film deals with it with pride ,wit and tasteful humour.
Plus look out for the guest stars such as shaq ,arnie and loads others but the stars are without question are ERIC GORES AND MR TOM ARNOLD...
The KID and I is one of those films that loses itself in DVD bins but should have been on the big screen ,i give this the big thumbs up....
One goof.
I loved this film!!
But I still thought it could have a better direction and acting.
Great actors, but it seemed like they were making a student film.
Using Arnold and Jamie to attract viewers was a low blow, and they didn't have any significant part in the movie.
I can't think of a reason why the governor of California would do that.
But besides all that, it's great if you can connect to the message it leaves us.
The one goof I saw and that is not on the movie page, is when Bonnie (Brenda Strong) is talking to Bill (Tom Arnold) at the movie theatre.
When she gets close to him, she's wearing a pair of black shoes.
And when she leaves with the family, you can clearly see she's barefooted.
Anyway, watch it, and enjoy!
It's worth the time and the money..
Good, Heartfelt, Fun. I was REALLY starting to dislike Tom Arnold as an"ACTOR" and a person in general.
But this movie made me think that ..just maybe he is not such a bad guy after all.
It's fun, cute and sincere, and he took the inside jokes about himself without ever compromising the main character.
The whole concept of the film was similar to the lets make a wish foundation where a dying kid gets to make his dream come true.
but although this guy was not dying, you went on anyway and kept your own character from dying, because, obviously as "THE KID" shows you.
Life; no matter how bad ; isn't really that bad after all.
Kudos Tom, you showed you're a REAL person..
"As inoffensive and as genial as it is daming".
The Kid & I is as inoffensive and as genial as it is damning, and as heartfelt as it is uneven, with its premise that manages to go in about six different directions and only halfway accomplishes each.
However, it's hard and almost unfair to bash a film that so sentimentally wears its heart on its sleeve as this one does.
It's a good-natured effort from Tom Arnold, whose good-naturedness has seemingly got him to be nothing but the butt of everyone's jokes for the past decade.At least in The Kid & I, he plays a character we don't mind being around.
He plays Bill Williams, a hasbeen actor who is just about to execute plans to kill himself.
He already has his gravestone personalized and made out and he's just about ready to down a whole container of pills and wash it down with a fifth of vodka.
He has already sent out letters to people like his ex-wife detailing his suicide, and in efforts to give all his clothes to someone who would use them better he gives them to a bum who simultaneously follows him inside and foils his suicide plan.Out of options and frustrated, Bill is contacted by his agent (an out-of-place Henry Winkler) who informs him that a millionaire is seeking Bill's expertise in order to create a film similar to his only hit True Lies with Arnold Schwarzenegger for his teenage son.
It just so happens that the millionaire's teenage son has cerebral palsy and his favorite film is True Lies.
The boy's name is Aaron Roman (Eric Gores), and his dreams are in line with many other seventeen-year-old's - he wants to engage in high-octane fights, street races, and get the girl by the end of it all.So Bill makes a hearty attempt at making the boy's dream come true, all while giving his own particular life a purpose.
Arnold plays a likable character here, while Gores, who really suffers from cerebral palsy, creates a charming character, who very well could be himself in real life.
Arnold and Gores achieve a warm tenderness in some sequences, particularly one where they're discussing their characters' love interests for the film.
Aaron suggests Arielle Kebbel, a Maxim model, for his love interest, while suggesting Rosie O'Donnell for Bill's.
Here's a scene where a Roseanne Barr joke would've worked perfectly.As the film goes on it bares this indescribable awkwardness that needs to be addressed.
For some reason, the entire film seems to have a lot of dead-air and instances where echos can audibly be heard either from microphones that had no particular windscreen or no shield from excess noise.
The entire setup creates a stunning artificiality, that of a soap opera or just a weirdly-orchestrated public access TV special.
Then there's the barrage of celebrity cameos, including Shaquille O'Neal, Bill Goldberg, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Arnold Schwarzenegger that only add to the film's awkward senses.Still, The Kid & I is a difficult film to criticize given its cheery nature and good-hearted characters.
The film was directed by Penelope Spheeris, who apparently likes to be a tad self-referential in her projects by having a character state they'll get Penelope Spheeris to direct their little film because she comes cheap.
Spheeris, who manned the ship with films such as Black Sheep, The Beverly Hillbillies, and Wayne's World, gives us a pleasantly soft and welcoming approach to the material, while Arnold, serving as the writer and co-producer, doesn't hesitate to venture into a grimmer territory with the story of a Hollywood talent that never quite gained traction after his fifteen minutes of fame.As stated, The Kid & I is difficult to dislike because of the fact it's so openly warm and is okay on being sentimental and an emotional work.
Yet, the film is very uneven, mainly due to Arnold's wise if tricky inclusion of darker elements, the distracting celebrity cameos, the goofball humor, the shameless moralizing, and the inanity that so many odds and ends are coming together.
Spheeris and Arnold, however, ground the film into reality to a certain degree, giving you the idea that if a medium-budget action movie production were being thrown together for the benefit of a disabled teenager this is kind of what it would look like.
For giving its strange concept a pragmatic life, the picture deserves credit, even though it's reward at the end of the day is a tad questionable.Starring: Tom Arnold, Eric Gores, Linda Hamilton, Henry Winkler, Richard Edson, Brenda Strong, Arielle Kebbel, Shannon Elizabeth, Joe Mantegna, Shaquille O'Neal, Bill Goldberg, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Directed by: Penelope Spheeris.