Mighty, The (1998)

reviewed by
Edward Johnson-Ott


The Mighty (1998) Elden Henson, Kieran Culkin, Sharon Stone, Gena Rowlands, Harry Dean Stanton, Gillian Anderson, James Gandolfini, Meat Loaf, Joe Perrino. Screenplay by Charles Leavitt, based on the novel "Freak The Mighty" by Rodman Philbrick. Directed by Peter Chelsom. 106 minutes. Rated PG-13, 3 stars (out of five stars)

Review by Ed Johnson-Ott, NUVO Newsweekly www.nuvo-online.com Archive reviews at http://us.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Edward+Johnson-ott To receive reviews by e-mail at no charge, send subscription requests to pbbp24a@prodigy.com

Both "Simon Birch" and "The Mighty" feature sweet tales of friendship between two boys. Both films are also quite flawed, albeit in different ways, and your tolerance of those flaws will likely depend on whether or not the central storyline strikes an emotional chord with you.

Like "Simon Birch," "The Mighty" deals with a pair of young male outcasts who bond together. Kevin Dillon (Kieran Culkin) is unusually small and can walk only with braces, the result of a progressive, degenerative disease called Morquio syndrome. The bright kid spends most of his time in the world of books and the imagination, where, unencumbered by his physical limitations, he can slay dragons and rescue damsels in distress as a knight in King Arthur's court.

Maxwell Kane (Elden Henson) is a stocky, quiet and very lonely illiterate. The boy lives in his grandparents' basement, hiding from the cruel taunts of classmates and his own painful memories of one horrific night that tore his family apart. When Kevin (also known as "Freak") and his loving, fiercely protective mother (Sharon Stone) move in next door, everything changes. The 13-year-olds eventually become friends, each making up for the others limitations. With Kevin perched atop Max's shoulders, they become a powerful single unit. As Max puts it, "Freak was the brain, and I was the legs." Together, they venture forth confidently as a symbiotic knight in urban Cincinnati.

Based on "Freak The Mighty," the beloved Rodman Philbrick novel, "The Mighty" is a solid, often moving story about the pain of being ostracized and the healing power of friendship. Unlike "Simon Birch," which used an overbearing score and contrived situations to emotionally bully the viewer, "The Mighty" avoids overt manipulation. The central storyline is strong enough to play without orchestration, although a subplot involving Max's dad and his miscreant friends is heavy-handed, to put it mildly.

With a creation like this, chemistry is everything and the producers of "The Mighty" made some interesting casting decisions. 21-year-old Elden Henson is perfect as 13-year-old Max, despite the startling age gap. He captures the tortured young man's bottled-up pain splendidly, projecting strong emotions with an economy of expression. Henson is so good that he nearly makes up for Kieran Culkin's deficits.

Reportedly, "Simon Birch's" Ian Michael Smith, who has Morquio syndrome in real life, was turned down for the role of Kevin, and Culkin is simply too big to play the part. Beyond the physical incongruity, Culkin projects an extremely arrogant, smarmy air. While I empathized with the character, I didn't like him. Despite his distasteful smugness, though, there is an undeniable chemistry between the boys.

Sharon Stone is quite strong as Kevin's devoted mother, giving one of the best performances of her career, and Gena Rowlands and Harry Dean Stanton are solid, if underused, as Max's grandparents. Two other supporting performances must be noted. Meat Loaf plays Max's father and as an actor, he's a good singer. Finally, Gillian Anderson is embarrassingly bad as a drunken floozy, coming off like a bush-league version of Faye Dunaway in "Mommie Dearest."

Had the filmmakers cast Ian Michael Smith as Kevin and given the heave-ho to some of the film's secondary elements (including Gillian Anderson), "The Mighty" would have been a much more satisfying production. The film still resonates as is, thanks to its universal themes and Elden Henson's fine work, but, like "Simon Birch," "The Mighty" ultimately plays as a charming portrait of friendship trapped in an unexceptional movie.

© 1998 Ed Johnson-Ott  

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