Alabama Moon

"Alabama Moon" is a lovely little film about a young boy who loses his only parent and then must figure out how to make it on his own. If you have ever read any of the teen survival literature like My Side of the Mountain, you have a fairly good idea of what the film is like. Will this film win any awards? Probably not, but it's refreshing to just relax and watch a film that is good for the heart. Another reviewer complained that this film was reminiscent of the Waltons. That's true, but let us not forget how long the Waltons ran and how extremely popular it was. A great film for a bowl of popcorn and the kiddos gathered around the TV!

A movie perfect for family night entertainment. A nothing to worry about film as far as appropriate for children or adults. Which is to me a welcome breath of fresh air in movie watching. Good acting, an imaginative plot snd although it has twists and turns - ii would classify it ultimately as uplifting - I enjoyed the movie.

This film was exactly the type of film I guessed it would be from the trailer , a very simple family drama and there is nothing wrong with that , in fact I do like that sort of films for time to time. The story is pretty straightforward a kid living alone with his environmentalist father has to learn to go back to civilization once his dad dies of an infection of the leg. The kid goes into a jail for children were he makes his very first friends , bust out with them , fight the creepy sergeant who's always after him and learn to let go of the burden his late father had inflected upon him. All in all this film is pretty much 50 per cent drama and 50 per cent kids film, seriously , if it would have had the Disney logo attached to it , it would have been a perfect fit for the studio.The film is absolutely harmless.It shy away from how serious this peculiar subject could have been to favor more of a kids adventure format. There are scenes that are quite far fetched and the villain of the piece (Played by Ron Howard's brother) feels like he came out straight from a cartoon. At no time during that film I felt that something bad would happen to young Alabama and I just sat and enjoyed watching his journey unfold. It's not Oscar worthy by any stretch of the imagination, it's just a cute little film that you would have fun watching on a rainy day with your kids (whom I believe would love it). There are nice little touches like John Goodman (Always great to see him),the character of Kitt who's quite endearing and the young Jimmy Bennett who does a decent job as Alabama even if it's not as strong of a performance as the one he has given in "Trucker" ( By the way if you are really looking for a real serious drama who pulls no punches I would recommend this film instead). All I can say is I liked it , I don't think anyone who will watch this film will dislike it because there is nothing to dislike. The only problem I have with the film is the last 5 minutes is a bit much on the corny side and feels like it was taken from an episode of "The Waltons" but at the same time it fits the rest of the film. My Verdict : Kid friendly Drama that entertain without offering anything major to think about for adult viewers.Your kids (especially boys , will probably love it for it's adventure element) 6 out of 10.

This movie was one of those nice surprises you find, something totally unexpected!! Even had John Goodman which I didn't know till I started watching and I love some of his roles, this was one of those.Too it is one of those movies that can be watched by one of any age, family, or by yourself. For me I was looking for something while recooperating from hip replacement surgery and took a chance. Sometimes these films can be some of the best! Really had some surprises and not where I thought the story was headed. Story of a sheltered kid who had lived out most of his life in poverty with his Dad in the wild (actually a cave) after his Mom's passing. Actually they were living in a forest cave and growing their own food, kind of like "Captain Fantastic" if you have seen that movie- somewhat similar, but different! Plot simple to follow, but a nice enjoyable ride, with Cint Howard (Ron Howards brother) playing the role of the hick sheriff. If your looking for a movie on a rainy day or a boring day this is one that can fill the void and brighten your day! A nice ray of sunshine, just what I needed while convalescing!

I got the job of picking the Friday night movie for us to watch with our two boys. Alabama Moon turned out to be a great choice.

Although our youngest drifted off about halfway through, our 9 year-old was enthralled with the adventure story. Moreover, although the themes of death, anti- government sentiment and the realities of survivalism were treated fairly lightly, the movie triggered a few insightful questions from the kids - an indication that the level of the movie was perfectly pitched at their level of understanding and ability to deal with serious issues. A bit like Moon himself, really.

Of course there was corn and humour bordering on slapstick (the Constable is a caricature of the mean lawman), but it's right at home in a gentle family film like this. And if you want your kids to gain some deeper insight into what real friendship means, look no further than Moon and Kit.