Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010)
Directed by Thor Freudenthal
Greg Heffley is headed for big things, but first he has to survive the scariest, most humiliating experience of any kid’s life – middle school! That won’t be easy, considering he’s surrounded by hairy-freckled morons, wedgie-loving bullies and a moldy slice of cheese with nuclear cooties!
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10 films that influenced Diary of a Wimpy Kid
What critics say influenced Diary of a Wimpy Kid
The late John Hughes had a talent for taking the banal suburban middle class angst of boring American teenagers and turning it into clever, fast-talking comedy in pictures like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Pretty in Pink and The Breakfast Club.
Indeed, it is the bond between these two that helps the film stand out from the crowd of lesser, more stereotypical middle school-set pictures like 2001's " Max Keeble's Big Move ."
The late John Hughes had a talent for taking the banal suburban middle class angst of boring American teenagers and turning it into clever, fast-talking comedy in pictures like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Pretty in Pink and The Breakfast Club.
The late John Hughes had a talent for taking the banal suburban middle class angst of boring American teenagers and turning it into clever, fast-talking comedy in pictures like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Pretty in Pink and The Breakfast Club.
Not many young actors can get to us like an adolescent wiseass over the long haul; Matthew Broderick got away with it in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,’’ but just barely.
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Zachary Gordon (2007's " Georgia Rule ") is spunky and sympathetic as Greg, while Robert Capron (2009's " Bride Wars ") is a standout as Rowley, an earnest, stand-up guy who beats to the rhythm of his own drum and doesn't judge his own self-worth based upon how many people like him.
It isn't as good as " A Christmas Story ," as few movies are, but it deserves a place in the same sentence.
Structurally, this film by Thor Freudenthal ("Mind the Gap," "Hotel for Dogs") has much in common with the film version of Jean Shepherd's childhood memoir, In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash, better known as "A Christmas Story."
Based on the book series by Jeff Kinney, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" is no "Welcome to the Dollhouse," but as a PG-rated family film navigating the frequent pitfalls and rare triumphs of a sixth grade nothing, it's got a certain charm and wisdom about it.
Her rant at Greg when he threatens to bring down the school production of "The Wizard of Oz" (she in the role of Dorothy, naturally, and he as a tree) is a hoot.
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It periodically mixes in line-drawing animation, in the style of the books, to illustrate or punctuate the action; that visual sensibility livens things up considerably, and gives the film a loose, playfully arch American Splendor feel.
Zachary Gordon (2007's " Georgia Rule ") is spunky and sympathetic as Greg, while Robert Capron (2009's " Bride Wars ") is a standout as Rowley, an earnest, stand-up guy who beats to the rhythm of his own drum and doesn't judge his own self-worth based upon how many people like him.