North (1994)

IMDb plot summary: Sick of the neglect he receives from his mom and dad, a young boy leaves home and travels the world in search of new parents.

Directed by Rob Reiner. Starring Elijah Wood, Bruce Willis, Jason Alexander, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

I only knew this film from its notorious reputation as being a movie Roger Ebert passionately hated, and I don't know that it deserves *that* level of vitriol. There are a couple moments where the goofy comedy almost works, which is more than I can say for plenty of other films trying just as hard. That being said, well, no, it's not good. His search across the world for new parents includes some incredibly unpleasant racial stereotypes, the messaging of the movie is so awkward, the constant string of cameos and guest actors is an obvious grab for attention in a movie that doesn't deserve it, and North is a very unlikable character whose complaint with his parents feel less based in loneliness or wanting love and more in a sense of "I'm special, why don't people treat me like I'm special?" Glad to have scratched this one off the list, and now it can stay that way.

How it entered my Flickchart:

North < Dark and Stormy Night

North < The Lorax (1972)

North > Color Me Kubrick

North < Monster House

North < Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland

North > Green Lantern

North > A Thief in the Night

North < The Swan Princess

North < Atlantis: The Lost Empire

North > Jumper

North < Johnny Tremain

Final spot: #2916 out of 3429, or 15%.