Jack [VHS]

Have you ever seen a movie that you felt was underrated, yet understood why it was underrated, at the same exact time?Trust me; I know it sounds weird. While Jack is one of my all-time favorite films, I do not condemn those who did not enjoy it. Some of the humor is very immature, and with the PG-13 rating, it may divert young children dealing with peer pressure from learning the message it offers to all ages: especially to those children who succumb to peer pressure and those who—with a mental disability, handicap, etc.—are targeted by cruel children who bully others with these same problems and, in addition, their friends as well.What if I told you, however, that Jack goes by the book: and, in presenting immaturity, presents it in a rebound of joy, for the film’s central character?I concur with my point below:Jack stars Robin Williams as Jack Powell, a ten-year-old boy with Werner’s syndrome. If you’ve never heard of WS, it’s a form of Progeria, the same illness of Rabbi Harold S. Kushner’s son that inspired the bestselling book When Bad Things Happen to Good People (see my review): rapid aging which causes a young boy to look like an old man. Jack, born premature at the very beginning of his (fictional) picture, is revealed to have been shaving since he was four years old: and, at the age of ten, lived in a forty-year-old man’s body! Robin Williams was 44 years old when he signed onto play Jack, and with his physical appearance and knack for comedic and serious acting alike, he nails the role to perfection.With Francis Ford Coppola as our director, Coppola guides Williams/Jack as they enjoy a very childlike life: watching butterflies in a garden, playing pranks against their bullies, and hiding in a box: sometimes out of an attempt to have fun, sometimes out of an attempt to conceal themselves from this cruel world. Very early on, we see Williams/Jack take on a childlike leap of faith: enrolling in a local public school at the advice of his tutor Mr. Woodruff (Bill Cosby in a very sentimental, meaningful role), and facing off against the world as it really is, warts and all.And it is through this that we see young Jack Powell conquer the world not by hiding from it, but by confronting it. His leap of faith proves itself valid when Jack joins a group of his fellow fifth graders in playing basketball against not necessarily their bullies, but intermediate-school “archenemies,” and helping them win the victory: more times than just one! Pretty soon, Jack will win the love of not only his fellow classmates, but also a divorced mother of one (Adam Zolotin) who has no clue she’s flirting with a ten-year old (Fran Drescher)! But he will be up against quite a lot as well, when his body starts to progress past the age of forty, and when he experiences his first romantic heartbreak: his teacher, Miss Marquez (Jennifer Lopez), turning him down for a date at the school dance, understanding that she is the only female at the school who appears to be Jack’s age at least in height (not in facial appearance, etc.), but realizing—unlike Jack—that because she is his teacher and a grown woman, they could both be prosecuted for dating each other, when Jack, in spite of his physical appearance, is only ten years old.I know, I know: already, this sounds a bit like heavy material for a movie that delivers a message about peer pressure to those who are victims of it and those who are targeted for being “different” (both categories apply to me). Some of the humor even seems like it’s more directed solely towards men than men and women alike, a negative aspect to a film with a message for all ages: and, along with them, all sexes as well. However, if you think back to when you were in the fifth grade, and you remember the people it was considered “uncool” to hang out with, it’s very easy to overlook Jack’s immaturity. The immaturity is not here for the sake of tooting its own horn; rather; it’s here to bring joy to the faces in the audience, in seeing Robin Williams/Jack Powell finally finding a place to call home among other boys his age. (Note: Williams himself was frequently outcast in school while growing up.) In all of this, Francis Ford Coppola reminds us that it’s on the inside that counts; with the adventures he puts Robin Williams/Jack Powell and their friends through, and teaches us to cherish life and look for large and small miracles alike, wherever we go. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll learn and, at the very same time, you’ll have fun!I wish there were bonus features on this DVD, but regardless, JACK is one movie you want to be sure not to miss.

It was a cute show

Item is as described. Arrived on time. However, as I tore the plastic off, I cut my finger on the movie case! It was broken! The movie, itself, seems fine ( which is all that matters), but it’s just not safe to send broken items for people to cut themselves on!!

FUN.

This Robin Williams movie is funny to watch. I think any child at heart would enjoy it.

Works and thanks

I watched this with my son when he was about six years old. I'm not sure which of us enjoyed it the most. I encourage other dads to do so as well. Lots to talk about.

Very happy to add this to my Robin Williams film collection.

Everything about the movie was awsome

quel plaisirs de revoir cette comedie avec notre regrete acteur

bellissimo film consigliato!

Esta peli me encanta! Lo único es que mi dvd no la reproduce pero la vi en la compu! ❤️

Perfecto castellano