Hoot

HOOT

by Jane Louise Boursaw

MPAA Rating: PG for mild bullying and brief language
Suggested Ages: 6+
Released in Theaters: May 5, 2006
Reel Rating: 3 out of 4 Reels

Should you bring the kids? Yes! This is one of those rare movies with a great message, but almost no objectionable scenes. Kids younger than 6 might be bored, though. For more info, see "Bringing the Kids" below.

THE STORY: Think saving owls is yesterday's news? Not so! This feel-good movie proves it's never too late to stand up for the earth's precious creatures. Based on the best-selling book by Carl Hiaasen, it tells the story of 14-year-old Roy Eberhardt (Logan Lerman), the perpetual new kid on the block. Due to his father's job with the U.S. Justice Department, Roy has lived in ten towns and attended six schools since kindergarten.

This time, he moves from Montana to the sleepy Gulf Coast hamlet of Coconut Cove, Florida. Roy quickly learns that, like every other town he's lived in, Florida has its share of bullies. In this case, it's Dana Matherson (Eric Phillips), a hulking monster who welcomes Roy by smashing his face against the school bus window.

But Roy also meets Mullet Fingers (Cody Linley), a wiry runaway who lives in the woods, and his stepsister Beatrice Leep (Brie Larson), who just happens to be the toughest kid in school. They tell Roy about a new chain restaurant about to break ground in Coconut Grove – Mother Paula's All-American Pancake House -- under the watchful eye of the company's P.R. executive, Chuck Muckle (Clark Gregg), who's really just a grown-up bully.

But Roy, Mullet, and Beatrice learn that the construction site is also home to a population of endangered owls who live in holes in the ground. The malicious Muckle and his dimwitted foreman, Curly Brannit (Tim Blake Nelson), are racing against the clock to erect the eatery, before town officials realize they've tampered with the environmental paperwork.

What follows is a series of adventures involving alligators, cottonmouth snakes, and a host of quirky humans, including corrupt politicians, Mother Paula herself (Jessica Cauffiel), and Officer David Delinko (Luke Wilson), the clueless cop whose life dream is to become a detective. Jimmy Buffett, who co-produced the movie and wrote original music, plays Mr. Ryan, a marine science teacher who equates everything in the world as an excuse to go surfing.

THE WRAP-UP: With no objectionable scenes, this is a good movie for all ages, although kids younger than six might be bored. The PG rating comes from some bullying at school; also, Beatrice ends up spending the night in Roy's room, but there's nothing funny going on – she's just escaping from her less-than-desirable family situation at home.

Walden Media, the production company behind this film, has a fabulous history of turning meaningful books into movies -- The Chronicles of Narnia, Holes, Because of Winn-Dixie, and The Giver (upcoming in 2007) are great examples. Walden's mission is not only to make charming movies, but also get kids reading again. So if your kids haven't read the book this movie is based on, now is the perfect time!

BRINGING THE KIDS:

PRESCHOOLERS (ages 2-5): Preschoolers will probably be bored with this movie. The little owls are cute as the dickens, but they're only on screen for a short while. Best to pop in some tot-friendly DVDs about the earth's critters. Good bets are Baby Einstein: World Animals, which delves into animals of the jungle, ocean and savannah; and Dora the Explorer: Meet Diego, which takes the little globetrotter on rescue missions involving a baby jaguar and a lost penguin.

GRADE-SCHOOLERS (ages 6 - 10): This is a great movie for grade-schoolers because it delves into a lot of issues facing real-life kids: bullies, feeling out of place, and standing up for what's right. And while the story is about owls, there are animals and habitats everywhere – even our own backyards -- that need someone to go to bat for them. Some things are worth fighting for, and this movie shows that we really CAN make a difference.

TWEEN / TEEN (ages 11+): The kids in this movie aren't tethered to Blackberries or iPods, and there's not one scene involving text-messaging – how refreshing! It's not just about preserving owls, it's also about preserving a non-cyber state of mind that's rapidly disappearing in our world. This movie also shows that there's a right way and a wrong way to take action. Mullet's method of pulling up survey stakes, spray-painting a police car, releasing poisonous snakes, and tying up the construction manager only serve to slow down the building process. But Roy's method of finding a loophole in the paperwork ends up succeeding.

SCORE: 3 out of 4 Reels

Jane's Reel Rating System:
One Reel: Pathetic. Even The Force can’t save it.
Two Reels: Tolerable. Coulda been a contender.
Three Reels: Thought-provoking. Something to talk about.
Four Reels: Wow! The stuff dreams are made of.