The Kid

Russ Duritz is a successful image consultant whose professional advice is sought after, though his contempt for anyone he considers unpolished has left him without close relationships. Approaching his fortieth birthday, he has money and possessions but little else, having grown distant from his father and lost touch with the interests he once had. Then a strange encounter brings him face to face with Rusty, an awkward, chubby eight-year-old who turns out to be Russ himself as a child, pulled forward from his own era. The two argue over how Russ has lived his life: the boy is dismayed by the man he becomes, while the adult is reminded of the shy, bullied kid he used to be. Working through their differences means revisiting the past and reconsidering what Russ still wants from his future.

Jon Turteltaub directed the film, his seventh feature, arriving between Instinct and National Treasure, from a screenplay by Audrey Wells. Bruce Willis plays the adult Russ, Spencer Breslin plays Rusty, and Emily Mortimer, Lily Tomlin, Jean Smart and Chi McBride appear in supporting roles. The production, from Walt Disney Pictures, carried a budget of 65 million dollars and took in about 110 million dollars worldwide.

On IMDb the film holds 6.1 out of 10 from roughly 46,000 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 6.8 from a much smaller base of voters. A critics' rating of 5.7 from 98 reviews places it below the audience scores.