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The Mighty (1997)
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Movie Review by Zara 
January 24th, 2007
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the Wizard of Oz doesn't live in South Cincinnati
Growing up is all about finding out which class you're in. No, not your economic class. No, not the classroom that you're going to be bored to tears in for the next 9 months. I'm talking about the class that you are designated to by your peers. The tough kids hang with the tough kids. The popular kids all sit at the same table. And we all know the rules about jocks and playing on the same team. The same concept holds true for the freaks. Those kids who created a niche when they were pushed out of all the others.
THE MIGHTY tells the story of one freak, an abnormally large for his age kid named Max. Max lives with his grandparents after his father has been sent to prison for his mother's murder. He towers over the other kids in school and yet is still tormented by a group of bullies who he attempts to ignore. When he meets his new neighbor, a disabled kid nicknamed "Freak," he reluctantly befriends him. Their friendship evolves into a partnership where, as Max describes it, he is the legs and Freak is the brain. They daydream that they are modern day knights, and roam around on "quests."
It seems that there is a "sick kid syndrome" in Hollywood, as almost every kid with a fatal disease is full of wit and intelligence and never shows an ounce of bitterness over their situation. That aside, THE MIGHTY is a strong tale. Henson and Culkin (what, were those kids bred to be good actors or something?) are unaffected and believable. The cast also benefits from a stellar set of supporting actors who manage to do more than just add that "Oh! That's (so-n-so)" factor to the mix. The ending is heart-wrenching without being overly sentimental and there are more elements to it than your standard family fare. This is a movie that everyone can enjoy, regardless of age, gender.... or class.
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