THE SOCIAL COMMENTARY IN THE FILM

The top theme is making the most out of the time we have. Jack may think he has less time than everyone else, but the reality is none of us knows the number of days we have and we could die at any moment.  Jack is simply more aware of this than most people his age.

First love – Jack develops a crush on Miss Marquez but faces rejection. His emotional turmoil highlights the challenges of growing up and experiencing unreciprocated feelings.

Isolation and Loneliness – Jack’s lived a secluded life, interacting only with his parents and his tutor. He yearns to be with the other kids, but once he begins to face his own mortality, he also feels isolated from them, as they do not understand what he is facing.

His bond with Louis represents the importance of connecting with others as well as connecting with those who do not look like us. They find they have everything in common, regardless of their physical appearances and their lives up to that point.

WHAT I LOVED

Robin’s performance is once again amazing. He was the perfect person for this role, able to pull off the goofiness as well as the heartfelt moments.

Diane Lane’s performance was fantastic, as always, as well.

WHAT I DIDN'T

There were several pacing issues and sometimes the movie felt much slower than it was.

I never like seeing Bill Cosby now. But that’s a 2024 problem 1996 didn’t account for.

FAVORITE PARTS

Any time Diane Lane is on the screen because I think she is one of the most beautiful women ever.

Aside from that, I really enjoyed Robin’s interactions with the kids, particularly the basketball game.

OTHER THOUGHTS

This felt a lot like a nicer version of Billy Madison to me. Maybe it’s that I watched Billy when it came out and didn’t see this until now… but still.