North (1994)
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After feeling unvalued by his parents, a young boy attempts to 'divorce' them and embark on a quest to find new ones.
The story
Skilled in academics, sports, and drama, 11-year-old North feels unvalued by his parents. After a conversation with a man in a bunny suit, he decides his parents are undeserving of his devotion. With the help of his best friend Winchell and a lawyer named Arthur Belt, North successfully petitions to 'divorce' his parents. The court grants him one summer to find new parents or face being sent to an orphanage. His journey begins as he travels to various locations, including Texas, to find a new family that will appreciate him for who he is, rather than for his accomplishments.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After 'divorcing' his parents, North travels to Texas, where he is treated as a replacement for a deceased son. In Hawaii, he is used as a tool for a tourism campaign. In Alaska, he witnesses the cold reality of his new 'parents' and realizes his time is running out. After several failed attempts to find a suitable family in locations like Zaire, China, and Paris, he finds the Nelsons, who offer him genuine appreciation but fail to satisfy him. Desperate, North flees to New York City, where his former allies, Winchell and Arthur, attempt to eliminate him to protect their lucrative business. While on the run, he receives a video from his original parents seeking forgiveness. He is eventually transported back home in a FedEx box. Just as a hitman prepares to strike, North awakens in a mall, realizing the entire journey was a dream. He finds a silver dollar in his pocket, a token he believes he has always had for luck, and is greeted warmly by his parents.
- First release year
- 1994
- Runtime (minutes)
- 87
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Rob Reiner
- Writers
- Alan Zweibel · screenplay; Andrew Scheinman · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Elijah Wood · title role; Jon Lovitz; Jason Alexander; Alan Arkin; Dan Aykroyd; Kathy Bates; Faith Ford; Graham Greene; Julia Louis-Dreyfus; Reba McEntire; John Ritter; Abe Vigoda
- Genres
- adventure; comedy-drama
- Themes
- dysfunctional families; identity
- Tone and mood
- fantasy; comedy
- Setting
- Various locations including Texas, Hawaii, Alaska, Zaire, China, Paris, and New York City during the summer.
- Premise and plot tags
- road trip; fantasy; coming-of-age
- Source material / true-story basis
- North: The Tale of a 9-Year-Old Boy Who Becomes a Free Agent and Travels the World in Search of the Perfect Parents
- Reception
- The film was a box office failure and was widely panned by critics, with some calling it one of the worst films ever made.
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Raspberry Awards · Worst Picture · 15th · nomination; Golden Raspberry Awards · Worst Director · 15th · nomination
- Production trivia
- A 9-year-old Scarlett Johansson appears in her film debut.; The film was shot in multiple locations including Hawaii, Alaska, and New York.; John Candy was originally cast as Pa Tex before being replaced by Dan Aykroyd.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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