What Is ‘North’ About?
Meanwhile, his plight turns him into a media sensation and resonates with similarly disgruntled (ungrateful?)
children around the world, inspiring them to rebel against their parents.
What follows is a head-scratching ending that hardly validates or enhances what preceded it.
To say thatNorthis a peculiar viewing experience would be an understatement.
On one hand, Reiner’s film is a whimsical and offbeatcoming-of-age parableabout childhood angst and yearning.
“I hated this movie,” Ebert infamously wrote.
“Hated hated hated hated hated this movie.
Hated every simpering stupid vacant audience-insulting moment of it.
Hated the sensibility that thought anyone would like it.
Hated the implied insult to the audience by its belief that anyone would be entertained by it.”
DespiteNorth’s undesirable reputation, however,Reiner has gone on record in defense of the film.
“I just thought, hey this is a little fable,“he told Indiewire.
“But the critics!
Roger Ebert said, I hated this movie!
He said hated seven times.”
“That fantasy that kids have at all times.
So, I liked that.”
Reiner should own that distinction and wear it like a badge of irreverent honor.
Northis available to rent on Amazon in the U.S.
