Themes: Living With Disability, Unlikely Friendships
Main Cast: Sharon Stone, Elden Henson, Kieran Culkin, Gena Rowlands, Harry Dean Stanton
Release Year: 1998
Country: US
Run Time: 100 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
In the tradition of My Left Foot (1989), Peter Chelsom directed this emotional drama of outcasts, adapted from the Rodman Philbrick's popular young-adult novel Freak the Mighty. Although burly, slow-paced eight-grader Maxwell Kane (Elden Hensen), who narrates, is learning disabled, he nevertheless has a poetic soul, as evidenced when he meets the bright and brainy Kevin Dillon (Kieran Culkin), crippled by a birth defect. The physically deformed Kevin, who wears leg braces and uses crutches, suffers from Morquio's Syndrome, which causes physical growth to stop after the age of six. Illiterate Max gets Kevin as a reading tutor, and the two misfits soon become friends, sharing a vision of life as a contemporary Camelot. Gena Rowlands and Harry Dean Stanton appear as Max's grandparents and guardians. Max is portrayed by 19-year-old Emerson College filmmaking student Henson, while Sharon Stone has the role of Gwen Dillon, Kevin's mother. Boston-born author Philbrick, who winters in Key West, otherwise resides in Seacoast, New Hampshire (the setting of the book). The movie was filmed at a soundstage in Toronto, the University of Toronto, Cincinnati, and Covington, Kentucky. Exhibited out of competition at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
Review
Ably sidestepping treacle, the modern fairy tale The Mighty succeeds on the strength of true performances by the pituitary-challenged Elden Henson and Kieran Culkin (showcasing far more natural ability than ever displayed by his older brother, McCauley). That the latter child actor rides around on the shoulders of the former for much of the movie, together one complete boy, makes them a defiant rather than pitiable twosome, shrugging off the everyday abuses that dot their lives. John DeBorman's inventive camerawork draws out the wonder from Charles Leavitt's clean adaptation, while Peter Chelsom's solid direction further strengthens the package. The decision to split the narrative into chapters, each dressed up with medieval flourishes, also effectively translates the epic spirit of the children's storytelling. What doesn't seem quite so neat is that the boys' adventures actually take on the life-or-death quality of knightly combat; fellow eighth graders come at them with knives, really meaning to cut them, and they become embroiled with an escaped convict who wants their blood. One wouldn't think a boy on crutches and a harmless giant would warrant such heavy artillery. The quiet moments of friendship are better, making it easy for a viewer to dream away into the world they create. The Mighty is a minor film, to be sure, but it's a pleasing one. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
Dennis Davenport - Art Director, Mary Gail Artz - Casting, Barbara Cohen - Casting, Don Carmody - Co-producer, Marie-Sylvie Deveau - Costume Designer, David J.Webb - First Assistant Director, Peter Chelsom - Director, Martin Walsh - Editor, Bob Weinstein - Executive Producer, Harvey Weinstein - Executive Producer, Julie Goldstein - Executive Producer, Trevor Jones - Composer (Music Score), Caroline Hanania - Production Designer, John DeBorman - Cinematographer, Amy Ostrower - Production Manager, Simon Fields - Producer, Jane Startz - Producer, Cal Loucks - Set Designer, Bruce Carwardine - Sound/Sound Designer, Charles Leavitt - Screenwriter, Rodman Philbrick - Book Author
Kevin (Kieran Culkin) suffers from a rare, inhibiting disability, known as Mucopolysaccharidosis IV, or Morquio syndrome. He is extremely intelligent and prone to flights of fancy. Max (Elden Henson) is an oversized boy suffering from a learning disability called dyslexia. He has flunked the seventh grade twice and is tormented by Blade, a teenage gang leader. When Kevin is assigned as Max's reading tutor, they form a bond of friendship over the similar circumstances they share, such as both being outcasts and their fathers abandoning them. Kevin and Max go to the fireworks and get attacked by Blade and his gang. Kevin then witnesses that same gang of teens putting someone's purse in a sewer later. After Max and Kevin get the purse, they see it belongs to a lady named Lorretta Lee. Kevin and Max return the purse to Lorretta (Gillian Anderson) and see that she is married to Iggy Lee (Meat Loaf), a biker gang leader. Lorretta and Iggy recognize Max as the son of infamous criminal Kenneth "Killer" Kane (James Gandolfini). On Christmas Eve, Max is kidnapped by Kenny Kane and taken to Lorretta's home. Killer Kane tries to murder Lorretta, causing Max to remember when Killer Kane killed Max's mother, which was the whole reason he went to prison in the first place. Kevin then breaks in with a squirt gun and tells Killer Kane that he has sulfuric acid in it. Kevin shoots Killer Kane with the squirt gun and Kane thinks his eyes are burning. Police come and arrest Kane. Max and Kevin go home and celebrate Christmas the next week. After exchanging gifts, Kevin gives Max an empty book and tells Max to write in it. The next morning, Max learns that Kevin has died, causing Max to run outside in barefeet chasing the ambulance. Later, Max remembers Kevin and all the adventures they had and he decides to write it all in the empty book. Max eventually gets writers block on the last page so he puts an illustration of King Arthur's grave, which reads, "Here Lies King Arthur, Once and Future King." Max takes the old ornithopter (his mechanical air plane) that belonged to Kevin and he winds it up, making it fly. Max narrates the final sentence, "So now you have heard the story of Freak the Mighty, who slayed dragons, saved maidens, and walked high above the world."
The film was a commercial flop, even as it received decent reviews and was hailed as the year's Good Will Hunting. Miramax marketed the film in newspaper ads that included Sharon Stone's name and omitted the other cast members, including Freak and Max.
