The Mighty

Award-winning actresses Sharon Stone (SPHERE, CASINO) and Gillian Anderson (THE X-FILES) star in this uplifting motion picture that's received overwhelming critical acclaim! With his loving and supportive mother (Stone), 13-year-old Kevin (Kieran Culkin) moves in next door to another teen, Max. Though both have problems that label them as outcasts, Kevin and Max discover that by proudly combining their strengths and uniting as one, they can overcome their individual limitations and triumph over any adversity! As the two set out on a series of courageous adventures, they find the mightiest treasure of all: friendship! With Gena Rowlands (PLAYING BY HEART) and a stellar supporting cast, THE MIGHTY is truly exceptional entertainment that will lift your spirits and touch your heart!

Caught between the purest of intentions and unimaginative shortcuts to sentimentality, The Mighty is nevertheless rewarding enough to make it worth seeing. Kieran Culkin stars as Kevin, a terminally ill but spirited young boy who befriends a healthy but illiterate social outcast, Maxwell (Elden Henson). They realize that together they are a stronger, braver force than they are as individuals, and the various opportunities they have to confront persecutors and memories of their bad fathers are handled very effectively by director Peter Chelsom (a very original filmmaker who made the terrific Funny Bones). The curious adult casting includes Sharon Stone (a natural scene-stealer even when she doesn't intend it) as Kevin's saintly mother, and Gillian Anderson in a quite-unbelievable supporting role. Chelsom's lapses in judgment are not terribly significant (imaginary appearances by Camelot-era knights on horseback are the most annoying), though one could argue that a plot to kidnap one of the boys is a cheesy way to underscore the kids' redemptive loyalty to one another. Still, all in all, you can laugh and cry at this tale of rare friendship, and admire the sensitive performances by Chelsom's younger players. --Tom Keogh