Quality family-oriented movies are few and far between. "Hoot," based on Carl Hiaasen's bestselling novel of the same name, is an entertaining, yet educational movie that'll have people cheering for the little guys.
Roy Eberhardt (Logan Lerman) has become accustomed to being the new kid in school. His father's job with the Department of Justice has them moving often. This time it's from Montana to Coconut Grove, Fla.
Roy isn't starting off on the right foot this time around; on his first day he catches the attention of school bully Dana Matherson (Eric Phillips) and the tough girl meets pretty girl, Beatrice the Beast (Brie Larson).
However, if Dana hadn't been smashing his face against the bus window, Roy wouldn't have seen the strangest boy running down the street barefoot (Cody Linley). He's intrigued and tries to find this kid, but Beatrice tells him to forget it otherwise he'll be in trouble.
In an out-of-character move, Roy stands up to both Dana and Beatrice. He learns the whereabouts of the barefoot boy and finds out what he's up to.
Roy discovers that Beatrice is related to the barefoot kid and that the recent reports of vandalism on the spot a new Mother Paula's Pancake House are also related to this mysterious kid.
Roy becomes a part of the plot to save the endangered Burrowing Owls that the barefoot kid has been trying to protect, much to the chagrin of his parents, the local police force and Mother Paula's people. But for Roy, this is more about standing up for what he believes in and stopping something unjust.
Family films usually leave the kids happy, but parents wishing that they'd had a babysitter take their kids to the movie. "Hoot" has the power to satisfy all ages.
With his first full-length feature film, Wil Shriner not only does a magnificent job of directing a young cast, he also paints a gorgeous picture with the Florida scenery.
Among the cast, Lerman definitely shines in the lead role. His character does have a few speeches which could be considered sappy "Oscar-winning moments," but it could be some time before he comes close to the real thing.
Larson's character undergoes a big transformation on the screen. She's the hard girl at the outset but ultimately sheds the angry glares, the chunky glasses and fixes her hair to become the soft girl next door.
Luke Wilson steps into the inept cop role (as Officer Delinko), who means well, but in a movie like this, can never get the better of the kids.
The message of the movie is good: Do what's right. It's a concept any child should learn.
"Hoot" opens everywhere on Friday, May 5.
Originally from Des Plaines, Ill., Heather moved to Milwaukee to earn a B.A. in journalism from Marquette University. With a tongue-twisting last name like Leszczewicz, it's best to go into a career where people don't need to say your name often.
However, she's still sticking to some of her Illinoisan ways (she won't reform when it comes to things like pop, water fountain or ATM), though she's grown to enjoy her time in the Brew City.
Although her journalism career is still budding, Heather has had the chance for some once-in-a-lifetime interviews with celebrities like actor Vince Vaughn and actress Charlize Theron, director Cameron Crowe and singers Ben Kweller and Isaac Hanson of '90s brother boy band Hanson.
Heather's a self-proclaimed workaholic but loves her entertainment. She's a real television and movie fanatic, book nerd, music junkie, coffee addict and pop culture aficionado.
