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Audience Rating: G (General Audience) Binding: VHS Tape EAN: 9780788831904 Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Original recording reissued, NTSC ISBN: 0788831909 Label: Walt Disney Video Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video Number Of Items: 1 Publisher: Walt Disney Video Release Date: January 08, 2002 Running Time: 120 minutes Sales Rank: 39979 Studio: Walt Disney Video Theatrical Release Date: May 13, 2000
Amazon.com: Based on the real-life story of disabled soap box derby champion Justin Yoder, this Disney bio-pic manages the difficult trick of balancing earnestness with wit, action with family drama. Frankie Muniz (TV's Malcolm in the Middle) plays Justin, a 12-year-old who accepts the limitations of his spina bifida but still wants to win a trophy like his athlete brother. Rick Rossovich and Molly Hagan are note perfect as his thoroughly likable but flawed parents, and Patrick Levis deftly portrays the difficulties of being a loving older brother who gets fed up always having to play second fiddle to his brother and his disease. Frequent trips into Justin's avid imagination, which provide humor and context, help the film avoid the sentimentality that usually accompanies triumph-over-adversity movies. (For instance, God is a race car driver who wears a T-shirt proclaiming "I don't make mistakes.") The smart script is cheerfully candid about Justin's problems (such as vomiting and lack of bladder control) and honest about the strain a disability puts on a family, but it's packed with enough action to sate the sports-minded viewer. (Ages 6 and older) --Kimberly Heinrichs
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - True entertainment
This is a true story about a boy named Justin who is born with Spina bifida. His family is very active in sports, and he is trying to live up to the reputation set by his fater and older brother. It is an insperiational story about over comming life's obsticles. I would reccoment this movie to be part of your collection for children as well as adults to enjoy.
Rating: - A Movie of Understanding and Acceptance
Through Justin's character I see a part of me, and other young disabled people who are trying to make a stand, showing who they are.
It was nice he'd won the prize trophy,but gaining respect was more rewarding.
Seeing his older brother react reminded me of my own family. A siblings "need" to be wanted, and not over looked, is common in a home like Justin's. Strangely awkward the "affected" wish for normalcy, and desire doing activities their loved one takes for granted. We would undoubtedly favor playing in their baseball games, than siting on sidelines looking onward, because our ... Read More
Rating: - miracle in lane 2--
A feel-good movie based on a true story. Frankie Muntz does a wonderful job of playing a boy with a shunt in his neck. The boy feels a need to be normal and find his niche like his older brother. I love his version of God. "God's explanations are pretty good for a race car driver. I don't care for the final scene in this movie but I can look over it.There are a few life threatening scenes that may be too intense for younger children but it is a sweet, sweet movie that I recommend to the whole family.
Rating: - Touching Story
When I first saw this movie on the Disney Channel, I was 13, and from there I was totally in love with the movie. My nephew went through something similar, unfortuantly he passed away about a week after the movie Debuted. Frankie Muniz is so believable in this Movie that you actually believe he's going through it in real life. I think this is the Best Movie by far for Frankie Muniz.I was an avid Disney Channel viewer at age 13 and this film also had alot of Disney channel Stars in it.
Rating: - I could relate
I have a vision impairment, so I could relate to having over-protective parents, but the thing that I related to more was Justin's brother. I had a severely handicapped brother (he passed away when he was 10) and so I can DEFINITELY understand where the brother was coming from. There is a constant struggle between wanting the same amount of attention that your "special" sibling is getting and being afraid something will happen to that sibling.
So in a nutshell, I thought it was a great movie. The part at the end where Justin gets to see what heaven looks like was kinda weird, but I ... Read More
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