bj_kuehl

I like Adrien Brody's work, so I looked forward to getting my hands on this somewhat difficult-to-find movie, and it was worth the effort. It's a heart-warming story about an orphaned 13-year old NYC street urchin who is sent via the Orphan Train to Nebraska where he is adopted by a Swedish immigrant family who recently lost their older son to typhoid. Not everything is hunky-dory, of course, and both orphan and family are forced to adjust to each other and remember what it feels like to be a newcomer in a strange place. The story moves along briskly, and there are two scenes in which Brody performs magic tricks that earned him the name "the Amazing Adrien" when he was growing up. An additional bonus is included in which discussion topics are suggested for parents who wish to use this story as a teaching-tool with their children. If you're a Brody fan and/or you grew up watching "Little House on the Prairie," this movie will appeal to you.

I just watched "Solo", and I don't think it's as bad as some reviewers have suggested. I'm not an action movie aficionado, but I found the movie an enjoyable, maybe mindless, hour-and-a-half. Mario van Peebles did his best to present himself as a cyborg with human tendencies. Barry Corbin is always enjoyable when in his Maurice Minnifield persona. Adrien Brody is wonderfully emotive as the scientist who cares about his creation. My only question, after watching the movie, is how Solo continues to survive without anyone to repair his power management chip.