Saturday, August 26, 2006

How To Eat Fried Worms

Each time I schlep my kids to the doctor for a shot, or to the dentist for something equally as scary, I remind them that the worst part of the experience is more likely to be the stress, fear and anxiety leading up to the event, rather than the event itself. Shots take literal seconds, and then is over. But, that's typically after hours of worry, hand-wringing and crying.

Same with eating worms. Even fried ones. Or, so I'm told.

The kids and I, and one of their friends, hit the early showing of How To Eat Fried Worms today. Fried Worms is a really neat film about fitting in, really. While the main theme involves an 11-year-old kid (played remarkably by Luke Benward) trying to fit in at a new school while overcoming the aggressive antics of a bully, a peripheral theme demonstrates the difficulties the kid's father has fitting into his new job, and getting along with his new co-workers.

Sometimes you gotta eat a few worms (figuratively, as well as literally in this case) to prove your mettle. To others, and to yourself.

I really liked the movie, and my kids loved it. Their reviews:

Maddisen (10): "My favorite part was the worm blowing up in the microwave."

Madison (10): "My favorite part was the worm blowing up in the microwave."

Griffyn (5): "My favorite part was at the end, the boy and the bully become friends."

Jaden (3): "My favorite part was the worm blowing up in the microwave."

The Film Geek: "The ending, when the kids work through their problems and realize they can become friends was rewarding. And it had a great message. Like when the kid realizes that it is the fear of eating the worms that is so much worse than actually eating them, his stress and fear is overcome. Plus, that worm blowing up in the microwave was way cool."

2 comments:

Barbie Girl said...

I think I read that book when I was a kid.

I don't remember worms blowing up in the microwave but it does sound pretty cool.

jedijawa said...

That would be because microwave ovens hadn't been invented yet when the book was written. Okay, not entirely true...microwaves didn't become widespread until the mid 80's even though they had been around when the book was written in 1973.

I loved that book and read it after seeing one of those after-school specials that the networks used to run that was based off of it. Of course, I read all of those books from Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume, James Howe, and others with all of their salacious ideas and corrupting influences and I think I turned out okay...I think. I'm surprised it took this long to make it a movie.