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# Nice thought, lousy movie
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/nice-thought-lousy-movie/
- Published: 2005-12-02T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T08:15:32.000Z
- Author: Dan Dunn
- Tags: Entertainment, Santa Monica, #archive-import

Perhaps only an insensitive jerk would be callous enough to criticize an ostensibly well-meaning film starring an infectiously upbeat teenager afflicted with cerebral palsy (Eric Gores). OK, I’m game: “The Kid & I” is an awful movie — hell, it’s an awful after-school special — and no amount of good intentions can cover up that fact. One of the most baffling and indulgent projects ever to come out of Tinseltown — and, boy, is that saying a lot — “Kid” was financed by Gores’ father, who happens to be star-scribe Tom Arnold’s next door neighbor.

Highly suspect art imitates life with Arnold as Bill Williams, fittingly a never-has-been actor on the verge of suicide who gets a new lease on life when he’s hired to pen and star in a “True Lies”-like action movie. The catch: His co-star Aaron “A-Dog” Roman (Gores), the son of the film’s wealthy financier (Joe Mantegna) has no professional acting experience AND suffers from CP. Needing the break and the dough, Williams reluctantly signs on, unaware that film is intended solely for a private showing at A-Dog’s 18th birthday party. Ironically, the fictional film Williams writes is more interesting (barely) than Arnold’s actual one. Co-stars, some of whom it’s safe to assume must also live on Gores’ block, include Linda Hamilton, Henry Winkler and Shannon Elizabeth. Head-scratching cameos from Shaquille O’Neal, football Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis put the $#@% in “What the $#@% is going on here?”

While there’s nothing wrong with a well-to-do dad and his celebrity pals doing something special for a special kid, it seems almost cruel to subject the lad to the sort of public scrutiny a project such as this was certain to invite. On top of that, theatrical releases are for-profit ventures, and that raises all sorts of questions about the dubious ethics of attempting to cash in a young man’s misfortune and asking us to foot the bill. (RATED PG-13\. RUNNING TIME: 93 MINUTES)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 2, 2005.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/120205.pdf?ref=smdp.com)