by Monica Schwarze
Editorial Director
It is not easy being the president. This theme has been repeated time and time again, most recently in 1993’s “Dave” and this year’s “The American President.” Now, Walt Disney Pictures and director David M. Evans have recycled the message once again in “First Kid,” a movie that illustrates just how tough it is to be the president’s son.
Brock Pierce plays Luke Davenport, a 12-year-old kid struggling to be normal in spite of the fact that his home address is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. His need to fit in leads him to press the boundaries of obnoxious behavior. After he moons a crowd at the local mall, his prim and proper first lady mother (Lisa Eichhorn) grounds him to the White House and reassigns Sam Simms (Sinbad), a happy-go-lucky Secret Service Agent, as full-time babysitter.
The story that follows is predictable, with Simms, no more than a big kid himself, sneaking Luke into Virginia for boxing lessons and school dances. He also provides much-needed advice on winning the girl of his dreams (Erin Williby) and beating the school bully (Zachary Ty Bryan) at his own game. The two eventually become best buddies while foiling a national security risk.
The theme of an average Joe breathing new life into America’s highest office is not new, and, with lines like Luke’s tearful cry of “I bet you didn’t have to live like a prisoner when you were a kid,” Tim Kelleher’s script often feels a bit too slick and formulaic.
The film is raised from this near-banality only by believable, sympathetic performances on the parts of Pierce and Sinbad. As Luke, Pierce shows a mixture of restraint and energy not commonly displayed by a young actor. Although some of his pranks border on the dangerous (he sneaks a boa constrictor into a State dinner), his hijinks remain childish, but never annoying. He manages to create a character that kids will relate to and adults will sympathize with. After all, what student has not, at some point, felt like an outcast among his peers?
If “First Kid” makes one thing clear, it is that Luke is an outcast. His only friends are made via the Internet, his teachers talk down to him and his schoolyard brawls are broadcast on the evening news. Even the camera angles, which look down on Luke, shrinking him to minuscule proportions, beat into the audience’s heads that the president’s son can’t fit in.
Luckily, Sinbad is present to save this theme from carbon-copy sap. His performance is witty, intelligent and energetic, and “First Kid” is a perfect vehicle for his comedic talent. His intimidating physique makes him plausible as a former boxer-turned-Secret Service agent, but he brings a teddy-bear softness to the character that makes him every kid’s—and parent’s—dream babysitter.
This is primarily a kid’s film, chock-full of visual gags, but Sinbad manages to make even the most outrageous of these jokes seem both real and hilarious. Kids will roar at the image of the comedian, bathed in the remnants of a food fight, and tentatively holding a snake, while he assures the president that “I’ve got the situation under control.”
Kelleher has said he drew on personal experience to script Luke’s pranks and Simm’s misadventures. Perhaps this is why these visual jokes end up as some of the film’s funniest and warmest moments.
There are also a few jokes sophisticated enough for even the most jaded adults to enjoy, particularly a Sonny Bono cameo. Unfortunately, these surprisingly funny moments are few and far between, as Kelleher has written the film primarily for the younger set.
Luke and Simms make up most of the movie, and, as a result, some of the supporting characters could have used more definition. James Naughton is appropriately stiff as the very official, carefully nonpartisan president, but the role of America’s most powerful man should have been meatier. The same could be said for Williby’s character, Katie, and Simm’s love interest, Susan (Fawn Reed). Sinbad’s overpowering presence calls for strong supporting players, and this is one area in which “First Kid” is lacking. Even the villain (Timothy Busfield) comes off as flat and melodramatic, rather than dangerous and frightening.
The one standout in the supporting cast is Bryan. As the school bully, Rob, he is every kid’s worst nightmare, but his acting shows a touch of insecurity that makes his character sympathetic and childlike, as well as menacing.
“First Kid” is a fun, but predictable, romp that is well-suited for the pre-teen audience. Kids will relate to Luke while laughing at Simms, and their parents will appreciate the rare, higher-brow humor. It is an energetic, engaging film that is fun to watch, if you do not mind knowing exactly what is going to happen next.
