newsies family movie review

(C, B, L, V, D) This very positive portrayal of Christian charity is marred by 3 vulgarities, strike riots, and minors smoking.

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When publishing giant Joseph Pulitzer tries to cheat the newsboys working for his New York World News in 1899, he finds he has bitten off more than he can chew in NEWSIES, Disney’s latest musical venture. When Pulitzer cuts costs by raising the pick-up price charged the newsboys, young Jack Kelly, with the help of David, the “brains” of the outfit, urges the newsies to strike. Unable to break the strike, Pulitzer wages a personal war on Jack and David, threatening Jack with a return to the boy’s prison from which he escaped, and David with harm to his family. Still the determined newsies fight (and sing and dance) on to a final showdown that eventually gets the sympathetic attention of President Teddy Roosevelt himself.

NEWSIES is one of the better family films, largely due to the strength of its performances. Unfortunately, only two of the original songs will stay with you the next day, and the disregard for the law encouraged during the strike is troublesome–though it is not graphic enough to offend most viewers. Commendable, however, is the positive portrayal of nuns who feed the boys during the opening number. Viewed with caution, NEWSIES is a film for the whole family.

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Newsies Parent Guide

Extra extra paperboys sing and dance while on strike.

Newsies is a musical film about New York newspaper boys who, after having the cost of their papers raised by a tenth of a cent (the film is set in 1899), decide to organize and go on strike.

Release date April 10, 1992

Run Time: 121 minutes

Official Movie Site

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The guide to our grades, parent movie review by rod gustafson.

Newsies is a film about New York newspaper carriers who, after having the cost of their papers raised by a tenth of a cent (the film is set in 1899), decide they are going to organize and go on strike. They go up against newspaper tycoon Joseph Pulitzer , and show the world what a bunch of boys can really do.

The opening credits claim this movie is inspired by a true story—and in fact a group of newspaper boys in New York did protest because the price of their papers were raised. ( Click here to learn more about their plight ). But one should be skeptical about how much historical accuracy you’ll find here. This movie does however provide a couple of hours of entertainment.

Part of the problem is that this is a musical, not a serious drama. So, despite the fact that the story alludes to poverty, violence on the streets and children being forced to grow up before their time, the song and dance numbers distract from the desperateness of the situation. This diminishes the viewer’s understanding of why the small increase of a penny is such a big deal to these young entrepreneurs, as well as understates the courage it must have taken for such a ragtag group of juveniles to organize and stand up to the oppression they faced from the adult world.

Young Christian Bale and David Moscow give great performances in their lead roles as newsies. Other notables are Robert Duvall as the haughty Pulitzer, Bill Pullman as the sincere journalist and Ann-Margret as a provocative vaudeville starlet. (In a cast comprised almost entirely of males, I guess including her character was the only way to try and sneak some sex appeal into the script.)

No sillier than other big productions like Oliver! , Annie and West Side Story , as long as you are willing to put your mind on standby for a while, you may find Newsies an enjoyable experience.

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Rod Gustafson

Newsies rating & content info.

Why is Newsies rated PG? Newsies is rated PG by the MPAA for mild violence.

Violence: Because of the frequent musical numbers in this movie, violent depictions may seem less serious, even though there are a lot of them. Child laborers are at the mercy of their adult employers. Children are bullied, threatened verbally and attacked with physical force (adults pull out chains and clubs to beat boys). Boys retaliate with slingshots, punches and kicks. A boy is on the run from a prison warden who takes advantage of his position at the children’s penitentiary that he oversees. Some youth are incarcerated. Police turn a blind eye to injustices or are part of the crowd that tries to physically restrain the youth. Teens threaten and push around a girl and her younger brother. Teens fight and one boy uses iron knuckles as a weapon. An adult character tries to bribe a youth. A boy is held against his will. Characters steal and lie.

Sexual Content: A vaudeville performer dresses provocatively and sings some sexually suggestive songs. A young woman is unsure if there are sexual intentions when two male assailants threaten her and push her around.

Language: Infrequent use of mild profanities.

Alcohol / Drug Use: Teen boys smoke cigarettes and cigars. A ten-year-old says he drank beer. Drinks, that might be alcoholic, are served at a restaurant.

Page last updated July 17, 2017

Newsies Parents' Guide

A newspaper journalists tries to help the boys get recognition for their plight. How does using the written word become a big part of their fight? Why does he tell them that an event didn’t happen if it doesn’t get coverage in the papers? How does Pulitzer use the power of the press to gain personal power?

Learn more about the real strike of 1899 that was the bases for this story.

This film has gone on to enjoy a cult following. If you are a fan of Newsies , what is it about the production that captivates you? Read more about the history of the Newsies movie .

The most recent home video release of Newsies movie is June 19, 2012. Here are some details…

Home Video Notes: Newsies - 20th Anniversary Release Date: 19 June 2012 Newsies celebrates its 20th Anniversary with a Blu-ray release. Bonus extras include: - Commentary with Filmmakers - Newsies, Newsies, See All About It - Newsies: The Inside Story - The Strike! The True Story - Storyboard to Scene Comparison Sequence with Commentary - Sing-Along Feature

Related home video titles:

Christian Bale continued to act as he grew up, and is now perhaps best known for his role as Batman . Bill Pullman stars in While You Were Sleeping . The musical Oliver! also depicts, in a not-so-serious way, the desperate situation of parentless children – this time in the streets of London.

“Newsies,” we are informed as the movie opens, is based on actual events. I do not doubt this. I am sure that shortly before the turn of the century, newsboys organized a strike against the greedy Joseph Pulitzer, and were cheered on by a dance-hall madam with a heart of gold. Nor do I doubt that the lads, some of them boys of 9 or 10, hung out in saloons and bought rounds of beer while making their plans, or that the proprietor of an evil city orphanage made himself rich by collecting fees from the city. I don’t even doubt that the newsboys printed their own strike paper on an old flatbed press in the basement of Pulitzer’s building. Of course I believe.

Yes, Virginia.

What I find hard to believe, however, is that anyone thought the screenplay based on these actual events was of compelling interest. “Newsies” is like warmed-over Horatio Alger, complete with such indispensable cliches as the newsboy on crutches, the little kid, and of course the hero’s best pal, who has a pretty sister. Nor does the movie lack the standard villains, including Oscar nominee Michael Lerner as the hardhearted circulation manager.

In the role of New York publisher Joseph Pulitzer, Robert Duvall , wearing a beard that makes him look like one of the Smith Brothers, plays a standard fatcat industrialist, with none of the wit or insight that the original Pulitzer employed while selling the first mass-circulation newspapers to the unwashed masses. The real Pulitzer, who was one of the inspirations for “ Citizen Kane ,” must have known something about ordinary people; here he seems to despise them.

Ann-Margret , who plays Madda, the dance hall star, has a role whose purpose is all but incomprehensible. She acts as a sort of big sister and confidante to the striking newsboys, chucking some of them under the chin while talking to others in terms of fairly alarming intimacy. Are we to guess that her dealings with some of the lads have gone beyond buying a paper for a penny? She performs onstage in her music hall, which functions in the movie primarily as a transparent device for getting an Ann-Margret number into the show.

The newsies themselves are up in arms because Mr. Pulitzer has cut their take by a tenth of a cent. They organize, form a union, and agitate for workers’ rights with such articulate energy that we can only wonder what these kids could accomplish if they were high school graduates, instead of street waifs. They sing and dance a lot, too, on Olde New York street sets that stretch unconvincingly for hundreds of yards down studio backlots. The music is by Alan Menken , whose material for “ The Little Mermaid ” and “ Beauty And The Beast ” (1991)  was unforgettable. Here he achieves the opposite result.

I saw the movie at a Saturday morning preview attended by hundreds of children. From what I could see and hear, the kids didn’t get much out of it. No wonder. Although the material does indeed involve young protagonists, no effort is made to show their lives in a way today’s kids can identify with. This movie must seem as odd to them as a foreign film. The fact that old man Pulitzer once tried to cheat newsies out of a tenth of a cent must represent, for many of them, the very definition of the underwhelming.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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A musical based on the New York City newsboy strike of 1899. When young newspaper sellers are exploited beyond reason by their bosses they set out to enact change and are met by the ruthless... Read all A musical based on the New York City newsboy strike of 1899. When young newspaper sellers are exploited beyond reason by their bosses they set out to enact change and are met by the ruthlessness of big business. A musical based on the New York City newsboy strike of 1899. When young newspaper sellers are exploited beyond reason by their bosses they set out to enact change and are met by the ruthlessness of big business.

• Kenny Ortega
• Bob Tzudiker
• Christian Bale
• Bill Pullman
• Robert Duvall
• 318 User reviews
• 26 Critic reviews
• 46 Metascore
• 1 win & 6 nominations

Top cast 99+

• Bryan Denton

• Joseph Pulitzer

• Medda Larkson

• David Jacobs

• Racetrack Higgins

• Spot Conlon

• Snipeshooter
• (as Matthew Fields)
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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• Trivia Christian Bale was supposedly ashamed to tell his friends that the movie was a musical.
• Goofs The real 1899 New York newsboys' strike was a partial failure. Prices were not lowered, although before the strike, unsold papers were not refunded, whereas afterwards they were.

Joseph Pulitzer : Anyone who doesn't act in their own self interest is a fool.

David Jacobs : Then what does that make you?

Joseph Pulitzer : What?

Jack Kelly : Oh, this is my pal, Davey. The Walkin' Mouth.

David Jacobs : You talk about self-interest, but since the strike, your circulation's been down 70%. Everyday you're losing thousands of dollars just to beat us out of one lousy tenth of a cent. Why?

Jack Kelly : You see, it ain't about the money, Dave. It Joe gives in to nobodies like us, it means we got the power. And he can't do that, no matter what it costs.

• Crazy credits During the closing credits, the names of the cast are divided in three groups billed as such: The Newsies, Friends of the Newsies and The Opposing Forces.
• On the soundtrack for "Newsies" during the song "Carrying The Banner" there is a line that goes, "You need a smile as sweet as butter, the kind that ladies can't resist. It takes an orphan, with a stutter, who ain't afraid to use his fists." This footage is also present during the song on one of the featurettes, however in the movie, this part is cut, leading straight to the scene where the boys jump over the barrels.
• During another featurette, one of the cast members mentions that Christian Bale had to learn an extra skill for his part and then there is footage of him with a lasso doing various tricks. This scene appears to be from the "Santa Fe" song, although it is not made clear.
• Connections Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Straight Talk/Rock-a-Doodle/Thunderheart/Beethoven/Raise the Red Lantern (1992)
• Soundtracks Carrying the Banner Music by Alan Menken Lyrics by Jack Feldman Performed by Max Casella , Matthew Schoenfeld , Trey Parker , Mark David , Marty Belafsky , Aaron Lohr , Christian Bale , Michael A. Goorjian , and the Newsies Ensemble with JoAnn Harris, Sylvia Short , Melody Santangello , and Lois Young

User reviews 318

• Funnibone31
• Sep 15, 2002
• How long is Newsies? Powered by Alexa
• April 10, 1992 (United States)
• United States
• Official site
• The News Boys
• New York Street, Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA
• Walt Disney Pictures
• Touchwood Pacific Partners 1
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $15,000,000 (estimated)
• Apr 12, 1992

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 1 minute

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Reviewed by: Charity Bishop CONTRIBUTOR

T here’s something almost appealing about watching a modern-day musical. It reminds you of the classic age of Hollywood in which Julie Andrews made magic with “Mary Poppins” and Gene Kelly was learning how to walk while “Singin’ in the Rain.” Musicals are practically a lost art, parodied with only a few recent attempts with “ Moulin Rogue ,” “Evita” and “Newsies,” which is the true story of the children of the streets of New York. In the latter years of the 1800’s, newsboys became the sole way in which the newspapers were able to sell their morning and evening editions. Every morning they would pile up to the drop-off and exchange however much money they could spare from the day before for an armload of newspapers. Two for one—ten “papes” for five cents.

The king of these “street rats” is Jack Kelly, an escapee from the juvenile detention facility for homeless boys. The boy flies by the seat of his pants and the rule of his fists but is largely without massive brain-power. When clean-cut David and his little brother Les show up one day at the drop-off, Jack befriends them both and gives them the lay of the land. David’s father has been wounded in a factory accident, leaving him unable to work and without a job to go back to. In the meantime, David has decided to turn his hand toward selling newspapers rather than finishing his education. And his sweet-faced little brother is just along for the ride.

Up in his office, Joseph Pulitzer, the owner of one of the most prominent newspapers in New York, is attempting to figure out a way to cut strings and make more money than his competitor. The obsessive, greedy older man holds New York in the palm of his hand but is unknowing as to how he can “squeeze” more money out of them. Then his assistant comes up with a brilliant idea—charge the Newsies more to buy the papers. With only a mandatory amount of thought, Pulitzer loves the idea and it is put into place the following morning—to the shock, horror, and fury of the news boys.

A tenth of a cent might not mean a lot to us now, but it was quite a price jack back then, losing their two-for one profits. What if they couldn’t sell all the papers? Sufficiently peeved, David helps Jack organize a strike but doesn’t care for their unorthodox manner in “soaking” the stray Newsies. To make a dent, they need all of the news boys in New York to join them. However, this means winning over the boys from Brooklyn—a rough and tumble gang under the hand of Spot Conlon, a distant and tough street kid with a lot of know-how and influence.

Spot isn’t going to leap into the fray unless he’s assured that the Newsies won’t buckle the first time Pulitzer puts on the heat. They have to prove their worth to him first. In the meantime, a news reporter from the Sun Times has gotten wind of what may be the biggest story of his lifetime and joins the boys in their crusade. But Pulitzer isn’t some street punk that can be chased off with a rock; he’s one of the most powerful men in New York and it will take all of the children united to bring him down.

Although Newsies did only half-rate at the box office thanks to the critics who found it too widely appealing to families, it’s made a victorious comeback on video and DVD in recent years. There’s something to be said for an almost all-male cast featuring knowns like Christian Bale and Gabriel Damon as well as a host of unknown but likable sideliners with a few cameos from big box office sellers—Anne-Margaret, Bill Pullman , and Robert Duvall . The cast shines both in singing, dancing, and acting abilities and their six weeks of preparation for the dance numbers (which are intricately choreographed) have certainly paid off, each to showcase their individual talents as well as provide a rich musical backdrop that is hardly ever dull.

The story is loosely based on an actual event in New York, although the names are fictitious, and it gives a moderately truthful side to the real life of news boys (and girls) before the turn of the century. Although some have criticized the film for being “too clean” with swept city streets and spotless clothing for the boys to wear, the film tries very hard not to skewer the facts. There’s a sweet sideline romance between Jack and David’s older sister, as well as many humorous gags, conversations, and character priorities. You grow to know all of the boys and like them.

For a Disney film, it’s surprisingly agile, appealing both to children for the humor and wit, teenagers for the romance and political struggle, and adults as history buffs. And Disney has kept it relatively clean, straying from street language and innuendo to make a very family-friendly film. Even if the profanity is limited to a few uses of God and one of d-mn, it should be emphasized that there is a fair amount of violence. It never stretches the “PG” rating but is mostly fistfights (one taking place at a public fight in which we view momentarily a bloodied face) and police intervention on the Newsies’ rallies. Harsher violence is more implied than seen, as a boy with a crutch admits to having been “worked over pretty good” by Pulitzer’s bullies. One or two dance moves may or may not be mildly suggestive, depending on what you’re looking for.

The only other caution I might forebear in mentioning is the fact that adults play an almost nonexistent role—the case rests entirely on the shoulders of the young Newsies, some of which are rather rowdy. The complete absence of “parental guidance” in their lives didn’t overly bother me—it never even entered my mind—but I know some people might be concerned with it. One of the boys, nicknamed “Racetrack,” loves betting, and it’s implied that he often loses his shirt on many a “hot tip,” although we never actually see him making a wager. The boys smoke cigarettes on and off.

Perhaps not appealing to the older generations as much as those in mine, Newsies is a fun-filled and meaningful romp with a good message in sticking together through thick and thin. This one’s “da winna!”

Review reprinted with permission of www.charitysplace.com

Newsies (United States, 1992)

In 1992, Walt Disney Pictures, riding a wave of euphoria generated by its recent animated successes, The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast , tried to do something that was met by critics with skepticism: revive the live-action musical. Filmmakers took an in-house script in turnaround and commissioned composer Alan Menken and lyricist Jack Feldman to pen about a half-dozen songs. Choreographer Kenny Ortega (whose duties in that role included Xanadu and Dirty Dancing ) was brought on board to direct. The stars underwent weeks of dancing and martial arts training, and all were allowed to sing their own parts. (There is no truth to the rumor that Marni Nixon dubbed Christian Bale.) Newsies was born, only to die an ignominious death. After bombing on opening weekend, the film was pulled from most theaters, resulting in a final box office take of less than $3 million. It has been described by many as Disney's greatest failure. Unexpectedly, however, it found a following on home video, where its surprising popularity allowed the taint to dissolve from its image.

The film is based - very loosely - on real events. Consider the emphasis in the last sentence to be on the word very . Newsies , with its singing, break-dancing cast, has about as much connection with reality as Beauty and the Beast . Trying to tie it closely to historical facts is a mistake. Even the true-life individuals who make appearances, such as a few of the newsboys and Joseph Pulitzer (Robert Duvall), have been transformed into caricatures. Viewing this as more than a musical fantasy would be a mistake. (Those with interest in the real story behind the newsboys' strike can watch a featurette included on the DVD.)

That being said, Newsies is an engaging way to spend two hours. The story is pure Disney feel-good stuff: the triumph of the underdog. The musical numbers are catchy. The characters are likeable. And there's nothing in all 121 minutes that could be considered unsuitable for family viewing - no cursing, no overt violence (there's some mild stuff, but it's mostly off-screen), and no sex (kissing only). The thing Newsies has going against it is that the subject matter is unlikely to incite much interest.

The movie transpires during the summer of 1899, and introduces us to a group of newsies, including Racetrack (Max Casella), Crutchy (Marty Belafsky), Brooklyn's Spot Conlon (Gabriel Damon), and their unofficial "leader," Jack Kelly (Christian Bale). Enter newcomers David Jacobs (David Moscow), and his little brother, Les (Luke Edwards). These two join up with Jack and he teaches them the ropes. They later bring Jack home to meet their parents and, more importantly, their sister, Sarah (Ele Keats).

Meanwhile, in his penthouse overlooking New York, Joseph Pulitzer is scheming to squeeze more money from his newspaper business. The choice he makes is to keep the end price the same but charge the newsies, who distribute the paper, an extra ten percent. When Jack and his gang hear about this, they are outraged, organize a union, and stage a strike. Bryan Denton (Bill Pullman), an ace reporter for the New York Sun (not owned by either Pulitzer or Hearst), puts the newsies strike on page one. That's when Pulitzer takes off the gloves and decides to play rough, calling in chips from the mayor and the police commissioner. In addition, it comes to light that Jack is a runaway from a juvenile detention center, and the warden of that facility, Snyder (Kevin Tighe), is anxious for his return. All Jack has to do to retain his freedom, and keep his friend David from joining him behind bars, is to renounce the strike and go back to work alongside Pulitzer's scabs.

There are problems with Newsies that don't have anything to do with its historical grounding. Robert Duvall gives a hammy, over-the-top performance that is oddly lacking in vigor. Under a mountain of fake facial hair, he bears a resemblance to the publishing giant, but it's a weird, off-putting performance. Fortunately, Duvall is only in a handful of scenes. Equally distracting is Ann-Margaret, whose sole reason for being in the film is to contribute a couple of production numbers. Her chumminess with the newsboys could lead some viewers to make salacious assumptions about what's going on where the cameras don't reach. Finally, the "love story" between Jack and Sarah could have used a few more filler scenes, and maybe even a song or two, to give it the degree of heft Ortega wants it to have at the end.

Newsies ' primary strengths tip the scales in its favor, however. The film offers an excellent perspective of New York at the turn of the (20th) century. On a limited budget using backlots and matte paintings, the set designers were able to capture a time and place that the march of history has left behind. Then there are the lively production numbers, which are among the best in any recent live-action musical. Sure, they're over-amped and filled with anachronistic dance moves (break-dancing in 1899?), but the enthusiasm and energy are hard to deny. The choreography is top-notch and the slight lack of polish is perfect for the subject. There are three standouts: "Carrying the Banner," "The World Will Know," and "King of New York." The first represents the Newsies' "theme song," the second is their rallying cry, and the third cements their relationship with reporter Denton.

Of the child actors, only two rose to any level of prominence. Christian Bale was already well-known when he came to the role of Jack Kelly, having appeared in both Empire of the Sun and Kenneth Branagh's Henry V . Newsies began a phase in his career that would see him getting more consistent work - a phase that would lead to Batman Begins more than a dozen years later. Max Casella, known at the time as Doogie Howser's sidekick, would develop a solid resume on television and in movies. David Moscow, Bale's co-star, would fade into obscurity, although he occasionally shows up in an indie production. One suspects he was chosen to appear in Newsies because of his resemblance to late-'80s heartthrob Kirk Cameron.

Without the musical numbers, Newsies would probably be long forgotten. Dramatically, it isn't strong enough to hold up on those grounds. However, the eight songs elevate the movie from unmemorable to enjoyable. Newsies deserved a better fate than it was accorded at the 1992 box office, so it's refreshing to see the level of acceptance it has achieved in the afterlife of home video. It's a bit of a throwback and a solid family film and, at the time, represented a well-intentioned leap of faith of the sort that studios rarely take.

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Newsies (1992)

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A Thousand Voices. A Single Dream.

A week in the life of the exploited, child newspaper sellers in turn-of-the-century New York. When their publisher, Joseph Pulitzer, tries to squeeze a little more profit out of their labours, they organize a strike, only to be confronted with the Pulitzer's hard-ball tactics.

Kenny Ortega

Bob Tzudiker

Top Billed Cast

Christian Bale

Jack 'Cowboy' Kelly

Bill Pullman

Bryan Denton

Ann-Margret

Medda Larkson

Robert Duvall

Joseph Pulitzer

David Moscow

David Jacobs

Luke Edwards

Max Casella

Racetrack Higgins

Gabriel Damon

Spot Conlon

Marty Belafsky

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A review by r96sk

Written by r96sk on september 23, 2020.

Enjoyed this.

I've noted before that musicals aren't my favourite (the more I watch, the more they grow on me to be honest), but I had a fun time viewing 'Newsies'. It manages to maintain the entertainment whilst keeping strong focus on both the music and storyline, a lot of the musicals that I've seen tend to focus on the tunes first and almost forget about the plot, this doesn't. I thoroughly liked seeing the premise unfold.

Talking of song and dance, I rate the musical numbers. I wouldn't say I'll remember or revisit any of the songs but that's not really important, the fact t... read the rest.

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Status Released

Original Language English

Budget $15,000,000.00

Revenue $2,819,485.00

• new york city
• based on true story
• teenage girl
• teenage boy
• juvenile crime
• name change
• juvenile detention center
• corrupt official
• turn of the century
• newspaper boy
• 19th century
• correctional institution
• 20th century

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• Fri. Sep 6th, 2024

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Movie Review – Newsies (1992)

By ochippie

Director: Kenny Ortega

Starring: Christian Bale , David Moscow , Bill Pullman

One of Christian Bale’s first roles was as Jack Kelly in this 1992 Disney sensation, an event that I remember clearly and loved dearly when I was 8.  It took a while, but eventually the movie was made into a Broadway musical, the stage always being the perfect place for this wonderful musical, but the film has lost none of its original magic.  Newsies is like Annie with a slightly rougher edge, which transitioned perfectly to Broadway; the music, the dancing, the scenery.  This was my first time watching the film in years, this time I sat down to enjoy it with my family, and I found the same special and wonderful power that I remember from almost 30 years ago, just waiting for me to experience it again.

At the turn of the last century, the blood of New York City pumped with the racket of the printing press, as the daily newspapers controlled the town with whatever stories they chose to run.  The bigwigs at the top looked down on the people below from their ivory towers, deciding their fates with a whim that was akin to madness: Roosevelt, Pulitzer, William Randolph Hearst.  But it was the newsies who delivered the message, who ran the papers through the streets and sold the headlines of the day, who had undiscovered power over the populace.  When Pulitzer tried to raise newspaper prices, the newsies, realizing their importance and led by the charismatic Jack Kelly, formed a union and went on strike, along with every child worker in New York, be he a shoe shine or a bike messenger.  They refused to be stepped on like ants in the street, choosing instead to band together to form something that could never be crushed.

I’ve seen the stage version on Netflix, and it might be slightly better, because they fixed a few errors in judgement, got some better talent perhaps, got rid of Bill Pullman, but nothing will ever entirely equal the original experience.  The songs, the rhythm, the dances, the marching; I dare your heart to stay steady or your feet not to tap.  And Christian Bale was a star at a young age, you could see it a mile away, and Jack Kelly was the perfect character for him to embody.  It takes a second to get used to the affected accents, but once you do they just serve to suck you further into the story, and help you to fall in love with every moment presented.  The adults may be forgettable, but the kids are wonderful, and the pull of the music will draw in you so very close.  The big numbers, the quiet moments, the phenomenal sets, Jack singing “Sante Fe”; you’ll fall in love with these newsies, and with the story they’re selling you.

My rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ⭐︎

Writer, Critic, Dad Columbus, Ohio, USA Denver Broncos, St. Louis Cardinals Colorado Avalanche, Duke Blue Devils

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Newsies Reviews

With Little Old New York re-created by William Sandfell, Newsies often looks wonderful, and Bale and the boys give it heart and excitement. Yet as a musical, Newsies rarely hits home.

Full Review | Jun 4, 2018

It's extremely earnest and more than a little corny, but there's an innocence about it that makes it kinda irresistible.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Mar 19, 2018

...manages some acrobatic dance numbers, but they seem oddly confined by the camera's frame.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/4 | Jan 24, 2016

Certain movies engage your affections so strongly that, even if they start to fall apart, you tend to keep rooting for them. That's pretty much the case with Newsies.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | May 20, 2013

A Disney musical with an undistinguished score, fair to middling choreography, and clunky direction that still manages to be entertaining in spots because of its story.

Full Review | May 20, 2013

Bale and Menken are literally what make the movie sing.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | May 20, 2013

Despite Newsies' many flaws, it's bracing to see Disney attempt a PG movie about something as meaty as labor relations. Would that every strike be resolved with so little bloodshed and so many songs.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | May 20, 2013

Newsies is a live-action musical, but it's only barely alive. Call it Snoozies.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | May 20, 2013

There`s a boyish exuberance about Newsies that is hard to resist.

Stop the presses! Newsies is the best live-action movie musical since Little Shop of Horrors.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | May 20, 2013

An old-fashioned musical that is better when its characters sing and dance than when they talk.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | May 20, 2013

Though the cast is large, no interesting or even moderately well-rounded personalities emerge from it, and no compelling relationships emerge between the characters.

Bale and the cast are energetic and fun to watch, and the story itself is fascinating history. But the songs and choreography are a disappointment.

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Jun 24, 2012

As a drama, it features potent material. But by presenting this as a musical, all hope is lost, thanks to imminently forgettable tunes and the casting of actors who can't sing.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Jun 19, 2012

The movie stands as a textbook demonstration of why they don't -- and probably shouldn't -- make 'em like they used to.

Full Review | Original Score: C | Sep 7, 2011

Kids go on strike in gritty, historical musical.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 15, 2010

Making his directorial bow, choreographer Kenny Ortega strains valiantly to breathe life into this misguided musical.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Mar 9, 2009

The writers have created cardboard cutouts instead of flesh-and-blood characters.

Full Review | Dec 11, 2008

It's a bit of a throwback and a solid family film and, at the time, represented a well-intentioned leap of faith of the sort that studios rarely take.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Jun 10, 2008

If you have a soft spot for feisty, back-talking bambini with cute squints, backwards caps and names like Crutchy, Dutchy and Bumlets, your heart will melt.

Full Review | Jan 26, 2006

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Review/Film; They Sing, They Dance, They Go on Strike

By Janet Maslin

• April 8, 1992

The premise for "Newsies," an elaborate Disney live-action musical about the New York newsboys' strike of 1899, never sounded all that promising in the first place. But this film's real trouble lies in its joyless, pointless execution. As directed by Kenny Ortega, the choreographer whose credits include many stage acts and rock videos as well as the film "Dirty Dancing," "Newsies" is a long, halfhearted romp through what is made to seem a not terribly compelling chapter in New York City's history. The story remains tedious even though Joseph Pulitzer, William Randolph Hearst and Theodore Roosevelt are all briefly on hand to give it color.

A score featuring music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Jack Feldman provides the film's only bright spots, but even these are bungled. Many of the musical numbers are staged so strangely that the characters, when they begin singing, appear to have taken leave of their senses. Christian Bale, as the film's hero who dreams of escaping to the Southwest, is made to sing "Santa Fe" while ambling through a dusty, too-picturesque New York street at night. The staging goes well beyond run-of-the-mill fantasy when it sends him leaping onto a horse and frolicking on a hay wagon.

Mr. Ortega, whose great strength ought to have been in handling these musical sequences, unaccountably breaks up songs with dialogue and sometimes limits a musical outburst to only a few bars; never does he allow a song-and-dance number to build to a rousing finale. The choreography, by Mr. Ortega and Peggy Holmes, is similarly strange, at one point managing to combine turn-of-the-century Irish jigs with the hip-hop moves of the present. The musical outbursts do not grow organically from the film's other action, nor do they otherwise feel authentic, since the dancing looks forced and the sound is noticeably lip-synched. Mr. Menken's music would have sounded better under almost any other circumstances than these.

The Welsh-born Mr. Bale, who has grown from the sweet-faced schoolboy star of "Empire of the Sun" into a strapping actor, is as hamstrung by the film's insistence on heavy New York accents as are the other young performers ("work" comes out "woik," etc.) Few of the cast members have much chance to shine, since the film's idea of charm is seriously misguided. Lovable little Crutchy (Marty Belafsky), a disabled newsboy with a heart of gold, pretty much personifies the film's would-be winsome side. Ann-Margret, done up in orange and fuchsia as a vaudeville star who looks more like a madam, particularly strains the limits of innocent fun.

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Newsies: the broadway musical.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 4 Reviews
• Kids Say 47 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Dazzling staged musical has some mild cursing.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Newsies: The Broadway Musical is a filmed musical play, shot live at a performance in the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, California. Based on the 1992 Disney movie Newsies starring Christian Bale, this production brings the immediacy and vibrancy of a theatrical experience…

Why Age 10+?

Some staged scuffles and fights (including some clubs), set to music. Boys are t

An occasional curse word: "bastards," "butt," "hell," "damn," "asses."

A young man continually has an unlit cigar in his mouth.

Any Positive Content?

Promotes standing up for one's rights, risking one's personal well-being for the

Young, poor, disenfranchised boys, along with one young woman, take on the money

Violence & Scariness

Some staged scuffles and fights (including some clubs), set to music. Boys are threatened with violence.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

Promotes standing up for one's rights, risking one's personal well-being for the good of community, teamwork, looking out for those less fortunate, determination, and courage. Strongly advocates "speaking truth to power."

Positive Role Models

Young, poor, disenfranchised boys, along with one young woman, take on the moneyed establishment. Led by an outspoken, audacious leader, the group exhibits courage, resourcefulness, and determination. Only a few female characters involved, reflecting the time period. Standard heartless businessmen. Minimal ethnic diversity.

Parents need to know that Newsies: The Broadway Musical is a filmed musical play, shot live at a performance in the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, California. Based on the 1992 Disney movie Newsies starring Christian Bale , this production brings the immediacy and vibrancy of a theatrical experience directly to its audiences. Set at the turn of the 20th century when workers were often exploited by "captains of industry," Newsies tells the true story of a ragtag team of newsboys who form a union to fight the greediness of New York's major newspapers. In this musical version, a few swear words are heard: "damn," "hell," "bastards," "asses." Mild physical struggles occur, all set to music and mostly danced, include fistfighting and pretend hits with batons/clubs. No injuries are sustained. A teen holds an unlit cigar in his mouth during most of his scenes. The 1992 film was not an immediate success, but garnered a large, enthusiastic fan base over the years. Minimal changes were made for the Broadway show (i.e., a few songs added or deleted, and the hero's love interest has a new identity and backstory). This film offers a rare opportunity to witness a live Broadway show, with extraordinary dancing, acting, and music that will appeal to musical lovers and introduce the theater musical to new fans everywhere. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

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Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (4)
• Kids say (47)

Based on 4 parent reviews

I love Newsies!!!!!!

Real people, good story, what's the story.

It's 1899 in NEWSIES: THE BROADWAY MUSICAL. Kids work for pennies to bring money home to their families. Desperately poor folks work long hours in abominable conditions to make a meager living. In this true story about a hugely successful "strike" by the newsboys of New York City, Jack Kelly ( Jeremy Jordan ) leads the fight for fair treatment and fair wages against a pillar of the news publishing establishment: Joseph Pulitzer (Steve Blanchard). The tycoon literally wants to squeeze every dime from the sale of his "papes." And it has been OK with the struggling kids until they're finally pushed too far. When Pulitzer demands the boys pay more for their supply of newspapers, Jack Kelly unites the boys. They'll strike and refuse to sell the papers until their wages are restored. Pulitzer pushes back with an unsuccessful attempt to destroy the collection of protestors -- the union. With Katherine (Kara Lindsay), a vivacious but surprising reporter as their ally, Jack and his buddies stand firm, bring Pulitzer and his cronies to their knees, and win big for everyone.

Is It Any Good?

What a great experience is in store for folks who otherwise don't get to see great Broadway musicals like this one, with stellar dancing, great music, engaging performances, and delightful comedy. Newsies: The Broadway Musical, available on DVD and streaming, has a terrific true story to tell. The underdogs -- very young newspaper hawkers -- take on a very rich publishing mogul and sing and dance their way to victory. Director Brett Sullivan expertly films the theatrical production, which is directed by Jeff Calhoun, with choreography by Christopher Gattelli. It's exuberant, corny in the best possible way, and satisfying on all counts. Jeremy Jordan as Jack Kelly is simply wonderful. The supporting cast, including the multitalented Ben Fankhouser and Andrew Keenan-Bolger, and an excellent ensemble fill the stage with high spirits and contagious energy. Highly recommended.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about characters from movie musicals as role models . How do Jack Kelly, Katherine, and Crutchie and the others make important changes in their 1899 world? How does Newsies emphasize such important character strengths as teamwork , courage , and perseverance ?

Even musical movies can educate as well as entertain. How did Newsies : The Broadway Musical, set in 1899, increase your understanding of unionism in the early 20th century? Find out how unions filled an important role in protecting American workers from corporate abuse. If you know a member of a union, ask him or her about the relevance of unions in today's world.

Disney continues to re-create some of its most popular movies on the Broadway stage. In what ways do those productions assure an enthusiastic audience and lessen the risk that comes with mounting an original story?

What are some of the many differences between shooting a live-action musical movie and filming a staged version of a theatrical musical production? Start with the shooting schedule. How long might it take to shoot a live-action musical movie? A theatrical stage musical? In a stage musical, is there any room for error? Can a sequence be re-shot?

Movie Details

• On DVD or streaming : September 1, 2017
• Cast : Jeremy Jordan , Kara Lindsay , Ben Fankhauser
• Director : Brett Sullivan
• Studio : Walt Disney Home Entertainment
• Genre : Musical
• Topics : Friendship , Great Boy Role Models
• Character Strengths : Courage , Integrity , Perseverance , Teamwork
• Run time : 134 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG
• MPAA explanation : some language, mild action, and smoking images
• Award : Common Sense Selection
• Last updated : April 25, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

What to watch next.

High School Musical

Billy Elliot

Grease: Live!

Musicals for kids, related topics.

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Newsies Reviews

• 46   Metascore
• 2 hr 5 mins
• Drama, Music, Kids
• Watchlist Where to Watch

Musical about the 1899 strike of New York newsboys. Christian Bale, David Moscow. Les: Luke Edwards. Denton: Bill Pullman. Medda: Ann-Margret. Joseph Pulitzer: Robert Duvall. Racetrack: Max Casella. Crutchy: Marty Belafsky. Directed by Kenny Ortega.

Sumptuous production values and fitfully impressive choreography notwithstanding, NEWSIES was a major misfire for Disney Studios. That's a shame, because this intensely pro-labor musical drama, dealing with the late 1890s Gotham newsboys' strike against magnates Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst, is a picture one really wants to like. The time is 1899--one year after Teddy Roosevelt's famous charge up San Juan Hill--and the hard-working, impoverished newsies (boys who hawk "all the news that's fit to print" on the streets) are having a tough time making ends meet. Then Joseph Pulitzer (Robert Duvall) arbitrarily raises the wholesale cost of the newspapers, further cutting into the newsies' already slim profit margin. Led by rough-and-tumble Jack Kelly (Christian Bale) and the more intellectual David Jacobs (David Moscow), these street urchins form an all-singing, all-dancing picket line, determined not to give in to Pulitzer's cost-hikes. There are rescues, chases and street brawls galore, not to mention an overabundance of hoofing in the streets, before the story is neatly wrapped up in a typically upbeat--and extremely artificial--Disney ending. Making his directorial bow, choreographer Kenny Ortega strains valiantly to breathe life into this misguided musical. On the one hand, NEWSIES aspires to be a throwback to the golden heyday of the Hollywood musical. On the other hand, it attempts to pay homage to the bleak, gritty, labor unrest movies of the Depression era. While a few of the dance numbers, especially the opening routine featuring dozens of high-stepping, leaping, spinning and prancing newsboys, are dazzling, too often they are lackluster and monotonous. The film cries out for at least one good love-song duet between Bale and his rather subdued love interest, Sarah Jacobs (played blandly by newcomer Ele Keats). Also, Ann-Margret's tremendous talent is virtually wasted. Even the two opportunities she has to perform potentially rousing ragtime-style tunes during her vaudeville act are painfully abbreviated, cut short by the demands of the plot.

34 Facts About The Movie Newsies

Written by Rozamond Novak

Modified & Updated: 02 Jun 2024

Reviewed by Jessica Corbett

Newsies is a beloved film that captured the hearts of audiences when it was released in 1992. Directed by Kenny Ortega and starring Christian Bale, the movie tells the inspiring story of the Newsboys Strike of 1899 in New York City. With its catchy songs, energetic dance numbers, and compelling plot, Newsies has become a cult classic and a favorite among musical lovers. But there is more to this movie than meets the eye. In this article, we will delve into 34 fascinating facts about Newsies that will give you a deeper appreciation for this iconic film. From behind-the-scenes tidbits to trivia about the cast and crew, get ready to discover some insider knowledge about one of the most cherished musicals of all time.

Key Takeaways:

• “Newsies” is a musical movie inspired by a real-life newsboys’ strike. It features catchy songs, talented young actors, and a heartwarming story of resilience and unity.
• Despite its initial box office disappointment, “Newsies” gained a dedicated fanbase and continues to captivate audiences with its timeless story and infectious musical numbers.

The Inspiration

The movie Newsies was inspired by the real-life Newsboys’ Strike of 1899 that happened in New York City.

A Musical Masterpiece

Newsies is a musical film, featuring catchy songs composed by Alan Menken and lyrics written by Jack Feldman.

Starring Christian Bale

The lead role of Jack Kelly, the charismatic newsboy, was portrayed by a young Christian Bale.

Box Office Disappointment

Despite gaining a cult following over the years, Newsies initially performed poorly at the box office.

The Tony Award-Winning Broadway Adaptation

Newsies gained massive success when it was adapted for the stage and won two Tony Awards, including Best Choreography.

A Disney Production

Newsies was produced by Walt Disney Pictures and released in 1992.

Historical Accuracy

The movie captures the essence of the Newsboys’ Strike with its portrayal of working-class struggles and the power of unity.

Directed by Kenny Ortega

Kenny Ortega, known for his work on High School Musical, directed Newsies.

Filming Locations

The film was primarily shot in and around Los Angeles, California.

The Iconic Dancing Sequence

Newsies is famous for its incredible dance numbers, showcasing the talents of the young cast.

A Cast of Talented Young Actors

The movie featured a talented ensemble of young actors, including David Moscow , Max Casella, and Gabriel Damon.

A Memorable Soundtrack

The soundtrack of Newsies features uplifting and inspiring songs such as “Seize the Day” and “Carrying the Banner.”

Characters Based on Real People

Many of the characters in the film are based on real people who were involved in the Newsboys’ Strike.

Sporting Authentic Costumes

The costume designers paid great attention to detail, ensuring that the clothing and attire accurately represented the era.

Core Themes of Social Justice

Newsies tackles important themes of social justice, child labor , and standing up against oppression.

A Cult Following

Despite its initial box office disappointment, Newsies has gained a dedicated fanbase over the years.

The Power of the Newsies

The movie showcases the strength and determination of the newsboys as they fight for their rights.

Intense Rehearsals

The cast and crew underwent months of training and rehearsing to perfect the dynamic dance sequences.

The Impact of Newsies

Newsies has had a lasting impact on the musical theater community and is often performed by schools and community theaters.

Recognizable Choreography

The iconic choreography of Newsies has become a signature style for many subsequent musical productions.

Historical Figures Make an Appearance

The character of Joseph Pulitzer, the powerful newspaper publisher, is portrayed in the film.

Technical Excellence

Newsies received praise for its impressive cinematography and seamless visual effects.

The Newsie Accent

The actors worked hard to perfect the distinct New York City accent of the newsboys during that time period.

A Message of Resilience

Newsies conveys a powerful message of resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity.

A Balance of Drama and Comedy

The movie expertly combines dramatic moments with lighthearted comedic elements.

A Talented Creative Team

The collaboration between director Kenny Ortega , composer Alan Menken, and lyricist Jack Feldman created a winning formula.

Historical Significance

The Newsboys’ Strike of 1899 played a crucial role in the establishment of labor rights for child workers in the United States.

Memorable Quotes

Newsies is packed with memorable quotes, such as “Courage cannot erase our fear. Courage is when we face our fear.”

A Message of Unity

The movie emphasizes the importance of unity and coming together to fight for a common cause.

A Heartwarming Story

Newsies tells a heartwarming story of friendship, resilience, and hope.

Appreciation for History

The film instills a sense of appreciation for the history and struggles faced by the working class.

Singing and Dancing Newsies

The film showcases the unique talents of singing and dancing newsboys, adding an extra layer of entertainment.

An Underdog Narrative

Newsies follows the classic underdog narrative, as the newsboys rise up against the powerful establishment.

Enduring Popularity

Newsies continues to captivate audiences of all ages with its timeless story and infectious musical numbers.

Newsies is a timeless movie that has captured the hearts of audiences for decades. Its captivating story, unforgettable music , and stunning choreography continue to resonate with viewers of all ages. The film’s themes of friendship, perseverance, and the power of standing up for what you believe in have made it a beloved favorite among moviegoers.

Whether you’re a fan of musicals or simply appreciate a well-crafted story, Newsies is a must-watch film. Its remarkable cast, led by Christian Bale , delivers exceptional performances that bring the characters to life. The film’s energetic dance numbers and catchy songs will have you tapping your feet and singing along.

Newsies has also left a lasting legacy, inspiring a hit Broadway musical adaptation that has garnered critical acclaim and multiple Tony Awards. This further demonstrates the enduring popularity and impact of the film.

In conclusion, Newsies is a true gem in the world of cinema. Its blend of captivating storytelling, memorable music, and powerful performances make it a movie worth experiencing time and time again.

1. Is Newsies based on a true story? Yes, Newsies is based on the real-life newsboys’ strike that took place in New York City in 1899. While some characters and events in the movie are fictionalized, the overall premise is rooted in historical events.

2. Who stars in Newsies? The movie stars Christian Bale as the lead character, Jack Kelly. The cast also includes Bill Pullman , Ann-Margret, and Robert Duvall, among others.

3. What is the music like in Newsies? Newsies features an unforgettable soundtrack filled with catchy songs composed by Alan Menken and lyrics by Jack Feldman. The music is both uplifting and emotional, enhancing the storytelling and capturing the spirit of the time.

4. Has Newsies won any awards? While the movie was not a box office hit upon its release, it has gained a dedicated following over the years. Newsies was nominated for two Academy Awards and won a BMI Film Music Award for its outstanding music.

5. Is there a stage adaptation of Newsies? Yes, Newsies was successfully adapted into a Broadway musical that premiered in 2011. The stage version received critical acclaim and multiple Tony Awards, including Best Original Score and Best Choreography.

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I'll be right there review: character-driven comedy gets too wrapped up in its own chaos.

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Star Wars Finally Reveals What Ahsoka Was Doing During (Part Of) The Original Trilogy

Joaquin phoenix breaks silence after quitting movie 5 days before filming & sparking hollywood outrage, ridley scott addresses not calling russell crowe for gladiator 2: “why would i”.

I’ll Be Right There could have been an overly-Hollywoodified, cheesy movie. The first 20 minutes of the film enticed and concerned me. While well told, the film had all the elements that are typically exploited for overstated melodrama — a could-be deadbeat son with drug addiction, a cantankerous soon-to-be grandmother uttering quippy lines (brilliantly delivered by Succession actor Jeannie Berlin ), and an eight-month pregnant, unwed mother. The film’s structure is far from cookie-cutter , however, chronicling days in the life of a midlife-crisis-saddled protagonist in an almost vignette-like style.

I'll Be Right There

The eclectic ensemble is i'll be right there’s strongest element, great character scenes breathe life into the film.

We're immediately introduced to Wanda ( television icon Edie Falco ), the film's protagonist. However, our first moments with Wanda are barely about her , but about the eclectic bunch that she calls family. One of the film’s first scenes sees Wanda take her aging, gambling-addicted, and lifetime smoker mother Grace (Berlin) to a doctor’s appointment. This sequence’s affectionate sarcasm is written so believably, and I recognize its beats from spending time with my own extended family at Thanksgiving.

After Wanda drops Grace off, her day helping the family is far from over. She has to stop by with her pregnant daughter Sarah (Kayli Carter) and her recovering drug-addicted son, Mark (an outstanding Charlie Tahan), as phone call after phone call whisks her away from her next task. This frenetic energy really works for I’ll Be Right There , immediately aligning us with the restlessness of Wanda’s life. Wanda’s boyfriend Marshall summarizes it well after she recounts her day to him, reacting with an exhausted “ Wow, that’s a lot of people .”

In addition to these amusing one-liners and reactions, one of the strongest elements of I’ll Be Right There is the writing. While some scenes are written using cliché language, the film has the occasional scene that carries the strength of a stage play. In one such scene, the film’s women — Sarah, Wanda, and Grace — go out for ice cream and have a naturalistic, winding conversation that showcases their intergenerational bond with humor and heart. Slower moments like this flourish, and coupled with scene-stealing moments from side characters like Eugene (Jack Mulhern), the script often shines.

Sometimes I’ll Be Right There’s Intentional Messiness Gets The Better Of It

I'll be right there meanders too much in its latter half.

It's not until later that I'll Be Right There verbalizes themes previously relegated to subtext. Said themes involve Wanda’s deep attachment to her family. With this sense of responsibility to her adult children and ex-husband Henry (and his cabal of new kids), Wanda loses sight of herself along the way. To put it simply: Wanda doesn’t know what she wants.

Unlike her status in her family, Wanda is not the glue holding everything together, but a vessel for the plot.

The idea of a passive protagonist isn't inherently bad. Wanda’s narrative is relatable and is well-played by Falco. Where I’ll Be Right There falls apart is when Wanda’s meandering quality ends up projecting too much onto the layout of the narrative itself. Lost in life, the film is similarly left not knowing what to do with Wanda. Unlike her status in her family, Wanda is not the glue holding everything together, but a vessel for the plot. This leads to frustration, as Wanda is much less active and interesting than those around her.

By the end of I’ll Be Right There , all the beautifully hectic energy that gave its opening moments kinesis faded away. Its realistic, understated scenes fall away in favor of exploring Wanda’s romantic relationships. Even though her reflection is eventually said — in a frustratingly direct manner that wants to spell it out for us — Wanda is a walking contradiction. This leaves the film thematically messy, and I did not know what it wanted to say. I’ll Be Right There is worth watching for the acting and occasionally fantastic writing, but it ends on an inconclusive and unfulfilling note.

I'll Be Right There is in theaters on September 6 and on demand September 27. The film is 98 minutes long and not rated.

Wanda tries to keep her own life together while simultaneously taking care of everyone else around her.

• Naturalistic conversations carry the film
• The film's frenetic energy really works for its story
• Wanda is too passive a character
• Wanda's reflection is unnecessarily laid out to audiences too close to the end

'The Front Room' Review: Brandy and Kathryn Hunter Are Forces of (Un)Nature in Absurd A24 Horror

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New parenthood is difficult enough in the absence of compounding issues. Add to it job difficulties, money problems, and familial baggage, and suddenly one of life's most beautiful potential experiences becomes overwhelmingly tough. In The Front Room , written and directed by Max Eggers and Sam Eggers from a short story by author Susan Hill , an expectant family does deal with these stressors, sure, but they have another major challenge to overcome. Enter a racist, extraordinarily religious mother-in-law who claims to be possessed by the Holy Spirit, and who can't be trusted around the family's youngest. The film is a psychological horror entry in its own right , showcasing a constant parade of challenges that bring the family to the brink of their sanity, but it's also a dark comedy that highlights familial ills so absurd it would threaten even the most ironclad relationships. The Front Room boasts strong character work alongside some intriguing tonal surprises, but the final act is in need of a little retooling.

What Is 'The Front Room' About?

Belinda ( Brandy Norwood ) and Norman Irwin ( Andrew Burnap ) are hesitantly excited and expecting their second child, an emotional risk for the pair following the loss of their first. Their excitement is challenged when Norman's father passes. His father's last wish: for Norman to take in his estranged elderly mother Solange ( Kathryn Hunter ), an overly devout woman whose beliefs border on cultish (she claims to be regularly possessed by the Holy Spirit), and whose parenting style could be charitably described as suffocatingly oppressive and manipulative. Solange brings with her a massive inheritance that can assuage the young family's financial woes, so they agree to set her up in the home's front room. Thus begins the battle of wills between the besieged young mother and her tyrannical elderly mother-in-law, one with serious implications for their newborn child, the family, and their sanity.

Film history is ripe with malicious matriarchs , in dramas like Mommie Dearest and horror entries like Ari Aster 's Hereditary , where a grandmother had secretly been a key member of a demon-worshipping cult. The ' oppressive in-laws ' trope is a staple of so many excellent films, used for comedy in entries like Crazy Rich Asians or Meet the Parents or horror-comedy in the excellent Ready or Not , when Grace ( Samara Weaving ) is asked by first responders what happened to her blood and viscera-covered-self, to which she simply replies "in-laws." The Front Room sits comfortably in this vein, for a memorably comedic take on the material.

'The Front Room' Is a Promising Family Horror-Comedy With Drawbacks

In the hands of Kathryn Hunter, Solange is an oppressive and totalitarian force who capably manipulates Norman and opposes Belinda . Kathryn adeptly slides between oppressive, manipulative, and vulnerable with ease, and effortlessly pivots between serious intensity and comedy. Despite her diminutive stature, she looms large over the narrative (even sonically, when offscreen). Brandy Norwood also excels, portraying the increasingly exhausted and defensive young mother well, including in the film's more intense moments. The pair have a strong antagonistic chemistry, playing off each other well as the narrative escalates. When tension ratchets up following the child's birth, Brandy's own performance gains greater intensity in turn, building towards a strong ending that she lands with aplomb.

The film has a unique command of tone, with psychological horror elements and a touch of surreal interludes . There's an element of mystery that's handled capably as the film progresses. As Belinda feels increasingly sleep-deprived and backed into a corner, she begins to experience visions of the disturbing matriarch that blur the line between the surreal and reality. Additionally, there's enough overt manipulation here to cast doubt on Solange's 'Signs and Wonders,' her term for the so-called possession by the Holy Spirit that she appears to suffer. While the film leaves certain things up to interpretation, it does alter the cinematography and lighting enough to suggest Belinda's disintegrating state, and the balance of power between Belinda and Solange, well. Belinda's growing strain is persistent and capably translated to the screen.

Every A24 Horror Movie Ranked From Worst to Best

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It's worth noting here that the film isn't merely a straightforward psychological horror outing, but rather has regular moments of dark and gross-out comedy, and a bit of slapstick timing throughout. Some of Solange's terrors are overtly tied to problems associated with her age, used explicitly and emphasized regularly . Quite a few of them work very well, thanks to Brandy Norwood's line delivery and Kathryn Hunter's talented ability to pivot the tone of her performance on a moment's notice. Still, while some of the specific terrors and stressors do escalate and gratefully aren't static, their repetition loses luster after being over-used without sufficient alteration (like certain dominant sounds, or the gradual increase of Christian iconography). The repetition does serve to illustrate the external encroachments on Belinda's psyche, but the monotony pervades the narrative a little too successfully for its own good.

Perhaps the most surprising element is the film's regular use of bodily fluids for tension and comedy , a trait that certainly makes sense in the film's world but which wears out its welcome as the film escalates. Solange is an oppressive force who weaponizes vulnerability, sure, and we do come to doubt how much of Solange's seeming weaknesses are manufactured in order to retain her control over the family. That's incredibly useful, and a well-executed plot device, but just when the cultish Christianity is at its most oppressive (and it would be useful to expand upon it) the narrative's growing emphasis on the grosser vestiges of age takes over. It's used for good effect at times, but the emphasis on repetitive and deeply gross elements for humor and tension is regrettable in light of the elements that could have greater screen time.

'The Front Room' Is a Good Movie in Need of a Tighter Finale Setup

There's a lot to like about The Front Room . First and foremost, Kathryn Hunter excels as the malevolent, scheming Solange , while Brandy Norwood lands Belinda's intensity throughout, especially as she comes to be truly challenged. There's an interesting back-and-forth between them, and a series of power plays that mostly keep the narrative feeling fresh as it proceeds. The film's biggest issues pertain mostly to repetition. First, some of Solange's antagonistic tactics are repeated too readily. Second, they pull away some from the most interesting final act plot elements in the process, and towards scenes and choices that don't work as well as intended, at least until it lands the ending (which it does). Altogether, it's a solid dark comedy in the trappings of a psychological horror film.

The Front Room

'The Front Room' is a solid absurd dark comedy wearing psychological horror trappings.

• Kathryn Hunter is tremendous as the gaslighting, manipulative, cultish mother, and Brandy Norwood does well as the besieged protagonist.
• A claustrophobic set design contributes towards the sense of being trapped with a force of nature.
• There are numerous moments where dark comedy notes really land thanks to fully committed performances.
• Some of the tension-escalating, protagonist-challenging elements are repeated too often in lieu of more exciting setups.
• One particular weapon in Solange's repertoire is an oddly disgusting, unexpected choice, which the narrative surprisingly pivots towards instead of paying off set-ups, a gamble that doesn't work.

The Front Room comes to theaters in the U.S. starting September 6. Click below for showtimes near you.

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Nicole Kidman gets nasty in Netflix's beach-read thriller The Perfect Couple

The Oscar winner stars with Liev Schreiber and Eve Hewson in Netflix's adaptation of the Elin Hilderbrand thriller.

Kristen Baldwin is the TV critic for EW

In the first episode of The Perfect Couple , event planner Roger Felton speaks with police after a guest at a party hosted by his employers — world-famous author Greer Winbury ( Nicole Kidman ) and her husband, Tag ( Liev Schreiber ) — turns up dead. “Oh, they’re rich,” smirks Roger of the Winburys. “’Child sex ring on a private island’ rich. ‘I’m bored. Let’s go buy a monkey’ rich. ‘Kill someone and get away with it’ rich.”

If it isn’t clear from those venomous quips — delivered with signature panache by comedic character actor Tim Bagley, who plays Roger — The Perfect Couple (premiering Sept. 5 on Netflix ) delights in deriding its uberwealthy protagonists. Based on Elin Hilderbrand’s bestseller and adapted for the screen by Jenna Lamia ( Good Girls ), this arch and at times outlandish miniseries delivers the cheap and tasty thrills of a beach read on a lavish, prestige-streamer budget.

Seacia Pavao/Netflix

It’s the week of July 4th and a crowd of tony, East-coast society folk have descended at Summerland — Greer and Tag’s $40 million Nantucket estate — for the wedding of Benji Winbury (Billy Howle), wealthy scion, and Amelia Sacks ( Bad Sisters ' Eve Hewson), a decidedly middle-class zookeeper. Though Greer would never allow her family — including her obnoxious eldest, Tom (Jack Reynor); snooty daughter-in-law, Abby ( Dakota Fanning ); and sensitive youngest child, Will (Sam Nivola) — to be anything less than welcoming, the Winburys share an unspoken understanding that Amelia is, and always will be, an outsider. (“At least my wife matches the f---ing wallpaper,” sneers Tom.) Amelia’s only real ally, besides Benji of course, is her best friend and maid of honor, Merritt Monaco (Meghann Fahy), a stylish and carefree influencer.

To Greer’s intense chagrin, the social event of the season devolves into scandal when a body is found in the water the morning of Benji and Amelia’s wedding. The millionaire matriarch is left scrambling to close ranks as Nantucket Chief of Police Dan Carter (Michael Beach) and Detective Nikki Henry (Donna Lynne Champlin) infiltrate the compound to investigate the death. Then the everyone’s-a-suspect game begins, with a handful of Winbury-adjacent observers taken into the police station to answer questions/serve up nuggets of backstory about the family and their associates as the mystery unfolds. “He makes his own bed like a poor person,” sniffs Gosia (Irina Dubova), the Winbury’s devoted housekeeper, of Benji’s best man, Shooter Dival (Ishaan Khattar). Notes Isabel (Isabelle Adjani), a French bombshell and longtime family friend, “Greer, she has a, how would you say... a broom? Uh, no, a stick in her ass… hole.”

Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/Netflix

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The Pefect Couple leans heavily on this absurd TV trope — characters who are so at ease while being interrogated by police that they pepper their answers with quips and coy asides — but the show insists that we don’t take it, or its characters, very seriously. Lamia and her writers (whose credits include Bridgerton , Pretty Little Liars , and Awkward ) have chosen a heightened approach to Hilderbrand’s original story, one that values dark, capricious comedy over straightforward mystery thrills. (The series was initially developed at Fox , the last broadcast network to put any stock in the dying art of primetime soap opera.) ((RIP Monarch , you glorious mess .))

Lamia and director Susanne Bier ( The Undoing ) know we love to watch the one-percent squirm, and Bier puts her characters under a microscope with repeated extreme close-ups — zooming in on their haunted eyes, their duplicitous mouths — as though she’s trying to use her camera to smash their polished façades. What Greer dreads most, of course, is a scene — and Perfect Couple makes her endure more than one for our enjoyment. During an intensely awkward family dinner, conversation turns from Doritos to the mysterious disappearance of Will’s former French tutor. When the ingratiating Abby attempts to smooth things over by making a comment about the wine, Greer snaps. “It really doesn’t matter,” she barks, silencing her daughter-in-law with a dismissive wave of the hand.

Liam Daniel/Netflix

It’s one of many moments where Kidman, as Greer, allows herself to be unlikable, which is something the Oscar-winning actress rarely does. In her recent TV roles, Kidman has been tormented, aggrieved, angry, sure — but just plain mean? Never. It’s a hoot to watch her embrace Greer’s underlying nastiness, which naturally stems from a Deep Dark Secret not even her family knows. Fanning has a ball as the snooty and condescending Abby, who cloaks all her insults with a sing-song lilt and a sunny smile. Reynor brings the tragicomic relief as Benji’s bullying, insecure brother Tom, and Champlin strikes just the right tone of unflappable bemusement as Detective Henry.

Alas, there isn’t much to Tag Winbury, whose chief personality traits are smoking a lot of weed and a tendency to sing pop songs at inappropriate times. Hewson and Bowle are appealing actors, but their characters are similarly underwritten and suffer from a noticeable lack of chemistry. We’re never really clear why Amelia — who ostensibly has no designs on Benji’s money — wants to marry him in the first place. But in the end, perhaps Greer Winbury is right and it really doesn’t matter. Benji, Amelia, Tag — all of them are just a catalyst for the real entertainment: Watching the rich eat their own. Grade: B

All six episodes of The Perfect Couple premiere Thursday, Sept. 5, on Netflix.

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‘Stranger Eyes’ Review: Ostensibly A Missing-Child Thriller, Yeo Siew Hua’s Alluring Film Takes A Strange Turn — Venice Film Festival

By Stephanie Bunbury

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Full of false leads and meandering shifts of focus, Singaporean director Yeo Siew Hua ’s story of a missing child initially appears to be a straight-up thriller. Here is a young couple with their child Little Bo, being filmed in the park by Bo’s overbearing grandmother. Here they are at home, miserable shells of their former selves, watching all the home movies they can find in the hope of finding a hint of what might have happened to Little Bo, who has now been missing for three months.

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Seeing is the subject of Stranger Eyes : seeing and not noticing, how we value the familiar, how we interpret things we only half-know. After Junyang’s trip to the toy shop, other DVDs start to appear, passed under the door in plain envelopes, that show them all going about their business in the playground and supermarket. Later DVDs show them in bed; they are obviously filmed from the opposite apartment block. Both the police and the couple themselves start to close in on the voyeur, who is presumed to be the kidnapper. A camera is installed above their front door; Officer Zheng (Pete Teo) takes his own turn as a voyeur, chortling over what he sees of their lives. More deliveries arrive. The stalker is duly identified as Lao Wu (Lee Kang-sheng), an undermanager in the local supermarket.

It is his anxiety about the fault lines he has seen in his neighbors’ family life that drove him to start following and recording them, horrified by what he sees; gradually, the original picture of parents driven mad by anxiety tilts to reveal the other tensions underpinning their lives, their burning secrets and the lies they tell each other. Lao Wu unearths these secrets almost by accident, but so do the cameras clustered around their apartment block and through the malls that are the nerve centers of Singaporean life.

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Peiying has built her own life around the camera’s gaze; she is a DJ on her own website, a hot rock chick dancing with an audience of virtual fans. It is startling to realize that this is not a flashback; we have already heard Christmas music in the mall and here is Peiying in a Santa outfit, giving the fans a festive mix. For a few minutes, at least, the hunt for Little Bo has been sidelined.

By the time the child is found — and it is no spoiler to say this, given that the film has moved beyond that loss to a more inchoate sense of emptiness and loss permeating the rest of their lives — her recovery is passed over in a moment. There is no explanation for how they tracked her down. Patience, says Officer Zheng, quite impatiently. Yeo Siew Hua certainly isn’t going to bother with details of a missing persons case. That has long since ceased to be the point. The point is how these people see themselves and their lives, through veils of delusion and deceit. It is a meandering, strange film, in which the ostensible thriller framework ultimately feels like an obstruction and the characters remain indistinct. But that discordant strangeness is also its allure.

Title:  Stranger Eyes Festival:   Venice  (Competition) Director-screenwriter:  Yeo Siew Hua Cast:  Wu Chien-Ho, Lee Kang-Sheng, Anicca Panna, Vera Chen, Pete Teo, Xenia Tan, Maryanne Ng-Yew Sales agent: Playtime Running time:  2 hr 5 mins

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‘the perfect couple’ review: nicole kidman plays yet another miserable rich lady in netflix’s turgid murder mystery.

A young couple's Nantucket wedding weekend is derailed by a dead body in the Susanne Bier-directed adaptation of Elin Hilderbrand's novel.

By Angie Han

Television Critic

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The good news about The Perfect Couple , Netflix’s adaptation of Elin Hilderbrand’s novel about a death at a wedding weekend, is that the finale is a blast.

The Perfect Couple

Related stories, netflix's 'perfect couple' trailer serves up wealth, death and nicole kidman, nicole kidman steamy pic 'babygirl' wows venice film festival crowd at world premiere.

Besides, huge swaths of the series feel repurposed from better series you may have seen already. Billy Howle, of FX’s superb Under the Banner of Heaven , once again plays a man (Benji) who brings an unsuspecting normal woman into the fold of his openly disapproving, suspiciously close-knit and ultimately toxic clan. It’s just that this time, his family’s problem is not that they’re too religious but too rich — “‘kill someone and get away with it’ rich,” per one bystander, if not quite “kidnap-rich,” per another.

Benji’s love, Amelia, is played by Eve Hewson , who should know from potentially murderous relations thanks to her role on Apple TV+’s Bad Sisters . The happy couple have gathered with his family in Nantucket for their wedding, to be attended by still more vaguely familiar-seeming characters — including Meghann Fahy as Amelia’s bestie Merritt, a sun-tanned charmer whose effervescence conceals a deeper sadness, not very unlike her Emmy-nominated turn in HBO’s The White Lotus .

The premise is a fairly boilerplate mystery — a body is found the morning of Amelia and Benji’s ceremony, though the show will take its time revealing who it belongs to — executed in disappointingly standard fashion. The Perfect Couple ’s resemblance to all of those other series does it few favors when, for the vast majority of its six episodes, it struggles to find any voice of its own.

Though it can be funny, particularly when it borrows from Big Little Lies the conceit of a Greek chorus of witnesses who seem more excited for the opportunity to gossip than they are concerned about the possibility of a killer in their midst, it’s not consistently sharp enough to work as a satire. It pokes halfheartedly at larger themes about the impossibility of truly understanding a marriage or a family from the outside — the title refers to Greer and her husband, Tag ( Liev Schreiber ), whose idealized marriage is a key element of the marketing for her bestselling series of mystery novels. (Yes, it’s all very meta.) But it doesn’t dig deep enough to truly reveal either of their hearts, let alone excavate any fresh insights.

A blessed few manage to make an impression anyway. I enjoyed Crazy Ex-Girlfriend ’s Donna Lynne Champlin as Detective Henry, a mainlander whose unfussy intelligence and wry sense of humor provide a welcome contrast from the Winburys’ clueless entitlement — as well as her platonic chemistry with Michael Beach’s Officer Carter, who warms to this outsider bit by bit. On the polar opposite end, I was tickled by Dakota Fanning as Amelia’s prospective sister-in-law, Abby, a mean girl who delivers her cruelest jabs in her most honeyed tones. Filled though it is with mutual loathing, her marriage to Benji’s big brother Tom (Jack Reynor) — also a bully, but a far blunter and cruder one — might be the most explicable romance of the entire series.

Abby may not run that deep as a character, but Fanning tears into her with an over-the-top gusto that’s equal parts terrifying and hilarious. If her performance seems to come from a completely different show than the one Kidman seems to be on most of the time — honestly, I’d rather watch Fanning’s.

As it turns out, The Perfect Couple would seem to agree with me. Late in the series, a family friend (Isabelle Adjani) suggests to Amelia that there’s a reason Greer seems to hate her so much. “When people have spent their whole life caring about what others say, they cannot stand to see someone …” she trails off in French before getting to the point: “It reminds them of their wasted life.”

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