As the movie opens, we see a woman floating in the air surrounded by fog. It's not just a fantasy. It's a performance by magician Antoine in Las Vegas. Lorraine, one of the performers, has a 7-year-old son named Albert who wants to be a magician. The boy's father must have been a magician, someone says, because he disappeared.
After Lorraine dies tragically, there is no family to take care of him. Lorraine's co-workers think of Albert as family, but they travel too much (wonder why Lorraine didn't, or if she did). It is determined that Lorraine wanted Harriet Franklin to have Albert if anything happened. A flashback shows how Harriet, a little black girl, arrived at the foster home where Lorraine already lived. The two became friends, although this is not shown. When Harriet, the owner of a restaurant supply business, is contacted, she gets upset. No, she doesn't want a child! (The usual reaction from a Whoopi Goldberg character) But Harriet remembers how good a friend Lorraine was and reluctantly agrees to take Albert.
Harriet lives in Newark (the only thing good about Newark is that it is close to Atlantic City, where Albert's friends will soon perform), so Albert must take a plane ride. On the plane, Albert is given a coloring book, and one of the characters in the coloring book comes to life. He is a French man who calls himself Bogus who only Albert can see or hear. Throughout the movie, people wonder who Albert is talking to. But it seems Bogus is his only friend. Harriet doesn't want him, and he doesn't bond with the other children. An example: in one scene, a magician is performing at a child's birthday party, and Albert knows how the trick was done, but when another child is scared, Albert doesn't reassure her. He just wonders silently how kids could be so dumb.
Albert doesn't try very hard to be happy with his situation, while Harriet goes out of her way to help the boy and doesn't seem to be getting any reward. Just lots of parking tickets.
Even though Bogus is from a fantasy world, he tries to give Albert practical advice. He knows Albert needs to face his problems and get on with life, but he still wants to have fun with the boy. There are a couple of enjoyable scenes with Bogus and Albert together, one with Jack Sheldon of 'Schoolhouse Rock' fame singing 'Me and My Shadow' as the two friends explore Newark. In another scene, an ice cream parlor magically appears in a warehouse. Harriet and her business associate Bob can't see the ice cream, though Bob pretends to. (Is something going on with those two other than business?)
Whoopi Goldberg gives her usual performance. She has an attitude but tries to be civil to the boy and eventually shows signs of coming around. Gerard Depardieu is wonderful as Bogus. And while this is no 'Sixth Sense', Haley Joel Osment is still one of the best possible actors to play his role. It's a shame he will have to grow up.
This is a formula movie, but I like the formula.
Possible Spoiler:
Eventually, Harriet does see and hear Bogus, and she even dances with him to big band and polka music, with both wearing fancy costumes that come out of nowhere.
After Lorraine dies tragically, there is no family to take care of him. Lorraine's co-workers think of Albert as family, but they travel too much (wonder why Lorraine didn't, or if she did). It is determined that Lorraine wanted Harriet Franklin to have Albert if anything happened. A flashback shows how Harriet, a little black girl, arrived at the foster home where Lorraine already lived. The two became friends, although this is not shown. When Harriet, the owner of a restaurant supply business, is contacted, she gets upset. No, she doesn't want a child! (The usual reaction from a Whoopi Goldberg character) But Harriet remembers how good a friend Lorraine was and reluctantly agrees to take Albert.
Harriet lives in Newark (the only thing good about Newark is that it is close to Atlantic City, where Albert's friends will soon perform), so Albert must take a plane ride. On the plane, Albert is given a coloring book, and one of the characters in the coloring book comes to life. He is a French man who calls himself Bogus who only Albert can see or hear. Throughout the movie, people wonder who Albert is talking to. But it seems Bogus is his only friend. Harriet doesn't want him, and he doesn't bond with the other children. An example: in one scene, a magician is performing at a child's birthday party, and Albert knows how the trick was done, but when another child is scared, Albert doesn't reassure her. He just wonders silently how kids could be so dumb.
Albert doesn't try very hard to be happy with his situation, while Harriet goes out of her way to help the boy and doesn't seem to be getting any reward. Just lots of parking tickets.
Even though Bogus is from a fantasy world, he tries to give Albert practical advice. He knows Albert needs to face his problems and get on with life, but he still wants to have fun with the boy. There are a couple of enjoyable scenes with Bogus and Albert together, one with Jack Sheldon of 'Schoolhouse Rock' fame singing 'Me and My Shadow' as the two friends explore Newark. In another scene, an ice cream parlor magically appears in a warehouse. Harriet and her business associate Bob can't see the ice cream, though Bob pretends to. (Is something going on with those two other than business?)
Whoopi Goldberg gives her usual performance. She has an attitude but tries to be civil to the boy and eventually shows signs of coming around. Gerard Depardieu is wonderful as Bogus. And while this is no 'Sixth Sense', Haley Joel Osment is still one of the best possible actors to play his role. It's a shame he will have to grow up.
This is a formula movie, but I like the formula.
Possible Spoiler:
Eventually, Harriet does see and hear Bogus, and she even dances with him to big band and polka music, with both wearing fancy costumes that come out of nowhere.