Jack (1996)

This film depicts the life of an individual with progeria, a disorder which is characterized by fast aging. Jack is at first homeschooled, but then his parents agree to send him to a school where he has to interact with other kids.

Cinema has courted abnormality ever since its early days. This film is a descendant of a long lineage which goes back to Freaks, and maybe even farther back. There is a certain amount of ambiguity in this sort of film, which borders on dishonesty, in that they somehow exploit the sensationalist aspects of abnormality, even though nearly all of them wrap them in a message of tolerance and open-mindedness about diversity. But Jack is considerably duller than Freaks, that's for sure, mainly because it's basically a monoconceptual movie (I would say it is a one-joke movie but the word joke would be somewhat controversial as applied here). The film's main artistic interest rests on the acting ability of its main performer. The script is weak, though, and oscillates between triteness and schmaltz.

Rating: 30