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The Woo Woo Kid (1987)

Director: Phil Alden Robinson

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Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

The beguiling true-life case of Sonny Wisecarver - who, aged 14, married two married women in their twenties in the dog days of World War II, and shared tabloid covers with Hitler and D-Day - was a moment's monument, and a perfect vehicle for the likes of Jonathan Demme. In Robinson's hands, it is sometimes crude, sometimes wonderfully small-print human, bailed out by the gravitational pull of documentary truth, and generally worth a look. The soundtrack alone is sharp enough to sell the movie to blind swing band fans. For Sonny (Dempsey) it was always true love, though the ladies suffer the strictures of the law for corrupting a minor. Sonny is played adenoidally open-mouthed and innocently goodhearted, and both wives (Balsam, D'Angelo) are experienced but achingly vulnerable. The movie, validly, doesn't take a stance, but plays a cheeky catch-as-catch-can between tethered fact and sometimes surreal guesswork. Nice little film.

Author: BC 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Time Out Film Guide

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User reviews of this film

  • Chris D said...
    Posted on May 30 2008 09:39 The Woo Woo Kid is an incredible true story (truth is stranger than fiction) and delivered with real heart and intelligence by all concerned. Anyone who enjoys and is interested in biographical films will certainly find this interesting. If you are not a romantic at heart you will probably hate this film, this is a film for people with a heart, watch and enjoy.
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Cast & crew

Director: Phil Alden Robinson

Producer: Gary Adelson, Karen Mack

Cast: Patrick Dempsey, Talia Balsam, Beverly D'Angelo, Michael Constantine, Betty Jinnette, Kathleen Freeman, Peter Hobbs full cast

Duration: 98 mins


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