On the Big Board |
| Position |
Staff |
In Brief |
| 37/65 |
Kim Hollis |
Carl Hiaasen, Jimmy Buffett, Luke Wilson, Calvin Trager and the Florida Keys. What more could I ask? |
| 65/159 |
David Mumpower |
Hoot is generally charming and its heart is in the right place. More adult audiences might find it too basic, though. |
Roy Eberhart is a middle school student whose family has recently relocated from the mountains of Montana to the hot, muggy flatlands of Coconut Cove in Florida. One day while riding the bus to school, Roy is being picked on by the resident bully - a big, older boy named Dana. While Roy's face is smashed against the window, he sees something strange. A small boy about his age is running toward the next bus stop. However, when the kid reaches that destination, he keeps right on running past the bus stop until Roy can't see him anymore. Even odder, the boy doesn't seem to be wearing any shoes - and his feet are filthy.
The next day, Roy hatches a plan to chase after the kid. Eventually, he learns that the boy is called Mullet Fingers and that he is on a serious mission. It seems that a nearby construction site is endangering some adorable little owls who make their homes in underground burrows on that property. Roy isn't exactly sure how he's going to accomplish it, but he becomes determined to help Mullet Fingers in his quest. To that end, he'll also join forces with Mullet Fingers' stepsister, Beatrice Leep, an athletic soccer player who is super protective of the kid.
Meanwhile, over at the construction site, a foreman named Curly is getting antsy. The grounds have been a repeated target for what appear to be practical jokes. One day, all of the boundary stakes are pulled up out of the ground and tossed around - though not damaged. Then, all of the portable toilets are filled with alligators. Things are getting rough for Curly, who is under extreme pressure from the people at Mother Paula's Pancakes, who intend to put their next restaurant in precisely that spot. A local police officer, David Delinko, is assigned to the case, but he soon finds himself embarrassed by the pranksters as well. Will he be able to solve the case?
This ingenious little tale comes from the creative mind of Carl Hiaasen, who has previously found success with such terrific books as Tourist Season, Native Tongue and Strip Tease. Always set in South Florida, the stories generally center on a "big bad" of sorts and have a "little guy" who is trying to overcome the system. Hoot is no exception, but the book is different in that it is Hiaasen's first novel ever aimed at kids. A Newberry Honor book, it lends itself perfectly to movie form and is being produced by Jimmy Buffett, who will also be writing the music. Will Shriner, who has previously worked on television series like Frasier, Everybody Loves Raymond, and The Norm Show, is directing from his own adapted screenplay.
Logan Lerman, who was eye-catching as Bobby McCallister in the short-lived WB series Jack & Bobby, will star as Roy. Cody Linley, most recently of the Martin Lawrence disaster Rebound, will portray Mullet Fingers. BOP fave Luke Wilson has the role of Officer Delinko. Walden Media, a production company that is committed to making outstanding family entertainment, is ultimately behind the movie, so a solid adaptation should be expected. (Kim Hollis/BOP)
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