the kid charlie chaplin movie review

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

Upcoming Movies and TV shows
Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

What's the Tomatometer®?
Login/signup

Movies in theaters

Opening this week
Top box office
Coming soon to theaters
Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

Fandango at Home
Netflix streaming
Prime Video
Most popular streaming movies
What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Link to Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
The Fall Guy Link to The Fall Guy
The Last Stop in Yuma County Link to The Last Stop in Yuma County

New TV Tonight

Interview With the Vampire: Season 2
Spacey Unmasked: Season 1
Outer Range: Season 2
After the Flood: Season 1
The Killing Kind: Season 1
Bridgerton: Season 3
The Big Cigar: Season 1
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Season 11.1
Harry Wild: Season 3
RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars: Season 9

Where to Watch

Watch The Kid with a subscription on Max, rent on Prime Video, or buy on Prime Video.

What to Know

Charles Chaplin' irascible Tramp is given able support from Jackie Coogan as The Kid in this slapstick masterpiece, balancing the guffaws with moments of disarming poignancy.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Charlie Chaplin

Jackie Coogan

Edna Purviance

Carl Miller

Granville Redmond

The Man's Friend (uncredited)

Or browse by category:

Get the app
Movie Reviews
Best Movie Lists
Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

Best TV Lists
Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
Common Sense Selections for TV
Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

Book Reviews
Best Book Lists
Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

Game Reviews
Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

Podcast Reviews
Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

App Reviews
Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

YouTube Channel Reviews
YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

Explaining the News to Our Kids

Family Tech Planners
Digital Skills
All Articles
Latino Culture
Black Voices
Asian Stories
Native Narratives
LGBTQ+ Pride
Best of Diverse Representation List

Celebrating Black History Month

Movies and TV Shows with Arab Leads

Celebrate Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary

The kid (1921), common sense media reviewers.

Timeless silent film blends humor with hardship.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Unlike many of Chaplin's other films, this one

The Tramp stands out as a timelessly endearing cha

Violence arises as a tool of the film's physic

The Tramp briefly flirts with a policeman's wi

Though the film is silent and no risky language te

The Tramp is sometimes pictured smoking, though it

Positive Messages

Unlike many of Chaplin's other films, this one has no overt political or social critique at work. The Tramp exposes some of the hardships of poverty as he scrambles to make his way in life and speaks to the power of an adoptive father-son bond, but there's no overarching lesson to be had. The film does present a few intermittent and subtle teaching moments -- a title card reads "Charity -- to some a duty, to others a joy," and the Tramp's dream sequence shows sins such as jealousy and lewdness corrupting an otherwise peaceful world. The film's focus, though, rests on the relationship between the Tramp and his adoptive son, which is a touching story even if it's not an extremely teachable one.

Positive Role Models

The Tramp stands out as a timelessly endearing character, one who likely will worm his way into new viewers' affections and continue to charm those already familiar with Chaplin's work. Although his intentions often are for the best, the Tramp gets caught up in actions that don't model positive behaviors -- always, of course, for the sake of humor. He involves his adopted son in petty crime and a street fight, and, when he first discovers the kid as an abandoned baby, he tries to get rid of him, too. The negative behaviors can easily be forgotten in the midst of the laughs they create, though, and the Tramp does take the kid in and raise him wholeheartedly as his own.

Violence & Scariness

Violence arises as a tool of the film's physically based slapstick humor and is more cartoon-like than realistic. There are plenty of physical altercations -- mostly fistfights -- and, in one instance, two children beat each other up while a watching crowd cheers. Objects such as an umbrella, a ceramic bowl, and a hammer are used to "injure" others, and a policeman attempts to choke the Tramp. All these instances are somehow related to the gag at hand and are used to generate laughs despite their -- at face value -- more serious nature. As part of the Tramp's dream, he gets shot out of the sky by the policeman -- a brief and rare moment that doesn't hold much humor.

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

Sex, Romance & Nudity

The Tramp briefly flirts with a policeman's wife before getting chased away. During a dream sequence, a woman is instructed by the devil to "vamp" the Tramp and subsequently attempts to draw him in by winking and exposing her ankle.

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

Though the film is silent and no risky language technically can be heard, at one point an inter-title reads "Awkward ass!" as someone (off-screen) shouts at the Tramp.

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

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

The Tramp is sometimes pictured smoking, though it's not emphasized and fits with the historical context.

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

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Kid is Charlie Chaplin 's first feature-length release, a silent picture from 1921. The film chronicles another episode in the life of his famous character, the Tramp, who this time finds an abandoned baby and decides to raise it as his own. It contains plenty of violence, used as a tool of Chaplin's physical slapstick humor -- lots of punches are thrown, objects are used to compromise others, and struggles and chases ensue. All these elements succeed in achieving their goal of laughs, however, and the exaggerated nature of the conflicts makes them seem silly and humorous rather than scary or realistic. Beneath the comedy, there are definitely some more serious thematic elements at work -- most significantly a child being traumatically separated from a parent. In that regard, the opening title proves to be true: "A picture with a smile -- and perhaps, a tear." Since it's silent, the film may hold little interest for kids who aren't able to get on board with the absence of dialog. But for those who are able to appreciate Chaplin's work -- and there is definitely plenty to appreciate -- the film is truly a piece of history, offering a glimpse into days past, along with -- of course -- many laughs. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

Parents say (3)
Kids say (5)

Based on 3 parent reviews

My elementary aged kids liked it!

What's the story.

A single mother, faced with raising her infant son alone, chooses to abandon him in the back of a fancy automobile, thinking he will find a better life in someone else's care. But when the car gets stolen by two thugs who leave the baby on a street corner, abandoned once again, the kid begins a life his mother never anticipated. This time it's the Tramp ( Charlie Chaplin ) who discovers the child (played by then child-star Jackie Coogan ), and, when he can't find anyone to hand the baby off to, he takes it in as his own. Five years down the line, the two are a certifiable father-son pair with an inseparable bond, but, when the news gets out that the Tramp is not the kid's real father, their life together is placed in danger.

Is It Any Good?

In the modern age of voice-over and extreme close-ups, the silent medium offers a refreshing take on filmmaking, and viewers willing to try something they're not used to will be paid back in full. The very physical edge to Chaplin's slapstick humor relies on acting with the entire body, and as he and his costars attempt to communicate a story without the use of dialogue, the resulting style achieves a kind of genuineness that almost doesn't seem possible with sound. In these full-body shots, Chaplin's agility is on display as well -- as he dodges punches and climbs across rooftops, his gracefulness is almost shocking. But it nearly goes unnoticed in light of the jokes it serves to produce -- for yes, all these years later, the raw humor Chaplin creates is still very funny. It wouldn't be untrue to say that these elements arise in every film Chaplin made, but that's no problem -- in fact, it's welcome. For therein lies the magic of the Chaplin style and the certainty that the Tramp will continue to delight audiences for years to come.

For many, questioning the quality of a Chaplin film seems almost humorous. History speaks for itself: he iconic Tramp character, whose oddball attempts to integrate himself into society have made viewers laugh and cry for decades, has solidified himself as one of the most timeless images in Hollywood history. And he's no exception in THE KID. Even in his first feature-length appearance, Chaplin (who wrote, directed, produced, starred in, and composed the score for the film) seems to leap off the screen with his endearing, larger-than-life persona. The Tramp, as he confronts very real struggles and makes very human mistakes, truly manages to transcend time, speaking to the universal quirkiness and naivety of the human spirit, and the underlying earnestness and sincerity of the film shines through.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the Tramp as a parent -- what does he do right, and what does he do wrong?

Families also can discuss the stylistic aspects of the film. What are the biggest changes between filmmaking in the early days of Hollywood and filmmaking now? What do you think of the film being silent? Is there anything that silent films provide that "talking" pictures can't?

What do you think of the way the Tramp makes a living, and what kind of morals does he seem to have? As an outsider, how does he relate to other members of society?

How is violence used in the film? What do you think of mixing it with humor?

Movie Details

In theaters : February 6, 1921
On DVD or streaming : April 5, 2007
Cast : Charlie Chaplin , Edna Purviance , Jackie Coogan
Director : Charlie Chaplin
Studio : First National Pictures
Genre : Classic
Run time : 68 minutes
MPAA rating : NR
Last updated : October 1, 2023

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

Our editors recommend.

The General (1927)

Want personalized picks for your kids' age and interests?

City Lights

Modern Times

Best classic comedy films.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

The Kid (1921)

User Reviews

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews

User Ratings
External Reviews
Metacritic Reviews
Full Cast and Crew
Release Dates
Official Sites
Company Credits
Filming & Production
Technical Specs
Plot Summary
Plot Keywords
Parents Guide

Did You Know?

Crazy Credits
Alternate Versions
Connections
Soundtracks

Photo & Video

Photo Gallery
Trailers and Videos

The Kid [1921] Review – The Most Poignant of Chaplin’s Silent Masterpieces

Every time I revisit Charlie Chaplin’s first feature The Kid (1921), the cynical part of my mind scoffs at the happy ending. The Tramp is greeted by the wealthy Woman and gets reunited with his beloved John, who welcomes the Tramp into his new, bigger home. Even the bullying policeman loses the chip on his shoulder and gleefully shakes hands with our eccentric, toothbrush mustachioed hero. But despite the limitations defined by such an exceedingly hopeful ending, The Kid’s power, and timelessness can be attributed to the things that are not easily explainable – our emotions. Author Mark Cousins in the book The Story of Film says, “It is possible to see The Kid and hardly laugh”. But what’s impossible is seeing the movie and not cry.

We can’t stop from feeling that tug at the heart when little John calls out for the Tramp from the back of a wagon (his fingers clawed, the panic palpable in his face). What’s more unlikely is to not shed tears of joy when the Tramp takes up a daring rescue effort and gets reunited with the boy. The depth of feelings you feel at those moments is something that can’t be expressed through mere words. It’s what makes The Kid one of the ‘aesthetically significant’ works of silent-era cinema. In the years after Chaplin made The Kid, cinema has taken giant leaps and brought upon incredible details to its imagery. Yet it would be a Herculean task to bestow the deeper emotional authenticity Chaplin’s heartfelt images achieved here.

In 1912, in California, the Canadian-American director & producer Mack Sennett opened Keystone Studios which was considered to be the first film company that solely made comedies. Mr. Sennett was revered as the father of slapstick cinema. In the same year he co-founded the Keystone Studios, Sennett saw Charles Chaplin on a stage and hired him. The legend says that one fine day in 1914 Chaplin donned the comedy make-up to instill few laughs into an otherwise somber shooting of Mabel’s Strange Predicament. The momentary thought Chaplin had while walking to the wardrobe may have been the origin point to realize the most celebrated character in cinema. But The Tramp’s evolution happened gradually, particularly the way the character blended pathos and slapstick. Of course, the stories of Tramp’s easy birth shows how we flatly reduce a very complex gestation and filter it for the sake of a supposedly inspirational story.

High On Films in collaboration with Avanté

Chaplin left the Keystone by 1915, and soon became a star through his two-reelers (short films that runs around twenty minutes). By 1917, his annual salary was $1 million, and most importantly he gained full creative control of the films he made. Soon he got the idea to have his own production and releasing company, and also effectively juggled between the roles of actor, writer, director, editor, producer, and composer. Chaplin co-founded United Artists Corporation in 1919 with the then powerful representatives of American silent cinema such as film-maker D.W. Griffith and stars Mary Pickford & Douglas Fairbanks. While with the two-reelers Chaplin perfected the art of assembly-line production methods, his ambitions as an artist only grew bigger. The result was The Kid, which was in production for nearly 13 months, something totally unprecedented at that time.

Related to The Kid: I Was Born, But… [1932] – A Captivating and Subtly Incisive Silent Comedy about Childhood

Ever the perfectionist, Chaplin borrowed $500,000 and kept reshooting the scenes for months to realize the look and effect he was striving to achieve. In fact, the shooting ratio for the film was 53:1, i.e., the amount of total material shot to the footage of the final film (unheard of for a scripted production in 1921). The experiment, however, paid off greatly and the rest, as they say, is history. On the personal front, by the time Chaplin immersed himself into The Kid’s production, he was wrecked by the loss of his newborn child (in July 1919). Moreover, it is obvious that the imagery and story of The Kid is derived from Chaplin’s own memories of his childhood (in the 1890s London). Even the small room inhabited by the boy and fatherly Tramp was said to be based on a place Chaplin lived when he was a kid.

Charlie Chaplin introduces The Kid as ‘a picture with a smile — and perhaps, a tear’ , signaling the narrative’s driving force: pathos and humor. The film opens with The Woman (Edna Purviance, who appeared in 33 of Chaplin’s productions) carrying her baby son. She’s an unmarried mother as the title card informs, “whose sin was motherhood”. She abandons her baby with a simple hand-written note: “Please love and care for this orphan child ” . She has a change of heart although her child is now really lost. After a series of mishaps, the baby falls under the care of a poor tramp, who is initially wary of accepting the foisted fatherhood. Eventually, he warms up to the idea, and names the baby ‘John’.

Five years later, the tramp is still leading a hardscrabble life, but loves being the foster father to the ever-energetic John (Jackie Coogan). Coogan not only gave one of the liveliest child performances in the movie history, but also proves to be the best screen partner for Chaplin. Dressed in ragged, oversized clothes, Coogan is basically the miniature version of Tramp. After ingeniously realizing the ramshackle domestic life of the duo, we see them getting ready for the job. The Tramp has employed his precocious kid to break windows in a selected neighborhood so that he can reglaze them. The proverbial Chaplin-esque lighthearted comedy ensues when they both try to dodge a policeman on the beat.

Despite making money through a duplicitous scheme, it seems the tramp has tried to do well by the child. John takes up the responsibility of cooking pancakes, says grace before meals. In short, the boy is inherently good and civilized. Meanwhile, we learn that The Woman, John’s biological mother, is now a wealthy opera star. But she still yearns for her lost child, and assuages her pain by being charitable to the slum children. In the second-half, when the boy falls ill, the tramp calls for a doctor, who upon learning the truth notifies officials to take the boy to an orphanage. This leads to the aforementioned gut-wrenching sequence. The sequence ends with a beatifying close-up of Coogan and Chaplin’s face pressed together.

Their reunion, however, is short-lived as John is handed over to his mother (obviously, the hand-written note is a vital framing device). What follows is a strangely interesting dreamland sequence, in which the then 13-year-old Lita Grey plays the ‘flirtatious’ angel (whom Chaplin married three years later). This dreamland scene adorned with religious imagery, although disrupts the narrative tone a bit, directs its focus on the film’s underlying themes of innocence and morality. And as expected, this is followed by a simple yet elegantly shot final reunion between John and The Tramp.

Its undeniable truth that the strong on and off-screen relationship between Coogan and Chaplin helped create the perfect parent-child closeness. When a week’s work at the studio finished, Chaplin took the kid out on a Sunday to visit amusement parks and circus. In the light of his own deprived childhood, film scholars argue that this was more than an exercise on Chaplin’s part to build trust and love with Jackie Coogan. Coogan played Oliver Twist in the 1923 production and was a considerably successful child star. Nevertheless, misfortunes followed him, similar to the ones that plagued the later decades’ child stars of Hollywood. When the adult Coogan was going through tough financial times, the California legislature passed Child Actors Bill aka Coogan Act to protect the earnings of child actors by setting up trust funds.

Also Read: Little Fugitive [1953] – An Endearing Snapshot of an Age and Time

Chaplin is clearly at his expressive best when he tries to portray The Tramp’s poverty. Be it the make-shift cradle or the nightgown he fashions out of an old blanket, he efficiently showcases the poverty-stricken household. Although a bit disconnected from the narrative, Chaplin mocks the society’s traditional morality in a scene involving Charles Reisner’s bully character (after a delightful child boxing sequence). The bully keeps trying to land a blow on the terrified Tramp, who just manages to save himself by ducking and dodging at the right time. The bully wants The Tramp to take up the punishment for John winning the fight with the bully’s younger brother.

At one point The Woman appears and speaks of Christian compassion (‘to turn the other cheek’) to the bully . But The Tramp uses such traditional (impractical) morality to his own advantage to deliver some hurtful punches. The slapstick scene jeering at such unsuitable norms of morality sets the stage for the big emotional scene, where the authorities – the official bearers of traditional morality – intrude upon The Tramp & kid’s haven to pull them apart. Perhaps, such societal conventions are deeply entrenched on The Tramp’s mind so that he dreams of a heaven which is equally artificial and operates on binary worldview (angel-devil, innocence-corruption). Or maybe the dream didn’t end for our Tramp even when the surly policeman shakes him up and takes him to John’s mansion.

The happily-ever-after ending is also mildly ambiguous. I mean what can The Tramp do now that the kid has got a rich mother? Maybe he could go in search of a gold rush in order to escape the mad circus of the capitalist modern times. Well, it’s a pointless question anyway. Because as long as empathy keeps flowing in our hearts, The Kid & The Tramp’s heartfelt connection will remain the same, untouched by time.

The Kid Links: IMDB , Rotten Tomatoes

Trending right now.

Arun Kumar is an ardent cinebuff, who likes to analyze movie to its minute detail. He believes in the transformative power and shared-dream experience of cinema.

Dark Waters [2019] Review– A Conventional yet Compelling Account of Toxic Chemical Pollution

Anomalisa [2015]: Catharsis on being and love

The Island Between Tides (2024) ‘Cinequest’ Movie Review: A Haunting That Never Finds Itself

The Asian Angel [2021]: ‘NYAFF’ Review – A moving cross-cultural road movie

Barry Season 3 Episode 3: Recap & Ending Explained

The Exploding Boy (2023) Movie Review: A Sweet Coming of Age Story with Some Rage and Lots of Love

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024) Review
Abigail (2024) Review
Challengers (2024) Review
50 Greatest Star Wars Moments
'Seven Samurai' at 70 - Review

Chaplin’s ‘The Kid’ – 100 Year Anniversary Review

The Kid (1921) Director: Charlie Chaplin Screenwriter: Charlie Chaplin Starring: Charlie Chaplin, Jackie Coogan, Edna Purviance, Carl Miller, Walter Lynch

Inequality, wealth disparity, gendered oppression and prejudice have long been among the thematic building blocks of great cinema, but rarely have they been presented with such innocence as in a Charlie Chaplin motion picture, and perhaps never have we seen all of them presented at once with such a cheekiness as in Chaplin’s seminal feature The Kid , released 100 years ago in 1921.

Charles Chaplin, then credited as Charlie Chaplin, was one of Hollywood’s great early filmmakers; a worldwide megastar known for his character The Tramp – a short moustachioed man with baggy clothes and clown-like shoes pointed in either direction of his body. Through slapstick humour, the films of Chaplin translated to audiences across the world, the timeless messages of love and equality easily recognisable no matter the culture – and in a decade that would come to be dominated by his pictures, the great writer, director, producer, composer and performer would start as he would mean to go on, 1921’s The Kid being one of the most influential and certainly one of the decade’s most timeless offerings.

Telling the tale of The Tramp – Chaplin’s iconic silver screen character who would be the focus of each of his pictures for 20 years – and a child he finds in the trash and chooses to take in after reading a note from its beleaguered mother buried in its clothing, The Kid visits so many of the great filmmaker’s most iconic themes and ideologies, ultimately pitting the down-on-their-luck unlikely duo against the oppressive forces of the police, the government and the always looming threat of malnutrition and disease caused by the duo’s complete absence of wealth; all the while cheekily breaking the fourth wall and causing many a smile through its slapstick antics.

The Kid opens with the title card “The woman – whose sin was motherhood”, and it is clear when viewing the piece with the knowledge that Chaplin was a child of the workhouse and his mother was placed in an “Insane Asylum” for raising him outside of marriage, that this opening title card was a targeted point made in opposition to the way governments and wider society ousted single mothers and their children into obscurity. Chaplin was a child born of oppression and poverty, and upon his arrival in the United States paid for his mother to be moved there with him to live in luxury for the rest of her life, and in The Kid it is clear this experience is central to the great filmmaker’s belief system and to the characters he creates. The woman in question, simply named The Woman and played by Edna Purviance, is alone and unable to feed her child when she comes across the car of a family of aristocrats and chooses to leave her baby there in the hopes of a better life for it. The car is then stolen by lowly criminals and the child put in the trash to be found by Chaplin’s Tramp, the narrative following the story of The Tramp and The Kid adjacent to that of The Woman, as The Woman is given a second chance at life, becoming famous and achieving all the things that the people of the time would never dare believe but Chaplin made integral to his story nonetheless.

The Kid’s politically motivated narrative is melted onto the structure of a superb stage comedy, the silent antics of Chaplin’s Tramp and Jackie Coogan’s The Kid rushing through frame, the characters playfully looking into the camera to evoke empathy or laughs when the time calls. Entire sequences are structured as jokes, with Chaplin placing us in the position of the all-seeing eye, awaiting the disaster that is coming to The Tramp unbeknownst to him. We laugh in anticipation of the silliness, and Chaplin strings it out for all it’s worth; then we laugh as the anticipated tension comes and is so gleefully performed, Chaplin never failing to seem as if he is enjoying himself. It makes for a joyous experience, and one that you can’t take your eyes off; what’s even more remarkable is how Chaplin isn’t done – he forces us to laugh again as he subverts expectations or offers a second laugh he’d set up earlier on but we’d probably forgotten about. It’s writing that can be described as nothing other than genius, and the performances are worthy of Chaplin’s great reputation as both an actor and director, every part played with a similar glint in the eye and physical gusto as the great man himself.

Yet, as with all great filmmakers, the narrative and the performances are just one factor to consider when judging a famous piece, Chaplin’s remarkable creativity behind the camera being somewhat revolutionary for the time. The film features a third act dream sequence that is bookended by soft fades in which Chaplin’s Tramp goes to heaven, goes shopping for wings, flies up and down the set, and is reunited with his son, only to be shaken awake on the doorstep of the house he’s no longer able to stay in. It’s a moment that evokes contemporary comparisons to the likes of Parasite and La La Land , each of which were inspired by films which were inspired by other films which were ultimately inspired by The Kid – and there’s no greater tribute to Chaplin’s work than this. Furthermore, late in the second act, The Woman looks directly into the camera to indicate to us that she is reminiscing on her time with her newborn baby – a distinct moment of juxtaposition to the cheeky smiles and looks of acknowledgement that have permeated Chaplin’s use of the technique to that point – while title cards and iris fades are regular occurrences that clue us in to the passing of time and the development of perspectives, illustrating Chaplin’s desire to further film language and make it as central to his storytelling as any other aspect. Chaplin was by no means the first to include such techniques in a feature film, but he was certainly an early purveyor, and was as talented as anyone at making them a part of his storytelling. During a time when the form was still brand new, Chaplin seemed to be from another world, his combination of the best of cinematic storytelling, narrative storytelling and performative storytelling being truly awe-inspiring.

In The Kid , humanity isn’t bad, but the constructs of society are – the absurd orphanage system and the people who uphold it without empathy or even humanity, the police who uphold the norms of an oppressive system through violence, toxic masculinity that pits those at the bottom against one another for scraps, the monetary disparity that causes thievery and starvation, the sexist agenda that sees women locked up for falling pregnant outside of wedlock yet has men continue as normal. It’s a stance Chaplin would take for the rest of his career – an ideological perspective that would have him chased from the United States for being a suspected communist – and so much of it remains so sadly relevant to our contemporary space. After a century of war, protests, technological advancements and political evolution, The Kid is just as necessary and just as important as it was at the beginning of the 20th century; an unmissable film not only to cinephiles and film aficionados, but a gently thought-stirring 53 minutes of cinema that is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.

Share with your friends / followers ...

Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

‘The Batman Part II’ Delayed by a Year

2024 oscars winners – full list.

FictionMachine.

REVIEW: The Kid (1921)

The film is The Kid , a comedy written, directed, edited, produced, and musically composed by its immensely talented star Charlie Chaplin. It was Chaplin’s first feature film, after years of making comedy shorts. When released, it was 68 minutes long. Sadly time, and a truncated re-release in 1972, now leaves it at only 53 minutes. Even shorn of 15 minutes, the film stands up. More than that: the film absolutely excels.

A single mother leaves her baby in the back seat of a car outside of a luxurious mansion, hoping the car’s owner with care for her child. Instead the car is stolen, the car thieves panic and abandon the baby in an alley, and a wandering tramp (Chaplin) finds the baby instead. A few years later the tramp and the child (Jackie Coogan) are living together as father and son while undertaking a series of scams and petty crimes.

It is amazing how famous Charlie Chaplin remains in world culture a century on, and it is amazing how few people today actually make the effort to see his films. In terms of American silent comedy he is at the absolute top of his league, arguably rivalled only by the athletic clowning of Buster Keaton. While comedy always dates, the purely physical comedy employed during the silent era actually preserve Chaplin’s work better than much younger comedy films and styles. The Kid stands up so well, and is worth tracking down and watching by absolutely any moviegoer today. It’s a truly remarkable work.

Chaplin also does something absolutely remarkable in The Kid . While it remains as packed with gags and jokes as his earlier shorts, he also incorporates a dramatic narrative than runs along in parallel. When the city authorities discover the tramp and the kid are living together, there is an immediate effort to separate them and send the kid to an orphanage. Neither wishes to be separated, and much anguish is caused when the police come to take the kid away. At the same time the single mother – now a rich and successful actor – discovers the kid is her abandoned baby, and desperately races to find him.

This had never been done before. The Kid is essentially the first feature film ever made to combine comedy and drama into a single narrative. It allows the film to trascend its comedic origins and become something genuinely enduring. The characters work so much better, and gain so much more depth, than earlier works. Chaplin’s famous tramp was always popular, but here he became three-dimensional.

Co-lead Jackie Coogan is a tremendous juvenile talent, making his film debut and absolutely nailing the comic timing and personality of his character. He continued acting beyond childhood and made a lifelong career of it – today’s viewers probably recognise him better as Uncle Fester in popular 1960s comedy The Addams Family.

There are always critics out there instructing their readers to watch classic Hollywood features because of their significance or historical relevance. With The Kid you should honestly watch it because it’s an incredibly funny and warm comedy. Even at 100 year old, this film works .

REVIEW: IF (2024)

REVIEW: The Craft: Legacy (2020)

REVIEW: Full Time (2021)

REVIEW: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)

Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
Subscribe Subscribed
Copy shortlink
Report this content
View post in Reader
Manage subscriptions
Collapse this bar

Letterboxd — Your life in film

Forgotten username or password ?

Start a new list…
Add all films to a list…
Add all films to watchlist

Add to your films…

Press Tab to complete, Enter to create

A moderator has locked this field.

Add to lists

Where to watch

Directed by Charlie Chaplin

6 reels of Joy.

A tramp cares for a boy after he's abandoned as a newborn by his mother. Later the mother has a change of heart and aches to be reunited with her son.

Charlie Chaplin Jackie Coogan Carl Miller Edna Purviance Albert Austin Beulah Bains Nellie Bly Baker Henry Bergman Edward Biby B.F. Blinn Kitty Bradbury Frank Campeau Bliss Chevalier Frances Cochran Elsie Codd Jack Coogan Sr. Estelle Cook Lillian Crane Philip D'Oench Dan Dillon Robert Dunbar Florette Faulkner Gloria Faythe Rupert Franklin Sadie Gordon Lita Grey Frank Hale Martha Hall Jules Hanft Show All… Louise Hathaway Silas Hathaway Flora Howard Ed Hunt Lulu Jenks Irene Jennings Kathleen Kay Grace Keller Sarah Kernan Raymond Lee Walter Lynch V. Madison Clyde McAtee Michael J. McCarthy John McKinnon Ethel O'Neil Lew Parker Charles I. Pierce Laura Pollard Evans Quirk Esther Ralston Granville Redmond Charles Reisner Henry Roser J.B. Russell George V. Sheldon Edgar Sherrod Elsie Sindora Minnie Stearns Arthur Thalasso Edith Valk Mother Vinot May White S.D. Wilcox Edith Wilson Tom Wilson Amanda Yanez Baby Yanez Elsie Young

Director Director

Charlie Chaplin

Producer Producer

Writer writer, editor editor, cinematography cinematography.

Roland Totheroh

Assistant Directors Asst. Directors

A. Edward Sutherland Charles Reisner Frank Powolny

Camera Operator Camera Operator

Jack Wilson

Additional Photography Add. Photography

Art direction art direction.

Charles D. Hall

Composer Composer

Charles Chaplin Productions

No spoken language

Releases by Date

16 jan 1921, 04 apr 1972, theatrical limited, 21 jan 1921, 14 jul 2021, 06 feb 1921, 05 may 1921, 05 jan 1922, 13 mar 1922, 19 mar 1922, 29 apr 1923, 28 may 1923, 09 nov 1923, 26 nov 1923, 06 jul 1958, 15 dec 1989, 30 sep 2015, 21 jan 2021, 05 feb 2021, 15 jul 2021, 27 nov 2003, 16 jan 2004, 19 aug 2013, releases by country.

Physical G DVD
Theatrical limited G 100th Anniversary Screenings
Theatrical L
Theatrical U
Theatrical 0
Theatrical T

Netherlands

Physical AL DVD
Theatrical M/6

South Korea

Theatrical All
Theatrical ALL Re-release
Theatrical A ICAA: 89315
Theatrical 100 años
Premiere Chicago, Illinois
Theatrical limited New York City, New York
Theatrical NR
Premiere Theatrical Reissue - Philharmonic Hall, New York City

68 mins More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by Neil Bahadur ★★★★½ 3

In many ways, perhaps the sweetest film ever made. But The Kid still, like all of Chaplin's films, is a very sad one. There's still barely enough to eat, authorities still antagonize only the proletarian classes, the "proper care and attention" of an orphanage only causes social disruption. Even as charming as the window breaking sequence is, the Tramp and the Kid have to resort to illegal work in order to make enough money to afford to eat. The Welfare Officer refuses to even speak to the Tramp, and speaks to him through a surrogate, in the Tramp's own home.

The ending is a deus-ex machina; the Tramp's look of bewilderment towards the camera as he's put incredulously into a…

Review by sydney ★★★★★

in heaven, all beds are free

Review by ele 🪷 ★★★★ 1

do not even think about speaking to me unless you have a head sized hole cut into the middle of your bedspread so that you can stick your head into it and wear it as a poncho.

Review by Todd Gaines ★★★★ 32

A Tramp and Uncle Fester share a special bond in this timeless classic from Charlie Chaplin. Burned photograph. Crying babies scare gangstas. Pimpin' cigarette box. The way Charlie Chaplin tips his hat. Umbrella beatdown. The letter. Bootleg baby bottle. Street hustling like a boss. Rocks break windows. Charlie's giggle. The little kid runs faster than a jaguar. Smooth lobby boy. Charlie Chaplin's mustache is crooked. Booger picker. I'm still cracking the fuck up because the little kid grew up to be Uncle Fester from the Addams Family. Bully beatdown. The even bigger badder bully's muscles. Brick knockout. Ass kick. Quack doctor. The way Charlie Chaplin pushes a motherfucker. The kid is crying and I want to cry. Such passion. Such…

Review by cinemacl🎃wn ★★★★★ 4

Charlie Chaplin's first feature-length theatrical is one of the greatest achievements of the silent era of filmmaking, for it paints one of the most tender & heartfelt portraits of father-son relationship on the silver screen, presents the gifted artist at the prime of his creativity and, despite being nearly a century old classic, can still put most genre examples of today to shame.

A comedy with a smile & perhaps a tear, The Kid follows a tramp who after coming across an abandoned baby takes him under his care after which the story jumps five years in the span of which the grown child now works as his father's sidekick, helping his glazing business by breaking windows around the town. But an…

Review by lauren ★★★★½

charlie chaplin, hear me out: i am 21 and you are dead -- but those are the only stipulations preventing you from adopting me, so why not?

Review by Josh Lewis ★★★★

very cute and one of the earliest examples of a personal fav subgenre that's been repopularized recently: destitute cleverness. also includes a stellar rooftop chase scene which i always love.

Review by coffee ★★★★½

I’M NOT THE STEP FATHER

I’M THE FATHER THAT STEPPED UP

Review by CinemaVoid 🏴‍☠️ ★★★★

That kid deserves the best family ever. An eccentric family who delight in the macabre and have room for an uncle. Hope he finds it.

Review by Ryan Daniel ★★★★½ 4

I am floored at how ahead of its time this film is. The restoration (which looks incredible by the way) could easily pass as having been made 20-30 years later than it actually was.

A lot of the humor still holds up really well, too. There were some shockingly dark jokes and gags in there that I never would have thought would be in a movie from the 1920’s.

Really beautiful story with a lot of charm.

Review by san ★★★★

Short, sweet, and charismatic, Charlie Chaplin’s debut feature-length easily shows how respected he will become as a director. Jackie Coogan as the titular role brings a timeless performance by conveying an impressive emotion at such a young age. Precisely, it’s what you would expect from its first title card: “A picture with a smile — and perhaps, a tear.”

Review by ScreeningNotes ★★★★ 16

Insert Here: Standard opening about how I don't deal well with silent films and how impressive it is that my fascination with Chaplin's comedies continues. These films are a great access point for audiences looking to broaden their horizons beyond sound film.

The Kid is easily the most melodramatic of Charlie Chaplin's work. This isn't particularly strange since despite their roots in slapstick comedy, Chaplin's films have always had a deeper side grounded in sympathetic emotionalism. But The Kid has a sad side which is darker than most.

It opens with a young mother abandoning her newborn baby played over a melancholic string arrangement that will make your heart wrench before you even know what's happening. The Tramp takes the…

Similar Films

Select your preferred poster

Upgrade to remove ads.

Letterboxd is an independent service created by a small team, and we rely mostly on the support of our members to maintain our site and apps. Please consider upgrading to a Pro account —for less than a couple bucks a month, you’ll get cool additional features like all-time and annual stats pages ( example ), the ability to select (and filter by) your favorite streaming services, and no ads!

The Kid Review

21 Jan 1921

After his Tramp persona had appeared in numerous short films since 1914, Chaplin's 1921 classic was his first feature and departure from all-out slapstick.

Focusing on the relationship between the Tramp and an abandoned boy (Jackie Coogan), it includes some wonderful comic sequences, yet is slightly marred by Chaplin's heavy-handed sentimentality. Chaplin is, of course, hilarious, but it's Coogan's cherubic charm that makes this so special.

Awesome, you're subscribed!

Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon!

The best things in life are free.

Déjà vu! We already have this email. Try another?

By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions.

Love the mag?

Our newsletter hand-delivers the best bits to your inbox. Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news, events, offers and partner promotions.

Things to Do
Food & Drink
Arts & Culture
Time Out Market
Coca-Cola Foodmarks
Los Angeles

Get us in your inbox

🙌 Awesome, you're subscribed!

Time Out says

Release details.

Duration: 5 mins

Cast and crew

Director: Charles Chaplin
Screenwriter: Charles Chaplin
Charles Chaplin
Edna Purviance
Jackie Coogan
Carl Miller
Henry Bergman

An email you’ll actually love

Discover Time Out original video

Press office
Investor relations
Work for Time Out
Editorial guidelines
Privacy notice
Do not sell my information
Cookie policy
Accessibility statement
Terms of use
Modern slavery statement
Manage cookies
Advertising

Time Out Worldwide

All Time Out Locations
North America
South America
South Pacific

Charlie Chaplin’s The Kid hasn’t aged a day

One would be hard-pressed to find a more perfect fantasy sequence in all of film than the Tramp’s dream of an ersatz heaven in The Kid , with wobbly angel wings that fleck feathers like dandruff and angel dogs who look around in confusion as they are flown away on hidden wires. The sequence, dreamt by Charlie Chaplin’s iconic vagrant as he sleeps on a skid-row stoop, is all the ending that The Kid needs, though the movie appends one anyway: a happy reunion, also staged in a doorway, albeit of an art deco mansion. This unnecessary final scene is the kind of closure that Chaplin would eventually do away with, preferring to end movies on upswells of emotion; it’s safe to say that an older Chaplin would have ended The Kid on the powerfully bittersweet note of the Tramp being roused from his dream, in which he could fly and everything was free, but he still somehow ended up getting chased by the local cop. Even in heaven, a bum can’t catch a break.

The MK2/Warner Home Video Chaplin Collection DVDs

Disc two: special features.

Student Film Reviews

Film reviews from theaters, couches, and film festivals

The Kid (Charlie Chaplin, 1921): USA

Reviewed by Tim Barnes . Viewed on DVD.

Chaplin, who dons the infamous role of “the tramp”, is put in the strange situation of discovering and raising an orphan child. The sheer emotion involved with him and the kid as they struggle to stay afloat and stay together is so impelling that it makes the comic bits all the more enjoyable. This movie is seriously like The Bicycle Thief meets Duck Soup !

I came into it expecting pure zingers. Almost like a bugs bunny episode. Random situations for Charlie Chaplin to hilariously get out of. But the great thing about this movie, is that the slapstick moments have a function in terms of the plot.

I definitely recommend it for people (like me) who want to get a good taste of Chaplin. It’s not as grand as Modern Times , but it’s a very well crafted comedic piece. And the kid is so freaking adorable he totally steals the show!

Also, the dvd I watched had more upbeat music, compared the the composed orchestrated music in the same scenes that I’ve seen online. I wonder if this made a difference. It’s probably a big issue in the silent film world, and must be really hard to settle because they can’t hear each other. I’m pretty sure that at the time that these movies were first shown, there would be a piano player beneath the screen playing ragtime style music that wouldn’t have been so dramatic.. but who knows! I recomend finding some Scott Joplin or Jelly Roll Morton tunes to play over the amazing images on screen.

About this entry

You’re currently reading “The Kid (Charlie Chaplin, 1921): USA,” an entry on Student Film Reviews

I love The Kid, as well as Modern Times, The Gold Rush and City Lights! My kids from the time they were very young were watching the Little Tramp, and love him. What a creative genius Charlie Chaplin was, and what a career – to be able to entertain generations of people! Kudos for your review on a classic!

I really enjoyed reading this review about Charlie Chaplin’s 1921 movie, The Kid. I recently just learned all about Chaplin and even got the chance to watch two of his films. He is a classic and does the greatest films. This review is very persuading to an audience because it states how funny it was and how enjoyable it was to watch. The reviewer even mentioned how adorable the boy is which will attract a bigger audience. Many people do not enjoy watching a silent film because it is hard to follow the plot, but this one is well crafted and easy to follow. Charlie Chaplin does such amazing films and is always going to be a classic. Great review about The Kid!

I haven’t seen this film yet. But I have seen and truly enjoyed two other films by Charlie Chaplin, The Rink and The Immigrant. After seeing these two classic silent comedy films for my American Film to 1960s course, I have become a Chaplin fan. Now, after reading your review of The Kid, I am looking forward to seeing this classic Chaplin film, as well. I find Chaplin as the Little Tramp to be very entertaining. The teaming of the Little Tramp with a little kid sounds like a winning combination. Like you, I enjoy watching Chaplin hilariously get out of random situations. But I appreciate your comment that “the slapstick moments have a function in terms of the plot.” I also appreciate your comment that “the sheer emotion involved with him and the kid as they struggle to stay afloat and stay together is so impelling that it makes the comic bits all the more enjoyable.” It sounds like The Kid has a great combination of comedy and drama. I like the way that your review includes references to other films in comparison. Also, your mentioning the accompanying music for this film in insightful. Music does seem to help set the mood in silent films. Thank you for your informative review.

Sorry about the delay, but I really appreciate these comments! Chaplin was a truly great artists, and I appreciate your input on the subject of his work. These comments have made me want to write more reviews!

Chaplin was a truly great artist. He had style and talent far beyond his generation and was able to capture the attention of an entire nation! I really enjoy watching Chaplin in his role as The Little Tramp, especially in his earlier work like in The Kid. The entire story of Chaplin finding the baby and raising it was fun to watch unfold. My favorite part about The Kid was to watch all the mishaps that Charlie got himself into as he sought to get back the kid. I thought this review was great and really am happy that others enjoy Chaplin’s work as much as I do. Cheers!

The Kid is a very compelling comedy/drama. Personally this is my favorite Chaplin film. Like Tim mentioned in his review it is not the best of his films stylistically, but it has a very strong emotional component which makes it so intriguing. Chaplin showed that he is not only funny but also that he is a very good character-actor. Jackie Coogan, as The Kid, had such a chemistry with Chaplin which made their relationship in the film very realistic and entertaining. I saw this film on the big screen a few years back and it is a very different experience from watching it on a TV, much more involving; the Silent Movie Theater on Fairfax Avenue in L.A. plays it sometimes.

Interesting that the reviewer brings up The Bicycle Thief and Modern Times. Both movies show struggle, but end with the two main characters with nothing to show for all their effort, but each other and the will to press on no matter how bleak the future looks. The Kid, however ends with a triumph as the Tramp fights against all odds to rescue the titular Kid and is rewarded with his son, and hope for a better life. Jackie Coogan is masterful in his acting at such an young age and Chaplin’s first feature is touching as well as hilarious.

I’ll never forget watching this movie with my dad when I was younger. I was so drawn to Charlie Chaplin’s films because of his style of humor. I always found myself laughing uncontrollably at the situations Charlie would get himself into and his overall physical movements, such as the way he walked or ran. Charlie’s talent in his acting is truly great and I think a lot of people should understand that you don’t need crazy special effects or inappropriate jokes to make a film truly humorous. Sometimes I find myself uncomfortable at the jokes or actions film makers put in movies just to be categorized as a comedy film.

Have your say

XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

About the SBCC Film Review Club and Site
AFI Filmfest Hollywood 2008 Film Critics
AFI Filmfest Hollywood 2009 Film Critics
AFI Filmfest Hollywood 2010 Film Critics
AFI Filmfest Hollywood 2011 Film Critics
AFI Filmfest Hollywood 2012 Film Critics
AFI FilmFest Hollywood 2013 Film Critics
AFI FilmFest Hollywood 2014 Film Critics
AFI FilmFest Hollywood 2015 Film Critics
AFI FilmFest Hollywood 2016 Film Critics
AFI FilmFest Hollywood 2017 Film Critics
AFI FilmFest Hollywood 2018 Film Critics
AFI FilmFest Hollywood 2019 Film Critics
Film Festival Course Information
Los Angeles Film Festival 2008 Film Critics
Santa Barbara Film Festival 2008 Film Critics
Santa Barbara Film Festival 2009 Film Critics
Santa Barbara Film Festival 2010 Film Critics
Santa Barbara Film Festival 2011 Film Critics
Santa Barbara Film Festival 2012 Film Critics
Santa Barbara Film Festival 2013 Film Critics
Santa Barbara Film Festival 2014 Film Critics
Santa Barbara Film Festival 2015 Film Critics
Santa Barbara Film Festival 2016 Film Critics
Santa Barbara Film Festival 2017 Film Critics
Santa Barbara Film Festival 2018 Film Critics
Santa Barbara Film Festival 2019 Film Critics
Santa Barbara Film Festival 2020 Film Critics
Santa Barbara Film Festival 2024 Film Critics

Film Review Club: Reviews of current film releases, streaming films, and revivals by student members of the SBCC Film Review Club.

Film Festival Course: FS108: Film Festival Studies: Santa Barbara International Film Festival and AFI Fest: Hollywood (2 or 1.5 units). Field course at film festivals to study U.S. and international fiction, experimental and documentary films.

Contact: Prof. Nico Maestu ( [email protected] )

Follow SBCC Film Studies on Twitter .

05.15 The conventions and evolution of film noir
05.15 Intertextual Object Lessons: Barbie (2023) as a Musical
03.04 Point of Change (Rebecca Coley, 2023): UK, Australia, US, Indonesia
03.03 Solitude (Ninna Pálmadóttir, 2023): Iceland | Slovakia
03.03 The Vourdalak (Adrien Beau, 2023): France
03.03 Io Capitano (Matteo Garrone, 2024): Italy, Belgium, & France
03.02 Poor Things (Yorgos Lanthimos, 2023): UK
03.02 Killers of the Flower Moon (Martin Scorsese, 2023): US
03.02 Oppenheimer (Christopher Nolan, 2023): US, UK
03.02 Fresh Kills (Jennifer Esposito, 2023): United States

Monthly Archives

May 2024 (2)
March 2024 (9)
February 2024 (37)
January 2024 (2)
October 2023 (2)
August 2023 (2)
June 2023 (2)
February 2023 (2)
January 2023 (2)
November 2022 (2)
September 2022 (2)
June 2022 (2)
All Film Reviews
Film Festival Courses
Instragram Film and Media Studies
Santa Barbara City College
SBCC Film and Media Studies
The Channels
Twitter Film and Media Studies
Academic Papers (283)
AFI Filmfest 2008 (94)
AFI Filmfest 2009 (82)
AFI Filmfest 2010 (69)
AFI Filmfest 2011 (65)
AFI Filmfest 2012 (73)
AFI Filmfest 2013 (80)
AFI Filmfest 2014 (63)
AFI Filmfest 2015 (70)
AFI Filmfest 2016 (54)
AFI Filmfest 2017 (89)
AFI Filmfest 2018 (54)
AFI Filmfest 2019 (93)
AFI Filmfest 2020 (7)
Animation (112)
Berlin International Film Festival 2017 (18)
Cannes Film Festival 2019 (3)
Cinema Society (47)
Creative (95)
Criterion Collection Films (9)
Documentary (456)
Films (4,222)
Los Angeles Film Festival 2008 (12)
Los Angeles Film Festival 2009 (15)
Los Angeles Film Festival 2010 (11)
Los Angeles Film Festival 2011 (1)
Los Angeles Film Festival 2012 (3)
Musical (7)
Online Films (31)
Santa Barbara Film Festival 2008 (149)
Santa Barbara Film Festival 2009 (167)
Santa Barbara Film Festival 2010 (187)
Santa Barbara Film Festival 2011 (238)
Santa Barbara Film Festival 2012 (277)
Santa Barbara Film Festival 2013 (241)
Santa Barbara Film Festival 2014 (201)
Santa Barbara Film Festival 2015 (156)
Santa Barbara Film Festival 2016 (152)
Santa Barbara Film Festival 2017 (138)
Santa Barbara Film Festival 2018 (152)
Santa Barbara Film Festival 2019 (110)
Santa Barbara Film Festival 2020 (129)
Santa Barbara Film Festival 2024 (46)
Santa Barbara Human Rights Festival 2008 (4)
Short films (69)
Silent films (44)
Sundance 2020 (10)
Sundance Film Festival (19)
TCM Film Festival 2010 (7)
TCM Film Festival 2011 (4)
TCM Film Festival 2018 (2)
Telluride Film Festival (8)
Tributes, Panels, Q&As (125)
Videos (13)

Home | SBCC | Class Schedule | Film and Media Studies

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors.

Now streaming on:

"The Kid," directed by Vincent D’Onofrio, is, in some ways, a modern spin on an old story, one that has been explored in Hollywood many times before. Based on the real-life tale of the showdown between the famous young outlaw, Billy the Kid, and his arch nemesis, Sheriff Pat Garrett, D’Onofrio’s film transforms many of the classical western tropes into a meditation on the lingering after-effects of domestic violence. The story centers on the coming-of-age journey of Rio, a 14-year-old who shoots his abusive father in an unsuccessful attempt to save his mother from being beaten to death. When Rio and his sister Sara attempt to run, they are accosted by their cruel Uncle Grant, played by Chris Pratt , who threatens to take them both. After playing a series of chipper characters, Pratt makes a believable villain.

Both Rio and Sara are traumatized from the violence they’ve experienced, and Rio is afraid to run and unsure of who to trust. When he first encounters Billy the Kid, Rio is both frightened and transfixed by Billy’s swagger, a fact that Billy cleverly tries to manipulate to his own ends. Later, when he meets Sheriff Garrett, we see how Rio is ultimately given a choice to either embrace the life of a bandit or pursue a life of virtue and justice. Ethan Hawke ’s portrayal of Garrett is earnest and complex, easily the best aspect of the film, and brings to life the story of a man with violent impulses who ultimately chooses to use his instincts to protect, rather than harm.

Rio’s journey towards manhood is explicitly tied to his exposure to and enacting of violence, and, throughout the film, we see how male characters grapple with doing the right thing. In contrast, the female characters throughout "The Kid" aren’t given the same agency. In fact, the same violence that propels moral choice for male protagonists leads female characters to lose themselves. Rio’s mother is beaten to a bloody pulp very early in the film and while we hear her soft body being throttled to death, her character remains a plot device for Rio’s journey, rather than a flesh-and-blood person loved by her children. Likewise, Billy the Kid’s pregnant girlfriend’s main roles are crying when Billy is taken away and begging for him to stay with her. The most developed female character is Rio’s sister, Sara, who is constantly trying to navigate a violent world, which sees her as easy prey. But, though Sara is given the opportunity to enact her own violent revenge, her character arc is not one of triumph, or even character evolution. Instead, her character is tortured for what seems to be the sole purpose of inspiring her brother to make better choices.

This relegation of female characters to the sidelines is depressing for a film released in 2019, especially because it seems entirely possible to have a film looking at masculinity without reducing women to archetypes. In the world of "The Kid," there are mothers and virgins and girlfriends and whores, all of whom seem to exist entirely in relation to the men they watch fearfully from the sidelines. I know that a number of viewers will attempt to excuse these choices, saying that they are simply meant to be commentary on the roles that women were afforded in the Wild West, but I think it’s also very possible not to dehumanize female characters even when depicting an inherently sexist world. The men in "The Kid" may spend a lot of time beating and killing, but they also seem to have plenty of time to brood, ruminate, and wax on philosophically about their relationship to the world. Why not give the female characters a moment of self-reflection, of recognition that the female experience also includes making moral choices?

The decision to flatten female characters into mere archetypes is an odd choice for a film that is clearly invested in considering the nature of domestic violence, which disproportionately impacts women, both in the real world, as well as the world of "The Kid." While the film makes a number of attempts to probe more deeply into the pain that undercuts cruelty, these explorations never go very far beneath the surface, nor do they shed new light on the ways that a legacy of violence leaves its fingerprints everywhere. By the end of the film, we don’t really gain any new moral clarity about what it means to confront a world where might makes right, and we are left with the discomforting idea that the only thing ultimately protecting women from violence is a good man with a gun.

Now playing

Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver

Simon abrams.

Stress Positions

Peter sobczynski.

Kaiya Shunyata

Turtles All the Way Down

Peyton robinson.

Black Twitter: A People's History

Rendy jones.

The Greatest Hits

Matt zoller seitz, film credits.

The Kid (2019)

Rated R for violence and language.

Dane DeHaan as Billy

Vincent D'Onofrio as Sheriff Romero

Chris Pratt as Grant Cutler

Ethan Hawke as Pat Garrett

Adam Baldwin as Bob Orlinger

Keith Jardine as Pete

Tait Fletcher as Bill Cutler

Leila George as Sara

Jenny Gabrielle as Mirabel

Jake Schur as Rio

Vincent D'Onofrio
Andrew Lanham

Cinematographer

Matthew J. Lloyd
Latham Gaines
Shelby Gaines

Latest blog posts

Roger Corman's Greatest Legacy Was Giving So Many People Their Big Break

The Red Carpets of the 2024 Chicago Critics Film Festival

Fated for All: Romanclusivity Captures Our Hearts in Bridgerton and Beyond

Cannes 2024: The Second Act, Abel Gance's Napoleon

James Linton Writing

Writer, Blogger, Poet

The Kid review

Number 91 on the top 1000 films of all time is Charlie Chaplin’s first feature-length film, the Kid. Made in 1921, the Kid begins with an unnamed, unmarried woman deciding to abandon her newborn child in a car. The car is stolen and the thieves leave the baby on the street. The Tramp (Charlie chaplin) finds it and takes him in. Five years later, the Tramp and the kid (Jackie Coogan) have formed a father, son relationship.

This is the first Charlie Chaplin film I’ve seen since The Great Dictator and the first silent film since Modern Times , and it was classic Chaplin. Ture, it definitely wasn’t laugh a minute, I’ve never found Chaplin hilarious, but it did have its moments. Chaplin’s comic timing and physical comedy were great especially the scenes with the Tramp and the Bully. Chaplin and Coogan’s onscreen relationship was also great, made so by how the two had a great off-camera relationship. I read that this was because that Jackie Coogan was very much a surrogate son for Chaplin who had lost his own son only days before.

Chaplin described this film as “a picture with a smile- and perhaps, a tear,” and whilst it was funny in places, it was also emotional. The saddest moment is when the kid is taken away from the Tramp, due to how he was lying about being the boy’s father. This scene was done well and the Tramp’s anguish was evident, as is the Kid’s. He put up a good fight to stop them from taking away his son and why shouldn’t he?

My criticism with this film would my usual criticism with Chaplin films. It just wasn’t engaging throughout, due its very nature as a silence film. As a culturally ignorant millennial, I’m used to witty dialogue and a catchy soundtrack. Although to be strictly fair, this wasn’t the fault of The Kid per se, but more how it was made before any strict copyright laws. This means it is in the public domain and free to be edited, chopped and changed by whoever deemed fit. Whoever credited the bootlegged version I was watching had decided to delete the soundtrack.

However, we’re still early in the list and I may come across a Charlie Chaplin film that completely changes my mind.

Movie Review: ‘IF,’ imperfect but charming, may have us all checking under beds for our old friends

How do you make a kid’s movie that appeals to their adults, too

How do you make a kid’s movie that appeals not only to the kids, but the adults sitting next to them? Most movies try to achieve this by throwing in a layer of wink-wink pop culture references that’ll earn a few knowing laughs from parents but fly nicely over the heads of the young ones.

So let’s credit John Krasinski for not taking the easy way out. Writing and directing (and acting in, and producing) his new kid’s movie, “IF,” Krasinski is doing his darndest to craft a story that works organically no matter the age, with universal themes — imagination, fear, memory — that just hit different depending on who you are.

Or maybe sometimes, they hit the same — because Krasinski, who wanted to make a movie his kids could watch (unlike his “Quiet Place” thrillers), is also telling us that sometimes, we adults are more connected to our childhood minds than we think. A brief late scene that actually doesn’t include children at all is one of the most moving moments of the film – but I guess I would say that, being an adult and all.

There’s only one conundrum: “IF,” a story about imaginary friends (get it?) that blends live action with digital creatures and some wonderful visual effects (and cinematography by Janusz Kaminski), has almost too many riches at its disposal. And we’re not even talking about the Who’s Who of Hollywood figures voicing whimsical creatures: Steve Carell, Matt Damon, Bradley Cooper, Jon Stewart, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Maya Rudolph, Emily Blunt, Sam Rockwell, and the late Louis Gosset Jr. are just a few who join live stars Ryan Reynolds and Cailey Fleming. Imagining a table read makes the head spin.

The issue is simply that with all the artistic resources and refreshing ideas here, there’s a fuzziness to the storytelling itself. Just who is actually doing what and why they’re doing it — what are the actual mechanics of this half-human, half-digital world? — occasionally gets lost in the razzle-dazzle.

But, still, everything looks so darned lovely, starting with the pretty, brownstone-lined streets of Brooklyn Heights in New York City, where our story is chiefly set. We begin in flashback, with happy scenes of main character Bea as a little girl, playing with her funloving parents (Krasinski and Catharine Daddario). But soon we’re sensing Mom may be sick — she's wearing telltale headscarves and hats — and it becomes clear what’s happening.

Bea is 12 when she arrives with a suitcase at her grandmother’s Brooklyn apartment, filled with her old paint sets and toys. Grandma (Fiona Shaw, in a deeply warm performance) offers the art supplies, but Bea tells her: “I don’t really do that anymore.”

She says something similar to her father, visiting him in the hospital (it takes a few minutes to figure out that they've come to New York, from wherever they live, so Dad can have some sort of heart surgery.) He tells Bea he's not sick, just broken, and needs to be fixed. Hoping to keep her sense of fun alive, he jokes around, but she says sternly: “Life doesn’t always have to be fun.”

And then the creatures start appearing, visible only to Bea.

We first meet a huge roly-poly bundle of purple fur called “Blue” (Carell.) Yes, we said he was purple. The kid who named him was color-blind. These, we soon understand, are IFs —imaginary friends — who’ve been cut loose, no longer needed. There’s also a graceful butterfly called Blossom who resembles Betty Boop (Waller-Bridge). A winsome unicorn (Blunt). A smooth-voiced elderly teddy bear (Gossett Jr., in a sweet turn.) We’ll meet many more.

Supervising all of them is Cal (Ryan Reynolds.) An ornery type, at least to begin with, he's feeling rather overworked, trying to find new kids for these IFs. But now that Bea has found Cal living atop her grandmother’s apartment building, she’s the chosen helper.

The pair — Reynolds and the sweetly serious Fleming have a winning chemistry — head to Coney Island on the subway, where Cal shows Bea the IF “retirement home.” This is, hands down, the most delightful part of the movie. Filmed at an actual former retirement residence, the scene has the look down pat: generic wall-to-wall carpeting, activity rooms for CG-creature group therapy sessions, the nail salon. And then the nonagenarian teddy bear gives Bea a key bit of advice: all she need do is use her imagination to transform the place. And she does, introducing everything from a spiffy new floor to a swimming pool with Esther Williams-style dancers to a rock concert with Tina Turner.

The movie moves on to Bea’s matchmaking efforts. A tough nut to crack is Benjamin (Alan Kim), an adorable boy in the hospital who favors screens and seems to have trouble charging his own imagination (spoiler alert: that’ll get fixed).

There are segments here that feel like they go on far too long, particularly when Bea, Cal and Blue track down Blue’s now-adult “kid” (Bobby Moynihan of “Saturday Night Live”), now nervously preparing for a professional presentation.

Still, the idea that adults could still make use of their old “IFs” at difficult times — and, to broaden the thought, summon their dormant sense of whimsy, as a closing scene captures nicely — is a worthwhile one. And by movie’s end, one can imagine more than one adult in the multiplex running home, checking under the bed, hoping to find a trusted old friend.

“IF,” a Paramount release, has been rated PG by the Motion Picture Association “for thematic elements and mild language.” Running time: 104 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

What happens if prisoner hurt doing dangerous job?

May 16, 6:05 AM

Movie Review: ‘Babes’ is a giddy, raunchy, moving and (very) gooey look at childbirth and friendship

May 15, 12:30 PM

How Cannes works, from the standing ovations to the juries to the Palm Dog

May 14, 4:00 PM

New Kansas abortion clinic will open to help meet demand from restrictive neighboring states

May 15, 6:55 PM

See new teaser for 'You're Cordially Invited'

May 14, 3:09 PM

ABC News Live

24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events

'IF' Review: John Krasinski Imagines an Earnest Comedy With a Huge Heart

Starring Ryan Reynolds, Steve Carell, and Cailey Fleming, 'IF' wears its heart on its sleeve in this surprisingly touching film.

The Big Picture

IF shows that John Krasinski excels in sincere and emotional storytelling.
The imaginative imaginary friends in IF are delightful and unique, adding charm to the story.
The powerful moments in the third act of IF leave a lasting impact, capturing the beauty of life's simple joys.

Even though he’s probably best known for playing the extremely sarcastic Jim Halpert on The Office , John Krasinski is almost always at his best when he’s earnest, with his heart on his sleeve. Some of Jim’s best moments came from him not slyly looking at the camera, but rather, sincerely asking Pam out on a date, or giving a tear-filled goodbye to Michael Scott . As a creator, this has also been true, be it through the way the family interacts with each other in A Quiet Place , which he wrote, directed, and starred in, or in his web series Some Good News , which helped give audiences a respite during the COVID-19 pandemic. Simply put, earnest is a good look for Krasinski.

Yet we’ve never seen Krasinski lean so hard into this as he does with his latest film as writer and director, IF . By far the most kid-centered work by Krasinski as a filmmaker, IF has a massive amount of heart that it wears on its sleeve, while also not shying away from the darker moments that are bound to come with life. If anything, IF shares more of its DNA with Pixar ’s Up than with anything else Krasinski has made before, finding a smart balance between the melancholy of life and its inherent beauty. Krasinski has created a film that essentially feels like the equivalent of receiving a warm hug while crying, a genuinely sweet movie without a shred of irony that is a pleasant summer movie surprise.

Follows a young girl who goes through a difficult experience and then begins to see everyone's imaginary friends who have been left behind as their real-life friends have grown up.

What Is 'IF' About?

IF begins by showing us a mostly silent recording of a happy family who is eventually forced to reckon with cancer. Much like Up (especially considering this film has a whimsical yet devastating score by Michael Giacchino ), we learn everything we need to know about this family via these old video clips. Cut to the present day, and the little girl in the videos, Bea ( Cailey Fleming ) is moving into the New York City apartment of her grandmother ( Fiona Shaw ). While Bea lost her mother to cancer, her father (Krasinski) is undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital for his heart. When they’re together, the hospital can’t help but remind Bea and her father of their mother, so her dad attempts to cheer things up at any opportunity, whether it’s by dancing with his IV drip or pretending to have tied a bunch of blankets together to escape out the hospital window. While her father has tried to stay playful and optimistic, Bea leans towards trying to be a mature 12-year-old.

That is, until she learns she can see imaginary friends. After running into Blossom (voiced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge ), who looks like a human butterfly straight from a Betty Boop cartoon, Bea discovers that she shares this ability with her downstairs neighbor, Cal ( Ryan Reynolds ). Cal’s gotten sick of trying to help these IFs (short for “imaginary friends”) try to find new kids, but Bea is determined to help these creatures reunite with their former kids, who have forgotten how to see these IFs. Together, Bea and Cal attempt to bring these pairs together, a necessary distraction for Bea in this difficult time in her life.

'IF' Isn't Afraid to Embrace Melancholy

At one point in IF , Bea states that “sometimes life doesn’t have to be fun,” and to some extent, Krasinski makes that a theme within the film. His screenplay never undercuts the pain that exists in life, and quite a bit of this film focuses on loss, not only with Bea having lost her mom to cancer, but in how these IFs are desperate to find someone to spend their time with again. Krasinski finds a smart mixture of the fanciful, quirky nature of this story with very real sadness. For example, Cal takes Bea to the place where all the “retired” IFs stay. While it seems delightful, as they live inside the Wonder Wheel at Coney Island, the reality is that their residence is basically a dingy nursing home. However, it only takes a quick hit of Bea’s imagination to transform these depressing quarters into something lively and full of spirit. From Krasinski’s father figure to the core function of the IFs, the film is decidedly about the stories we tell ourselves to get through the day, where the slightest amount of support and kindness can make the daily tribulations just a bit more manageable.

Krasinski has enlisted a great collection of IFs to follow Cal and Bea around on their adventure to lighten the mood. In addition to Blossom, we mostly spend time with Blue (voiced by Michael Scott himself, Steve Carell ) a giant purple creature that almost looks like a fuzzier Grimace. Also key to the story is Lewis (voiced by the late great Louis Gossett Jr. ), a teddy bear who has seemingly been separated from his kid for longer than the other IFs. The IFs are always charming, as we meet Robot ( Jon Stewart ), a flying superhero dog ( Sam Rockwell ), Spaceman ( George Clooney ), an IF that’s just a piece of ice in a water glass ( Bradley Cooper ), and an intense noir-esque detective known as Cosmo ( Christopher Meloni ). Each IF feels like it was created from the mind of another kid, some abstract and strange, others more traditional, to create a cast of intriguing secondary characters.

Yet for all its adorable characters, IF at times certainly feels like it was made more for adults than kids. Considering the lows that IF explores, the humor often doesn’t hit the highs that it needs to balance this story out. Again, most of the humor understandably relies on these IFs, who are frequently funny, but considering the darker angles that Krasinski wants to dive into, it’s as though the balance is somewhat off.

'IF' Captures the Beauty of Life's Simple Joys

Still, some of the best moments in IF come from embracing that mixture of joy among the sorrow, which is particularly the case in the truly beautiful moments this film captures in the third act. Once this world is established and we know these characters, IF becomes truly powerful in trying to get these IFs reunited with their former owners. These aren’t grand gestures that the film is trying to capture, instead, showing the small support that we all need. The way Krasinski films these scenes, along with two-time Oscar-winning cinematographer Janusz Kamiński and Giacchino’s sweeping score, he’s able to capture the beauty in the simple joys of life, and the small moments that can make all the difference. Even just being told that things are going to be okay can make a massive impact, and it’s wonderful that Krasinski can capture that in the film’s third act.

These themes are also largely brought out through this cast, particularly Fleming. Bea is an interesting character to have in a film ostensibly for kids, as she contains a whole myriad of emotions and feelings. Somedays, she’s overjoyed by her goal of helping these IFs, while other days, she wants to be taken as more serious and not as a kid. It’s not inconsistency on the part of Fleming’s performance or Krasinski’s script, but instead, showing the multitude of emotions kids can feel that need support. Fleming does an excellent job at leading this story and always does so by feeling like a real kid.

Remember That Time Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone & Kieran Culkin Starred in a Superhero Movie?

Reynolds also gives a surprising reined-in performance for him, as the man who has been exhausted by helping all these IFs over the years. Through Reynolds, we see someone who has become beaten down by his world, where reminders of the joy he once had can elicit the smallest of smiles. Reynolds is making some especially subtle choices here, and this is absolutely a performance that will have even more resonance on a rewatch.

Between his collaboration with Kamiński and his blending of the darkness of life with the powerful moments that make life worth living, Krasinski has essentially made his own attempt at a Steven Spielberg film, and it’s a tone that works for him. While IF might not be as funny as one would expect, and it’s a little uneven in places, the emotions and ideas that he’s presenting throughout rise to the top, sanding off any of the film’s rough edges. Especially when the film gets going in its tremendous third act, complete with a moving surprise that reconfigures the entire film, IF becomes a magnificently emotional experience, cathartic and enchanting in equal measure, and just the type of original idea we need more of on this scale at the movies.

IF, from writer-director John Krasinski, is an emotional, big-hearted film that doesn't shy away from darker moments.

Krasinski thrives by leaning into the sincerity and emotional aspects of this story.
The imaginary friends themselves are a delight, each one unique in their own way.
The third act is full of powerful moments that will stick with you long after the movie is over.
IF could use more comedy to balance out the film's darker moments.
Some scenes feel like they could've used another pass to sand out the rough spots.

IF comes to theaters on May 17 in the U.S. Click below for showtimes near you.

Get tickets

IMAGES

The Kid 1921 Charlie Chaplin #charliechaplin
Student Film Reviews » Blog Archive » The Kid (Charlie Chaplin, 1921): USA
The Kid [1921] Review
The Kid (1921) Phone Wallpaper
''The Kid'' Chaplin movie poster 1921 Mixed Media by Stars on Art
REVIEW

COMMENTS

The Kid
Aug 5, 2020 Full Review Carl Sandburg Chicago Daily News Those constant contenders who maintain that Charlie Chaplin is the master mummer of the movies and the world's greatest actor, either in ...
What Child Is This: The Enduring Legacy of Charlie Chaplin's The Kid
Here, the Tramp is tasked with the raising of an abandoned child, and they develop a bond so powerful that we see echoes of it reverberate through cinema, delicately deconstructing traditional notions of fatherhood and, by extension, masculinity. The work that Chaplin does in "The Kid" provides a template for innumerable stories that ...
The Kid (1921 film)
The Kid is a 1921 American silent comedy-drama film written, produced, directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin, and features Jackie Coogan as his foundling baby, adopted son and sidekick. This was Chaplin's first full-length film as a director. It was a huge success and was the second-highest-grossing film in 1921. Now considered one of the greatest films of the silent era, it was selected ...
The Kid (1921) Movie Review
Parents Need to Know. Parents need to know that The Kid is Charlie Chaplin's first feature-length release, a silent picture from 1921.The film chronicles another episode in the life of his famous character, the Tramp, who this time finds an abandoned baby and decides to raise it as his own.
The Kid (1921)
The Kid: Directed by Charles Chaplin. With Charles Chaplin, Jackie Coogan, Carl Miller, Edna Purviance. The Tramp cares for an abandoned child, but events put their relationship in jeopardy.
The Kid (1921)
A tramp (Charles Chaplin) brings up an abandoned baby (Jackie Coogan), and later loses him to his mother (Edna Purviance); but there is a happy ending. The film is a sentimental silent comedy set in the slums. The comedy is sparingly laid on, but the overall effect is much less painful than the synopsis would suggest.
The Kid [1921] Review
Arun Kumar March 20, 2020. Every time I revisit Charlie Chaplin's first feature The Kid (1921), the cynical part of my mind scoffs at the happy ending. The Tramp is greeted by the wealthy Woman and gets reunited with his beloved John, who welcomes the Tramp into his new, bigger home. Even the bullying policeman loses the chip on his shoulder ...
Why Charlie Chaplin's The Kid Is Worth Watching 100 Years Later
People like Charlie Chaplin and movies like The Kid created feelings in people 100 years ago that generations have been chasing to recapture ever since. The very essence of Hollywood moviemaking ...
Chaplin's 'The Kid'
Charlie Chaplin's seminal feature 'The Kid' was released 100 years ago in 1921, and remains a "gently thought-stirring 53 minutes of cinema". Full film review. Charlie Chaplin's seminal feature 'The Kid' was released 100 years ago in 1921, and remains a "gently thought-stirring 53 minutes of cinema" according to Joseph Wade in this review.
The Kid: The Grail of Laughter and the Fallen Angel
C harlie Chaplin's career underwent many transitions and transformations, but none more important than the one marked by the making of The Kid.During his time at Mack Sennett's Keystone Studios in 1914, Chaplin had moved from simply acting in films to directing them. In a few brief years, his movies grew from less than half an hour in length to an hour or more.
REVIEW: The Kid (1921)
The film is The Kid, a comedy written, directed, edited, produced, and musically composed by its immensely talented star Charlie Chaplin. It was Chaplin's first feature film, after years of making comedy shorts. When released, it was 68 minutes long. Sadly time, and a truncated re-release in 1972, now leaves it at only 53 minutes.
‎The Kid (1921) directed by Charlie Chaplin • Reviews, film + cast
Cast. Charlie Chaplin Jackie Coogan Edna Purviance Carl Miller Albert Austin Charles Reisner Lita Grey Beulah Bains Nellie Bly Baker Henry Bergman Edward Biby B.F. Blinn Kitty Bradbury Frank Campeau Bliss Chevalier Frances Cochran Elsie Codd Jack Coogan Sr. Estelle Cook Lillian Crane Dan Dillon Philip D'Oench Robert Dunbar Sadie Gordon Jules ...
The Kid Review
The Kid Review. Desperate, Edna leaves her child in a limo with a note - she's going to kill herself. Charlie rescues the child and cares for it, but five years later Edna has become a famous ...
The Kid 1921, directed by Charles Chaplin
There's no perhaps about it, what with Charlie struggling to nurture a cast-off illegitimate child in the face of unfeeling cops, doctors and orphanage workers. As always, Chaplin's opulent ...
Student Film Reviews » Blog Archive » The Kid (Charles Chaplin, 1921): USA
The Kid (Charles Chaplin, 1921): USA. Reviewed by Lauren Sousa.. Viewed on Criterion VOD via Hulu Plus. Charlie Chaplin's first feature, The Kid, was not my introduction to silent films, but if I had a kid of my own to corrupt, I think it would be a lovely one. Running just six reels when it was initially released in 1921, and re-edited by Chaplin himself in 1971, the version of The Kid most ...
Charlie Chaplin's The Kid hasn't aged a day
The sequence, dreamt by Charlie Chaplin's iconic vagrant as he sleeps on a skid-row stoop, is all the ending that The Kid needs, though the movie appends one anyway: a happy reunion, also staged ...
"The Kid" (1921) Review/Analysis
For my first real film review, I want to go over the key points about the importance of Charlie Chaplin's masterpiece, "The Kid" (1921)
The DVD Journal
Review by Mark Bourne. Unless your heart is as stony as a biblical execution, I challenge you to watch unmoved as Charlie Chaplin's heroic vagabond rescues five-year-old Jackie Coogan from being hauled away to the "orphan asylum." At this point in The Kid, Chaplin's musical score tugs any heartstrings not yet plucked by the look on the Kid's ...
Charlie Chaplin's 'The Kid' returns to the big screen
John McDonald. Jul 9, 2021 - 12.40pm. The Kid was the first full-length feature directed by Charlie Chaplin, and its centenary is being celebrated with a progressive Chaplin retrospective that ...
The Kid (Charlie Chaplin, 1921): USA
The Kid (Charlie Chaplin, 1921): USA. Reviewed by Tim Barnes.Viewed on DVD. The Kid (1921) is one of Charlie Chaplins greatest films, and I say this knowing full well that I've only seen three of them.I probably laughed harder during this movie over anything else I've seen in '09 ( I still haven't seen The Hangover.). Chaplin, who dons the infamous role of "the tramp", is put in ...
The Kid movie review & film summary (2019)
The Kid. "The Kid," directed by Vincent D'Onofrio, is, in some ways, a modern spin on an old story, one that has been explored in Hollywood many times before. Based on the real-life tale of the showdown between the famous young outlaw, Billy the Kid, and his arch nemesis, Sheriff Pat Garrett, D'Onofrio's film transforms many of the ...
The Kid review
Number 91 on the top 1000 films of all time is Charlie Chaplin's first feature-length film, the Kid. Made in 1921, the Kid begins with an unnamed, unmarried woman deciding to abandon her newborn child in a car.The car is stolen and the thieves leave the baby on the street. The Tramp (Charlie chaplin) finds it and takes him in. Five years later, the Tramp and the kid (Jackie Coogan) have ...
Movie Review: 'IF,' imperfect but charming, may have us all checking
The movie moves on to Bea's matchmaking efforts. A tough nut to crack is Benjamin (Alan Kim), an adorable boy in the hospital who favors screens and seems to have trouble charging his own ...
'IF' Review
IF. REVIEW. IF, from writer-director John Krasinski, is an emotional, big-hearted film that doesn't shy away from darker moments. 7 10. Pros. Krasinski thrives by leaning into the sincerity and ...

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Email not verified

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

Movies / TV

Where to Watch

What to Know

Critics Reviews

More Like This

Or browse by category:

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

Common Sense Selections for Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

Explaining the News to Our Kids

Celebrating Black History Month

Movies and TV Shows with Arab Leads

Celebrate Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary

A Lot or a Little?

Positive Messages

Positive Role Models

Violence & Scariness

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Parents Need to Know

Where to Watch

Community Reviews

My elementary aged kids liked it!

Is It Any Good?

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Suggest an Update

The General (1927)

City Lights

Modern Times

The Kid (1921)

Did You Know?

Photo & Video

Related Items

Recently Viewed

The Kid [1921] Review – The Most Poignant of Chaplin’s Silent Masterpieces

Related to The Kid: I Was Born, But… [1932] – A Captivating and Subtly Incisive Silent Comedy about Childhood

Also Read: Little Fugitive [1953] – An Endearing Snapshot of an Age and Time

The Kid Links: IMDB , Rotten Tomatoes

Similar Posts

Dark Waters [2019] Review– A Conventional yet Compelling Account of Toxic Chemical Pollution

Anomalisa [2015]: Catharsis on being and love

The Island Between Tides (2024) ‘Cinequest’ Movie Review: A Haunting That Never Finds Itself

The Asian Angel [2021]: ‘NYAFF’ Review – A moving cross-cultural road movie

Barry Season 3 Episode 3: Recap & Ending Explained

The Exploding Boy (2023) Movie Review: A Sweet Coming of Age Story with Some Rage and Lots of Love

Chaplin’s ‘The Kid’ – 100 Year Anniversary Review

Share with your friends / followers ...

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

‘The Batman Part II’ Delayed by a Year

REVIEW: The Kid (1921)

Share this:

REVIEW: IF (2024)

REVIEW: The Craft: Legacy (2020)

REVIEW: Full Time (2021)

REVIEW: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)

Letterboxd — Your life in film

Add to your films…

Add to lists

Where to watch

6 reels of Joy.

Director Director

Producer Producer

Assistant Directors Asst. Directors