Doing for orphaned children what Ghost did for grieving lovers, Bogus is a sweet-natured fantasy that's sure to have some viewers reaching for a Kleenex. With The Sixth Sense still three years in his future, Haley Joel Osment plays 7-year-old Albert, whose happy life is disrupted when his mother (Nancy Travis) is killed in a traffic accident. Her will stipulates that Albert be placed in the custody of his mom's little-known half-sister, Harriet (Whoopi Goldberg), a New Jersey restaurant-supply owner who's anything but motherly. That's when Albert invents Bogus (Gerard Depardieu), an imaginary friend who springs to life from a coloring book drawing--clearly the product of Albert's need for love and companionship. It's easy to see why director Norman Jewison was drawn to the challenge of this delicate, charmingly cast fantasy/drama whimsically written by Alvin Sargent (Oscar®-winner for Ordinary People), and there are some lovely moments that capture a fleeting sense of wonder. But like the similar fantasy Three Wishes, the magic is lightweight and it doesn't always work. Your best bet is to just surrender to the sentiment, and don't be surprised if you shed a tear or two.

Let's talk child actors. There have been many over the last century, Mickey Rooney, Shirley Temple are possibly the best known and most successful. Others like McCauley Culkin were in the right place at the right time and couldn't make the transition to adult movies. I put Haley Joel Osment right up near the top of the tree. He went on to be brilliant in Sixth sense & extremely good in A.I. He is also the best thing about this movie. He has a wonderful ability to act with his eyes, this makes his performances so much more credible. This movie has some humorous moments, but is actually rather sad & full of people searching but not finding their goal. Whoopi Goldberg didn't really add a dimension to performances we've seen dozens of times from her and Gerard Depardieu was OK but unspectacular. There's definitely a message in this movie and the whole topic of imaginary friends is a fascinating topic to explore. I'm not sure that this movie managed to hit the mark, mainly due to the disruptive and slightly confusing on occasions use of flashbacks & fantasy.

Bogus

Imaginary friends are good to have around until you need to move furniture across town.

Thankfully, the orphan in this fantasy doesn't have much in the way of physical baggage to relocate.

After a car crash claims his mother, 7-year-old Albert (Haley Joel Osment) is shipped from Las Vegas to New Jersey to live with his new guardian Harriet (Whoopi Goldberg).

To stay amused while he gets accustomed to his new surroundings, Albert dreams up a lively French performer, Bogus (Gérard Depardieu), to deliver the Vegas-style entertainment he enjoyed with his mother. But things get interesting when Bogus becomes real.

While this 1996 family feature tries to tackle childhood grief, its schmaltzy script and asinine acting gets in the way. In fact, Bogus becomes more of an annoyance than an emotional aide pretty fast.

Besides, every French performer - imaginary or not - drinks way too much wine to be around children. Red Light

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