Directed by Francis Ford Coppola and written by James DeMonaco and Gary Nadeau, Jack is actually a fairly simple story about a 10-year-old that suffers from a severe aging disease. Due to the disease, his mind ages properly but his body ages at four times the rate of the average human being. With the encouragement of his tutor, his parents elect to finally put him in public school, which shows the positives of social interaction, but the negatives of his aging body.

There are always those films that moviegoers understand but professional critics don't. This is definitely one of those films to me.

While the disease that is discussed in the film is based on a real life disease, this is very much a fictionalized version of it, which is something that I feel many misunderstood. It was never intended to be a factual version of the disease, it's only loosely based on it.

The biggest positive about the movie is its cast. They are really the ones that help drive this unusual plot. The chemistry between Robin Williams, Diane Lane, and Brian Kerwin is impeccable, which is a huge element to the movie. Had it not been for that chemistry, it would've just been awkward, especially since Robin Williams was older than the both of them.

The role of Jack was tailor made for Williams. When I first viewed the film as an adult, I didn't know what to think, and didn't expect anything new from Williams because he performs most of his roles like a child-like adult. Williams brings an authenticity and such heart to this role that you honestly believe he is the ten year old he's playing. His performance becomes particularly memorable when the character has to come to terms with his own mortality.

The film also consists of two very underrated performances from the then new Jennifer Lopez and Bill Cosby. In fact, this is my favorite film with Cosby, because it was a great showcase for his dramatic acting skills. There's also the child cast, who give great performances of their own.

Don't get me wrong, the film is not perfect. The film gets incredibly slow as it builds towards its ending. It also pushes things a little too far during those moments, especially with the bar scene, which could've been left out of the film.

However, it all leads to a tremendous ending, which features a great speech from the character of Jack. A speech that hits a little too close to home given how we lost Williams.

So overall, this is a film that I feel critics completely misunderstood. Is it perfect? No. However, it is a film that I feel deserves a much better reputation than it has gotten.