How to Eat Fried Worms
Release Date:
August 25, 2006
As a child growing up, one of my favorite books to read and re-read was Thomas Rockwell's How to Eat Fried Worms. The story is laugh-out-loud funny and perfectly targeted for young boys and girls who simply don't understand young boys. Having re-read it recently, I have to say that it holds up extremely well and has a timeless quality that indeed lends itself perfectly to a movie. Leave it to the good people at Walden Media, who have a stated goal of creating solid family entertainment, to take up the challenge.
The story centers on a pre-teen boy who is more or less up to any bet that his friends throw his way. One day, he is dared to eat a diet of worms for a period of several days. The problem, of course, is making the little critters appetizing in some way. And so our young hero discovers a variety of methods, from deep frying the suckers in cornmeal to including them in a pasta meal, to fulfill his obligation and win some cash from a rival.
There are complications, of course. The boy who issues the challenge does everything in his power to keep the protagonist from winning his wager. Various tactics are used, from taking the kid to a baseball game and stuffing him full of treats to telling him stories about how worm eating has been discovered to be fatal.
Like another previous Walden production, Holes, How to Eat Fried Worms has all the potential in the world to appeal to a young audience that likes their humor smart and even a little gross. Look for the film to be a potential breakout surprise. (Kim Hollis/BOP)
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