Opening Weekend: Diary of a Wimpy Kid

By Meredith Sinclair
Monday, March 22, 2010

Last Friday was a big day for middle-school misfits everywhere. It marked the opening weekend of the movie Diary of a Wimpy Kid, based on the hugely popular book series, by Jeff Kinney.

I was there with my 12- and 8-year-old boys (and my 42-year-old husband), to cover the excitement of it all and gather some feedback from the critics that matter most: the kids.

We hit Lake Theatre in Oak Park for a Saturday matinee and were part of a packed house of Wimpy fans. This just-under-2-hour feature follows protagonist (and seriously wimpy kid) Greg Heffley and his sidekick Rowley on their epic endeavor to rise to the top of the middle-school food chain and reign victorious as one of the cool kids, (by being featured in the yearbook as a "class favorite").

Throughout their often torturous journey, we're treated to lessons on true friendship, bone-headed bullies, how to really get girls to like you, and the shear joy and rapture that bathroom and booger humor brings to the pre-teen set. My husband and I may have laughed out loud once or twice, too.

"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" is perfect for those parents and children who appreciate Kinney's take on growing up and the struggle for popularity. My crew thought it was a superb representation of the Wimpy Kid books we've been enjoying for years.