Movie/DVD Review

Oscar has met the woman of his dreams. Eve. But there is one problem. She has another identity. Mom.

Tadpole is the story of 15-year old Oscar Grubman (Aaron Stanford) who falls in love with his stepmother Eve (Sigourney Weaver). He senses that Eve is not happy with her life and wonders if he has what it takes to make it better. Can he give Eve what his father (John Ritter) cannot? Oscar is an atypically 15-year old. He is well versed in French culture, mainly that of French author Voltaire, speaks fluent French, and his intellegence is in areas unlike that of a normal adolescent. You basically sense that Oscar is a 40-year old trapped in the body of a child.

Throughout the film we see Oscar volleyed between two different stages of life, misguided in where he belongs. This is perfectly illustrated by the characters that he chooses to confide in. One is his teenage best friend, Charlie (Robert Iler, The Sopranos), and the other is Eve’s best friend Diane (Bebe Nuewirth, TV’s Cheers). Charlie tries to set Oscar straight and point him in the direction of girls his age, but Oscar feels this is a waste of time because “girls his age haven’t lived”. On the other hand, the seductive Diane takes advantage of Oscar’s infatuation making him feel that he can land the woman of his desire.

Tadpole is a wonderful coming-of-age tale and the outstanding cast of stars helps new-comer Aaron Stanford shine. Rent it today!