By Edna Horton/managing editor
One kid’s quest for popularity is the humorous plot of the movie Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
Based on the series of books by the same name written by Jeff Kinney, the story follows Gregg Heffley played by Zachary Gordon through his successes and failures as he tries to get a seat in the cafeteria, become class favorite in his school’s yearbook and avoid getting the “cheese touch,” which is an affliction like cooties that comes from touching moldy cheese that mysteriously appeared on the school grounds one day.
In his quest to become class favorite, Gregg joins the wrestling team but loses to the weirdest kid in school, Fregley, played by Grayson Russell, and also his arch-nemesis Patty Ferrell played by Laine MacNeil. After his unsuccessful wrestling attempt, he then joins the safety patrol and gets relieved of his duties when he leaves some kindergartners unattended.
After Gregg tries unsuccessfully to change his nerdy best friend Rowley Jefferson, played by Robert Capron, who becomes popular just by being himself, he finds himself alone and back at square one. Eventually, Gregg does get his picture in the yearbook, but not in the way he expected.
The film has many quirky moments. One is the mishap Gregg and Rowley find themselves in on Halloween night when they scrape the side of some older kid’s truck with a weed-whacker. They spend the rest of the movie avoiding the owner and his friends in several different humorous ways. Another is Gregg’s attempt at making Rowley jealous when he goes to Fregley’s house for a sleepover and finds himself the victim of Fregley’s booger.
Gregg’s older brother Roderick Heffley, played by Devon Bostick, and his gym teacher/coach Malone, played by Andrew McNee, both provide enough adult humor so parents will not get bored. Director Thor Freudenthal does a good job of telling the story so people who have not read the books can follow along and not be confused.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is family-friendly, and people of all ages can watch it and be amused.
