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How to Eat Fried Worms Our rating: Rate this movie   MPAA rating: PG (for mild bullying and some crude humor) Genre: Drama, Sports Theater release: August 25, 2006 by New Line Cinema Directed by: Bob Dolman Runtime: 1 hour 23 minutes Cast: Luke Benward (Billy Forrester), Tom Cavanagh (Dad), Kimberly Williams-Paisley (Mom), Hallie Kate Eisenberg (Erika), Adams Hicks (Joe Guire), Austin Rogers (Adam), Alexander Gould (Twitch), Andrew Gillingham (Techno Mouth), Ryan Malgarini (Benjy), Philip Daniel Bolden (Bradley), Blake Garrett (Plug), Alexander Agate (Donny), Ty Panitz (Woody), James Rebhorn (Principal Burdock) Related: Talk About It/Family Corner

When I heard they'd made a movie out of Thomas Rockwell's popular 1973 juvenile fiction book How to Eat Fried Worms, I fondly remembered a genre of stories I read in elementary school, including such classics as Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and Fudge by Judy Blume, and the Ramona books (Ramona the Pest, Ramona the Brave, etc.) by Beverly Cleary. These were books with lovable, relatable characters who won our hearts and turned us on to reading. I lumped How to Eat Fried Worms in with the rest with a great big nostalgic awww.

Well, it should have been an ewww.

In the book version of Fried Worms, warring factions of 11-year-old male friends dare young Billy Forrester to eat 15 worms in 15 days for 50 bucks. It's a winning battle of wits and stomachs, a classic tale of friendship and boyhood fights. Well, when you cram that story into 83 minutes in the age of Fear Factor, that translates into ten worms on one gastronomically insane Saturday (with no puking). And the loser has to walk down the main hallway at school with a handful of worms in his pants. In other words, the movie version is all about the worms.

At the start of the film, Billy (Luke Benward) has moved to a new town with his mostly clueless parents (Tom Cavanagh and Kimberly Williams-Paisley) and his annoyingly cute little brother, Woody (Ty Panitz). Why have they moved? We don't know. Remember, it's all about the worms. When Billy braves the first day at his new school, he becomes the latest target for the campus bully, Joe, and his band of fifth-grade thugs. Why is he the source of such instant derision? We don't know. Remember, it's all about the worms.

At lunch that first day, Joe and crew sneak a fistful of worms into Billy's Thermos. In the ensuing cafeteria showdown, Billy shows a rare surge in courage (or stupidity) and flings one of the wiggly creatures onto Joe's face. Why does normally cowering Billy suddenly become brave and daring? Oh, you get the picture by now. In return, Joe issues the worm-eating dare, and as anyone who's ever graced a school playground will tell you, you have to take the dare.

Adam Hicks as Joe, the bully who set things into motion

So, while Billy's parents leave him in their brand-new neighborhood to care for his preschool brother that entire Saturday, mayhem erupts. The boys travel from kitchen to kitchen (eventually getting shooed out of each), finding new diabolical ways to prepare each worm. There's the spinach, broccoli, and worm smoothie. The Barfmallow, which contains marshmallow fluff, catsup, and the requisite worm. They even cook up a veggie-and-worm omelet at the diner owned by one boy's uncle—but that one gets accidentally fed to creepy Principal Burdock (James Rebhorn). Can you hear all the 11-year-old boys cheering "duuude" and "awesome!" Yeah, you will. That's if you can stomach this little family flick.

Throughout this fifth-grade Fear Factor, there are scattered lessons on the ills of bullying, the benefit of being true to yourself, the joy of true friendship. But really, what boy is going to remember a moral when there's an exploding worm? (Yes, you get that nagging question of what happens when you nuke a worm answered!)

Tom Cavanaugh and Kimberly Williams-Paisley as Billy's parents

The acting is as varied as the worm concoctions. Luke Benward does an admirable job as our puke-avoiding protagonist. The rest of the boys vary from convincing to melodramatic. When I saw that Billy's parents are played by Tom Cavanagh and Kimberly Williams-Paisley, I was delighted. What perfect casting for family flick folks. Sadly, they're way underused and mainly fed one-dimensional dopey-grown-up lines (as are all the other adults).

If you're an 11-year-old boy, I'll bet this is cinematic heaven. And if you're not (or don't have the sense of humor of one), having your favorite member of this demographic entertained for 83 minutes may just be enough to win you over, too. Just remember to steer clear of the gummy worms at the concession stand.

1. At the beginning of the movie, Billy is the new kid in school. Have you ever been the "new kid"? What did it feel like? How did you eventually make friends and start to fit in? How can you use that experience to help a "new kid" around you right now

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