My Teacher Ate My Homework Movie Review

This modest entry in the Shadow Zone series created by J.R. Black represents a comeback of sorts for a nearly unrecognizable Margot Kidder as a character named Sol. It also stars Shelley Duvall as a teacher named Mrs. Fink whose fate is linked to that of a spooky-looking doll. Sheila McCarthy and John Neville are in it, too, as a Mom and as a mysterious shopkeeper. Young protagonist Jesse brings home the doll despite the admonitions of the shopkeeper and discovers that anything that happens to the doll happens to his classroom nemesis, too. Unaddressed is the fact that the kid is under a tremendous amount of parental pressure and his folks only refer to his escalating responsibilities by increasing his allowance. The solution to his dilemma doesn't come from grown-ups, naturally, but from his best friend Cody's sister Geneva, a wise little girl who knows how to cast spells. Acting by the kids (Gregory Smith, Dara Perlmutter, Edwin Hodge, Dan Warry-Smith, and Diana Theodore) is winning throughout and its good to see Duvall and Kidder again. This may be too intense for younger children, but older kids will probably like it. The creepy doll with an amazing resemblance to Duvall is hauntingly life-like. AKA: Shadow Zone: My Teacher Ate My Homework.

1998 (PG) 91m/C CA MacKenzie Gray, Gregory Smith, Shelley Duvall, Dara Perlmutter, Tim Progosh, Sheila McCarthy, Edwin Hodge, Dan Warry-Smith, Diana Theodore, John Neville, Karen Robinson, Margot Kidder, Damon D'Oliveira; D: Stephen Williams; W: Garfield Reeves-Stevens, Judith Reeves-Stevens; C: Curtis Petersen; M: John McCarthy. VHS, LV, DVD