OscarÂ(r) winner* Goldie Hawn delivers a stunning performance as a single mother struggling to raise her son in this "sharp [and] compassionate" (Los Angeles Times) drama. With a terrific cast that includes Arliss How... more »ard and Keith Carradine, CrissCross is a powerful, "emotionally penetrating portrait" (The New Yorker) of one family's unbreakable bond.In the summer of 1969, cash-strapped Tracy Cross (Hawn) must support her 12-year-old son Chris (David Arnott) by working as a dancer in a sleazy Key West bar. Chris supplements the family's income by making local deliveries. But when his activities drag him deeper and deeper into a dangerous world of crime, Tracy must risk everything to save him.*1969: Supporting Actress, Cactus Flower« less
"Goldie Hawn plays a single mother who resorts to stripping to support her son, played by David Arnott. In fact, the movie centers on David and his coming-of-age. Nothing really new here, but the film has a good heart (which it wears on its sleeve often enough).Certainly this is not a great movie, but the Key West locations are beautiful. It's summer all the time there, and you can practically feel that muggy heat coming through the screen. The film has a languid (okay, slow) pace, befitting its 'life is a beach' flavor. Goldie looks great and the performances are fine. It's just unfortunate that the trivial story fails to develop the dramatic tension required of a better film. So basically this will appeal to fans of Goldie Hawn, movies set on the Florida coast, and lovers of old Mopars (Goldie drives a really cool '59 DeSoto). Made me wish I grew up there. :>"
Blonde...
Movieboy | Kentucky, U.S.A. | 02/20/2003
(3 out of 5 stars)
"A 'coming of age' movie of sorts, this particular feature is a tad slow for my general taste. However, David Arnott is so incredibly gorgeuos, I find myself watching this one again and again. A good and believable young actor he is as well. I've always enjoyed Goldie Hawn, which makes this one well worth owning in my book."
Add A Star If You Like Goldie Hawn
Kevin Killian | San Francisco, CA United States | 10/01/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"If you do, you'll be in hog heaven as Hawn portrays a piece of beach trash who tries a little late to mend her ways. The relationship between her character and that of her son, who looks to be around 11 or 12 in the film, is one of the enduring accounts in the movies of a mother trying to stay too young and a boy overcome by urges he didn't know he had. The young actor who plays the boy, David Arnott, does a fine job maneuvering between trying to be just a kid and having to deal with unexpected adult complexities. He breaks your heart as he attempts valiantly to be the father to the eternally youthful and hedonistic character Goldie Hawn plays, she should be the mother but she doesn't know how to. And Arliss Howard is in the movie too, always underrated, with killer looks and a mean streak that gives him a bit of Warren Oates-like excitement. This movie tries to stretch Goldie Hawn's acting chops a bit but I think people will always prefer her in kind of ditsy comedy roles. This one hit too close to home for her many fans to enjoy it, and there aren't really enough boy-watchers out there to have made this a huge hit on account of the then-unknown David Arnott.
It's the kind of American movie that was being made in the age of the New American Cinema of the 1970s, a character-driven study of laziness, cruelty and unexpected courage, more akin perhaps to SUGARLAND EXPRESS or SHAMPOO than to any of Goldie's other films. She and Arnott should team up for another picture today, it could be a hit, if enough marketing muscle is leveraged to get those asses into the seats as they say."
Much more here than first meets the eye
Lindy | Arizona, United States | 07/27/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a well-written story about ordinary, decent people, and a very well-acted "little" film that simply doesn't beat you over the head with how good it is. Watch it more than once. The characters, and the tough, real life financial and personal dilemmas and choices they struggle with, will hold your interest even after the movie is finished. To dub this a mere "coming of age" tale is to miss the point. As our country is once again peopled with those whose lives have been forever changed by the hard consequences of war and/or economic crisis, this movie is both timely and worth appreciating. I highly recommend this film."
Coming of age story falls flat
nekmes | KS | 12/21/2004
(2 out of 5 stars)
"Hawn is a single mother trying to raise her 12-year-old son by bartending, waitressing, and stripping in a small coastal Florida town in the summer of 1969 (there are various mentions of the impending Apollo 11 moon landing and the war in Vietnam throughout the film). The son, struggling to deal with his mother's nightly activities and a weakening hope that his father will return, tries to raise money to help his situation by ripping off a drug smuggling scam and selling the goods on the side. The Florida scenery is very appealing and well shot by former award-winning cinematographer-turned director Chris Menges, but what might have been a touching story gets bogged down in a somewhat convoluted and hard-to-swallow plot. The talents of veteran actors Goldie Hawn, Keith Carradine, and Arliss Howard are wasted here, and young David Arnott gives a particulary wooden and at times annoying performance. Based on a novella by Scott Sommer (he also wrote the screenplay)."