Jack
Pearl, 9.30pm
This is a bit of a surprise, coming from five-time Oscar-winning director Francis Ford Coppola, but the result is delightfully endearing without being overly sentimental. Robin Williams (above with Coppola) is a natural choice to play Jack Powell, the 10-year-old boy who is growing at a rate four times faster than normal. His protective but understanding parents, Karen (Diane Lane) and Brian (Brian Kerwin), have managed to shelter him from the outside world with the help of a private tutor, Lawrence Woodruff (Bill Cosby). But, despite his unique ageing disorder, Powell dreams of going to school. When his dream finally comes true, he embarks on his greatest adventure as he desperately tries to fit in despite his adult-sized body. Along the way, he makes friends, like Louis Durante (Adam Zolotin) and his mother, Dolores (Fran Drescher), develops a crush on Miss Marquez (Jennifer Lopez), and, like all films about the pains of growing up, teaches those around him about the precariousness of life. Although real-life ageing disorders, such as progeria, Werner's Syndrome and agrogeria, do exist, Powell's specific predicament in the film is entirely fictitious. While this, in effect, gives Williams all the freedom he needs to act like a child again, the star who really shines is Lane. Genuine and funny, her heartwarming performance is bound to strike a chord with mothers and, in many respects, holds the film together. (1996)
S-Files: Living With Dinosaurs
Pearl, 8.30pm
For those who can't wait for the latest Jurassic Park sequel to reach Hong Kong, this series is a great substitute. Narrated by Sir David Attenborough, it looks at modern-day dinosaurs and uncovers some of the evolutionary traits that enabled them to survive while their prehistoric ancestors perished 65 million years ago. Among the featured reptiles are the huge Nile crocodile, male alligators that inhabit Florida's swamps, giant Komodo dragons, the enormous alligator-snapping turtle and a strange 'three-eyed' reptile (above) that lives only in New Zealand and more.
