Martian Child (DVD, 2008)

John Cusack gives a nice performance as David, a recently-widowed science-fiction writer who adopts an "odd" 6-year old boy who claims to be from Mars. The basic plot is fairly predictable. Lots of bumps in the road to the Martian Child (Dennis played wonderfully by Bobby Coleman) before they come to love each other. The gorgeous "best friend" (Amanda Peet) just hanging around waiting for Cusack to come to his senses and love her. The great supporting cast, Cusacks real-life sister Joan as David's sister, and Oliver Platt as his sci-fi collaborator/agent. And, of course, the climactic perilous ending. But above all this is a message about being yourself even if doing so makes you different from the rest. Yes it is tough for kids who are different and, yes, kids can be cruel. But in the end, it is Dennis' tenacious clinging to his story and its characteristics that helps him to reach higher ground. Not quite sure why this one is PG, but certainly suitable for the whole family.