Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Dylan had been bringing various selections from the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney as his assigned reading (AR) homework for months. Short of skimming the front covers, I had no idea what they were about, only that they were devoured quickly, which pleased me greatly. Last night, I took both boys on a rare Sunday night movie date to see the big screen version of the popular pre-teen literary phenom.

The story centres around the boyhood friendship of Greg Heffley and Rowley Jefferson. Greg is a teenage wannabe struggling with his identity while Rowley is a devil-may-care pre-pubescent chubby kid, comfortable in his skin and his place as a junior in middle school.

Heffley, as the principal character, struggles with the vagaries of responsibility, honesty and friendship. Meanwhile, the less attractive more grounded Jefferson successfully carves out a place among the pre-teen-Illuminati.

Predictably, Heffley loses his way and his friend before coming to terms with himself and his new world.

Ben and Dylan were delighted with the film and I must admit that more than one chortle erupted from my section of the theatre. Ben was inspired to start his own diary tonight, and being the creative soul that he is created one from various pieces of paper and a binder lying around the study.

Meanwhile, Dylan is in the cross hairs of many of the issues inherent with that awkward and innocent time between childhood and teenagedom, and watched transfixed through the whole thing.

March 22, 2010 - 192.2 pounds, 28.5% body fat