CrissCross (1992) User Reviews

Movie creates a great sense of time and place

[pachl · 7/10 · 21 February 2006]

Criss Cross takes place in Key West, 1969. The biggest success of this movie is creating a realistic sense of time and place. You can practically feel the humidity and smell the ocean in this movie.

Goldie Hawn plays a divorced mother raising her 12 year old son, played by David Arnott. I don't know the full story, but I have read that quite a few critics made rather vicious comments about David's performance. Without even taking into consideration that this was his acting debut, I thought his acting was quite good. He was likable and charming. For once, we see a kid who actually acts and talks like a kid. When you see him working (three jobs, no less), it really looks like he is working, not just going through the motions.

It might have taken some work by the acting coaches to produce the performance we see on screen, but the end result is excellent.

David also narrates the movie. I liked his relaxed, laconic speaking style. It really set the tone for the movie.

Criss Cross is a movie that stays with me because it shows a vanished world, a place and time that can't be reproduced. It is a world of living simply. Life is hard, but there is a pervasive sense of hope. It reminded me of the first time I visited Spain's Costa del Sol in 1983. The "outside world" hadn't made a dent in many of the smaller towns. You could walk into a small, family run store and see merchandise that must have been on the shelves for many years. The pace was slow, and in retrospect the days all seemed sunny and warm.

That is how this movie will make you feel.

A pleasant little diversion.

[km004a5534 · 7/10 · 22 November 2002]

This is one of those movies where the user rating seems strangely out of step with the comments on it. With one, barely worth the mention, exception, all those who have commented liked the film. I too found it a very pleasant diversion and a film that I have happily watched several times.

To my way of thinking young David Arnott does a terrific job and is absolutely charming. He plays Chris, a completely innocent kid who gets on the wrong side of the law, when he sees an opportunity to get enough cash to rescue his mother, Goldie Horn, from her new job as a stripper. It is a big ask to take a 12-year old lad with no acting experience to play what amounts to the lead in a movie and to narrate it too. It is also asking a lot for him to have to be filmed briefly in the buff in one scene. If he had a problem or two, it is hardly surprising. Nevertheless, it is his innocent charm which carries the film. There is also a nice chemistry between David Arnott and Goldie Horn.

I sincerely hope that this was not another case of the critics massacring a movie and with it a promising kid's career.

Delicate, evocative, and full of quiet contemplation...

[moonspinner55 · 7/10 · 21 October 2006]

Young boy in the Florida Keys in late 1969 keeps tabs on his exotic dancer mom while mourning their separation from his Vietnam-scarred father. A curious choice for star Goldie Hawn, who must've seen this as an opportunity to stretch a little bit without verging too far from her proved persona; newcomer David Arnott is well-cast as Hawn's son and has an amazingly deep voice, a forthright manner and an easy gait (he's really the star who is born here). The script, which is likably littered with beach bums and hotel-residing characters, isn't particularly pointed, nor does it leave us with much at the end, but Chris Menges' direction pulls every ounce of beauty from it. When Goldie's car breaks down, it's on a concrete bridge overlooking a melancholy stretch of ocean; when Hawn and sports-writer Arliss Howard have a heart-to-heart, it's on the beach during a brilliant red sunset. This great-looking picture is a real beauty, although it is lackadaisically paced, extremely low-keyed and takes a while to expose its heart and reach its audience. *** from ****

A good, overlooked film

[BobLib · 27 September 1999]

It's amazing how Goldie Hawn is almost always overlooked when she tries to play it serious, even when she's good. A perfect example of this is 1991's "Crisscross," dealing with the special relationship between a young single mother and her twelve-year old son.

Set in Key West, Florida, just prior to the first moon landing, the film is loaded with atmosphere, and the Key West scenes are beautiful (Amazing how the only film that ever shows how it can be during the hurricane season was the Paul Hogan/Elijah Wood "Flipper." But I digress.). Best of all, though, are Hawn and young David Arnott, as mother and son, both giving understated, believable performances. Young Arnott, especially, should have had a major career ahead of him. As it was, this was his only film role. Does anyone know what became of him?

The supporting actors are good, as well, particularly Arliss Howard as the writer Hawn falls in love with, and the actors, whose names escape me, playing the characters of Emmett, Bugs, and Termina.

This film is a true hidden treasure. Watch it, and you have a real treat in store.

Slice of life movie

[HorrorweenComposerTony · 7/10 · 23 December 2006]

Slow paced as mentioned in another comment like a sleepy summer afternoon, the depiction of life in Key West in the late 60's rings true. It isn't polished and glitzy or glamorous. You can see this play out in your life or the life of friends.

the film centers around young David Arnott in the title role. The awkwardness and naturalism works in making it more real.

If you are looking for whizbang Hollywood value type of action here, this isn't the place. what you get is a true to life drama that can happen anywhere, at any place. David's moral choices are based on how he sees things as a real kid.

As a movie, it works well.

cool story, easy pace

[losplus-1 · 7/10 · 29 January 2008]

Of course it was no blockbuster, but just a nice, unglamorized story from a page out of the life of this fractured family. You could really get a feel for the time, and the soundtrack served that well, as well as the backdrop of the moon landing. It really brought back those sweet, sultry memories of long, carefree summers and young love. I think almost every note was true to life, even if the ending was a little too pat. Goldie Hawn did a great job with this more dramatic role (and still looked great!) and her co-lead, David Arnott, gave a realistic yet understated performance. David Carradine's part was brief and somewhat shallow, but still effective in conveying the emotional fallout from the Vietnam experience, however; it certainly wasn't a "Jacknife" caliber role. The scenery and atmosphere of the movie was beautiful and really made you feel like you were right there. It made for a nice Sunday afternoon viewing.

A depressing movie in a great setting

[tiptonr · 4/10 · 17 December 2010]

I saw this in theaters when it was first released. (Based on the box office sales totals, apparently I was one of very few to do so.) I'll admit it was my date's choice, not mine.

While I have to agree with other posters that the location, mood, and feel of the movie created a very believable setting, I disagree about some other aspects.

I found this movie to be very depressing, with the adult characters being very unsympathetic, and the boy's character coming across as a kid going bad. He gets into fights at school, he's about to have sex with a girl and only stops when her parents come home early, and he tries to sell the drugs he's found. This is a 12 year old we're talking about!!! Overall, it was a difficult movie to watch and relate to. I don't mind films that don't have happy endings if the characters have some redeeming qualities, but there simply weren't any in this one. I wish I could get those two hours of my life back!

I am drawn to this Movie

[radioriot · 7/10 · 29 May 2007]

I was 11 in the summer of 1969 and our family was camping near Cape Canaveral during the moonwalk. We sat outside near the bathhouse watching the moonwalk on a portable b&w TV. So this movie takes me back to that time. When I go to Key West now, I can relate to this movie. The place I stay in Key West is just down the street from Eden House. I get this weird but good feeling every time I walk past Eden House, half expecting Goldie or David to come popping out the door. Yes I am drawn to this movie. It takes me back to my youth and lets me relive it just a bit each time I watch it. Despite all of the tourists, Key West is still a simple fun place to visit and you can walk all over the Island, and the Key Lime Pie ain't bad either. This film may not be a classic but my childhood was. And this movie helps me relive it.

Goldie Hawn still give me a tickle.

[jfarms1956 · 4/10 · 10 April 2013]

CrissCross is a movie which could be enjoyed by those who are 13 and older since one of the main characters is in that age groups. I always enjoy Goldie Hawn, but have always seen her as a comical actress and not a dramatic actress. Because of my preconceived ideas of Goldie Hawn, I still got a tickle almost always when I saw her. Old habits are hard to break. David Arnott does a good job in his role as Chris Cross. From what I can discern, CrissCross is David's first and only movie. David was able to draw me into his character and stay interested. CrissCross is basically just a so-so movie. However, it does provide decent entertainment for two hours. Kick up your feet, grab the popcorn and soda for some entertainment. I give CrissCross four thumbs up.

goldie's not funny

[cdcrb · 7/10 · 1 October 2020]

It's too bad when a actor tries to break out of his or her genre and it doesn't work at the box office. goldie is really very good here as a mother of a 12 year old boy in key west in the late 60's. no laughs, but a carn good film.

Cross this off your list

[helpless_dancer · 1/10 · 6 April 1999]

Goldie played an unfit mother with a troubled son. Very shallow story. Boring.

Landing on the Moon

[cmmescalona · 8/10 · 13 October 2003]

I just came back from Key West a few days ago. It's not as it used to be. Now there's too many people going around, sightseeing, wandering and making of this beautiful town quite a noisy one.

But when they decided to shoot this film down there, there was more than enthusiasm. Actually, there was a lot of things to go amiss. Ivan Strasburg as cinematographer, dared to try out new things and made a lot of people quite uneasy about the final look of this otherwise overlooked film.

Goldie Hawn is like fish in the water throughout the whole play, based on a novella that deals with the troubles a single mother goes through just clinging on the very limits, to save her only twelve-year-old son.

It's a moving film, since Goldie really knows what to do when faced with a role in which she must be serious and troubled. She shares the screen with a young actor who really did well for his first appearance on screen (and his last one). The locations are all real. No sets, no flashy things. Just the real thing: Key West portrayed as it was. They even used the old Seven Mile Bridge in one of the scenes, that depicts beautifully those times now long gone.

The main location is what is known as Eden House, a beautiful hotel that now hosts the only museum in the world related to this movie.

The shifts of mood, the anger, the solitude, the deep anguish and the agony of being caught in the middle of the storm, are just a few of the main ingredients that make this film a beautiful work.

Maybe if you are like me, one who really loves the very few places in continental USA (if Key West can be called part of the continent) that are still far removed from the craziness of big cities... and still can think about this world as a world where family makes sense, you must see this film. It is evanescent, flimsy, almost surreal, because it's too real.

And, of course, if you can give yourself a lot of time to travel to this beautiful island, do it, and go visit Eden House. You'll go back in time just about to love this place and this film... even when you can forget about living there: it may well be one of the most expensive places on earth. But you still can visit Hemingway's hideaway in Key West or feel the pendig fear of incoming hurricanes.

Semi favorable

[steve_doyle_hawaii · 7/10 · 28 December 2002]

The boy tells his story well and from his point of view, which helps save it from it's cliches. I did find it interesting for it's depiction of beach life circa 1969. I didn't find it boring, just sort of slow paced like a sleepy summer afternoon.

Pleasant coming of age film

[BoYutz · 4 August 1999]

Goldie Hawn tackles a surprising role here, as a mom from the hard side of the tracks, and carries it off with notable success.

The setting is Key West in 1969. In the film, Goldie plays a single mom who's reduced to working in strip clubs after her husband, a former Navy pilot played by Keith Carradine, succumbs to PTSD, descends into drunkennes and eventually goes off to live in a monestary. At first, Goldie just slings drinks at the strip clubs. But in order to fulfill the dream, shared by her and her son, of once again living in a house rather than a run-down hotel, she graduates to bump 'n grind to bring in more money.

The son, played very well by David Arnott, is a 12-year old who is naturally wounded by his father's absence. He also becomes deeply upset when he discovers his mother is stripping. In addition, a new man enters her life, a writer played by Arliss Howard. This generates some resentment from the son.

The son, Chris, has a busy life beyond this. He hangs out with his good friend Buggs and goes out with his sister Termina. He also does many side-jobs to help out with money. One of his jobs involves delivering fish regularly from a ship at sea to the hotel cook. On one of his delivery runs he discovers that the fish are filled with cocaine. Thus begins the true plot of the movie, as Chris devises a scheme to sell drugs in order to save his mother from stripping.

This was the most unfortunate aspect of the film. While the basic concept of the plot wasn't bad, it culminates in a scene that fails to make sense. Since the screenplay was by Scott Sommer, based on his novella, one imagines he had it this way in the source material, but then again it may have been added for cinematic effect and structural closure. Basically, it didn't work.

Aside from this, the movie was well-played and largely enjoyable. The Key West locations are beautiful and sunny. You can almost feel the heat and humidity. Goldie looks great, and she drives a '59 Chrysler Imperial that's pretty cool even though it's seen better days. The overall milieu and characters are believable. David Arnott, in his first and, unfortunately, last role, gives an understated performance that should have launched a successful career. The soundtrack was actually cool enough to include Count Five's 'Psychotic Reaction.'

The pace of the film is slow, even lazy at times. This usually serves the film well but does lead to some leaden areas that shoot the boredom factor way up. There is also a lot of voice-over narration by Arnott. While it's nice to know what's in the character's head, they go overboard with it.

In the end this is a flawed film of small scope. It won't land on your list of classics but, despite its flaws, its earnestness, emotional complexity, good performances and great locations make it a pleasant way to spend a couple hours.

beyond him

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 10 August 2020]

It's 1969 Key West. America is set to put a man on the moon. Chris Cross and his mother Tracy Cross (Goldie Hawn) are struggling to get by. Chris' father (Keith Carradine) is haunted by what he did in the Vietnam war and had left the family. Tracy is forced to do topless dancing for the money. Joe (Arliss Howard) is taken with her.

This is hard for me to say. This movie is centered on the boy David Arnott. It's asking him to do Academy Awards level heavy lifting. Most of the time, he's doing it by himself. That's unfair. He's an amateur. He tries but it's beyond him. It needs one of those child stars who are trying to find a break out role. He is written as a complete innocent who is clueless to a whole lot of issues. It's better if he's wrong more than if he's clueless. For example, I'm much happier that he tries to turn into drug dealer than him keep asking about the titty bar. This is a movie which could have made a kid into a shooting star if a few flaws in the story could be fixed. This is not the kid to take advantage of that.

Coming Of Age

[boblipton · 6/10 · 10 August 2020]

It's 1969 in Key West. Against a backdrop of the Moon landing, 12-year-old David Arnott tries to be an adult to get his mother, Goldie Hawn, out of her job of stripping

It's all very low key, with Miss Hawn quite obviously trying to establish herself as a serious actress is what is essentially a supporting role, based on a novel and with a screenplay by Scott Sommer. As with most coming-of-age stories, it attempts to say something universal, but whatever it is, it's obscured by the careful attention to detail as to the moment and place, and low-key performances Perhaps it's a meditation on the futility of trying to be a hero, as the father returns from Vietnam to run away and be a gardener at a monastery, Miss Hawn takes up stripping to provide a life for er son and her, and David Arnott gets involved with drugs to bail her out of her job. Thoroughly depressing.

A Realistic Look at Family Love

[Snowgo · 7/10 · 18 February 2022]

From the description, here at IMDB, I was skeptical about whether-or-not I would like Criss Cross. I am a fan of Goldie Hawn's work, but I felt that the choice of cocaine in the film was a bit sensational and unrealistic, since this took place in 1969. I think it is safe to say that in most drug circles, cocaine did not become popular until the 1980's. Only high-rollers used it in the 1970's, as far as I know (I was there).

I also had a problem, after having-read just the movie description, with the boy's morality and philosophy being challenged by the sight of a naked person. I thought it a bit arrogant, but in the pertinent scenes, the screenplay and script are intelligent and intuitive.

I was rewarded by giving this movie a chance. The script was very good (especially the inner dialogue of Chris). I really appreciated hearing his thoughts as he thought them. This should be done more in movies. It really aids the character development, and his thoughts and feelings were very well-written.

His and his mother's feelings, words and actions were very understandable and human. The scene at the hotel room, when Chris confronts his mom over her line-of-work, is very approachable and warm. She tells him that she isn't capable of doing anything else, that she does not enjoy her job and that she is trying her best. This is not sensationalism: It is realism.

Perhaps the most human part of the film was the character of Chris' father, who, having been traumatized by his own actions in wartime, afterward sought and continued to seek his soul, at great expense to him and his family.

While I don't fully understand why the police found it necessary to go undercover to find out about Chris, instead of focusing on those in the boat anchored off-shore, I will not detract stars for this question-mark.

In all, Criss Cross does not dis-appoint, and should be enjoyed by all, especially those who have had to make tough choices in keeping their family together.

It also serves as a warning to those who might be tempted by a "fast buck" in attempting to do so.

a different turn for Goldie Hawn, looking at an era that can never be again

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 11 May 2023]

When you picture Goldie Hawn, you no doubt imagine a well-meaning ditz. That's what makes Chris Menges's "CrissCross" all the more interesting. Hawn plays a woman who moves to Key West in 1969 with her son after the dad leaves the family. Severe situations arise.

It's a world of drug usage while Apollo 11 heads to the moon. A world that could only exist once (one could say that Hawn indirectly abetted it by starring on "Laugh-In"). This isn't any sort of profound movie, but it does have gritty scenes; believe me, you'd never expect a Goldie Hawn movie to have some of the stuff that this movie has!

Basically, this movie and Steven Spielberg's "Sugarland Express" show that, far from simply being a cute, silly blonde, Goldie Hawn is a versatile actress. Worth seeing.

PS: director Chris Menges also directed "A World Apart" (a fictionalized account of the persecuted Slovo family in apartheid South Africa) but is usually a cinematographer.

Actually a believable movie

[Catnip86 · 9/10 · 3 September 2018]

If there is one thing I cannot stand, it's a "real life" based movie with unbelievable characters and circumstances. This is not one of them. The characters were believable. Tracy really did seem like a struggling single (divorced with apparently no help from the father) mother. She didn't have a big house, really nice car, etc. It was clear that she was struggling.

David Arnott, who played the son, seemed like a real twelve year old trying to make the best of his circumstances. I was surprised to see he never acted again after this movie.

The relationship started by Tracy and Joe (an "unemployed writer" who turned out to be a cop) was real. Criss not wanting to accept this new relationship was real and believable, the kid clearly clung to the hope that his parents would get back together. The characters Joe and Tracy seemed to really care about each other. The only thing I didn't like was how their relationship ended.

I will say that I suspected that the two guys Criss made the drug deal with were cops, I never suspected Joe was. I honestly did not see that twist coming.

Overall, I really enjoyed the movie.

The best movie to this date on Key West.

[perthshire · 10/10 · 15 July 2005]

The film deals accurately with a sort of Christ metaphor. A single mother dancing nude while supporting her son. His father has abandoned them to work as a gardener for a monastery. He was a military pilot who got to see to many innocent people die in Vietnam. The film was shot on location at the blue-collar hippie hotel The Eden House on Key West. It is an exceptional well done film on the topic of a graphic versus a written conceptualization within a society. The boy struggles by being used as a drug smuggler when he thinks he is transporting fish. Only to try to sell the cocaine himself and become arrested together with the real drug smugglers.

One of the better "famiy" choices

[jtur88 · 5 February 2001]

Considering that the story-line sounds like the typical fodder for the women's movie networks, this film is quite well done. The characters and performances are pretty believable, the kids are fairly kid-like, and for those of you who have written off Goldie Hawn, she's quite nicely un-Goldie-Hawn-ish. This is not a great film, but it's a pretty good probability that there is nothing better on cable at that moment.

Coming of age

[btreakle · 8/10 · 12 August 2020]

I love Goldie Hawn and she was excellent in this coming of age. I felt like this could ha e been set in any town usa. Highly recommend

A terrific view of old Key West. Some outstanding use of cinemagraphic symbolism.

[no2hair · 13 September 2003]

Almost no other motion picture so deftly captures the look, water, grit & sensibility of Key West in 1969. Excellent camera work (Ivan Strasburg), coupled with inspired lighting lend the true taste of America's southernmost island on film. Chris' (David Arnott) despair that his mother (Goldie Hawn) sells her sexiness at a local strip bar, plays counterpoint to his emerging manhood shared with girlfriend, Termina (Christy Martin). The crafty screenwriter (Scott Sommer) use the first rocket to land a man on the moon, as an effective time in which to set the story. It becomes a powerful phallic symbol as the boy growns to manhood. Another terrific use of symbolism is seen when the automobile carrying Chris and his mother across the Seven Mile Bridge breaks-down. The image is a visual metaphore for the of the pair in opposition. The Chris fixes the car represents his growing ability to control the world around him. The scene is also visually stunning. There are plenty of other symbolic touches used in this sweet and somewhat overlooked film.

Moving drama

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 31 May 2022]

Single mother Tracy Cross (a fine and affecting portrayal by Goldie Hawn) ekes out a modest living as a dancer at a seedy bar while struggling to raise her precocious son Chris (an excellent and convincing performance by David Arnott) in Key West, Florida in the late 1960's.

Director Chris Menges relates the compelling story at a steady pace, expertly crafts a thoughtful melancholy mood, and offers a flavorsome evocation of the sunny Florida setting. Scott Sommer's sharply observed script astutely captures the sad sordidness of people who exist on the desperate fringes of society as well as makes a poignant point about the extreme things folks are willing to do for the sake of someone they love. Best of all, the strong bond between the flawed, but caring Tracy and her fed-up precocious son Chris gives this movie a substantial amount of depth and genuine heart.

The sturdy acting from the top-notch cast helps a lot: Arliss Howard as the amiable Joe, James Gammon as crusty, but kindly hotel proprietor Emmett, Keith Carradine as traumatized Vietnam war veteran John, J. C. Quinn as scruffy diner owner Jetty, Steve Buscemi as scuzzy low-life Louis, and Paul Calderon as menacing creep Blacky. A nice little film.