When I read a synopsis for "Kathy O'" and learned it was about a bratty child star who keeps adults rushing around to please her, I pictured something screechy and inane. "Kathy O'" is actually a plush little comedy-drama that does nearly the impossible: it illustrates how the pressures of Hollywood can be painful and frustrating even for a child-actor in the midst of her success. Kathy is not a little tyrant, she's tired and anxious and cranky. A publicist (also all of the above!) reintroduces her to family life and normalcy, and she begins to brighten. Movies about personal redemption always tend to work if the build-up is right, and here it's done tastefully and emotionally. By the end, I was enamored of this youngster who blossoms under the right circumstances. Movies about the movies are usually a little coy, but "Kathy O'" is an exception. It understands the movie world and is quite wise (but not ugly) about actors' lives off-screen. It also recognizes everyday life in suburbia for the grind it can be, but also how much more wonderful it is when shared with people you care about. Kathy learns to care, and, in turn, I came to care about her. *** from ****
