The Kid and I

Plot

Former actor Bill Williams (Tom Arnold) is about to commit suicide over his ruined career. He throws out all his stuff and gives his clothes to a homeless man. The man drinks Bill's vodka and takes half of his pills messing up his suicide plan and takes off. Bill drinks his alcohol and then takes the remaining pills. He then lies down in the bathtub. Three days later an eccentric film agent named Johnny Bernstein (Henry Winkler) shows up at the apartment with a business offer for him. He says a billionaire, Davis Roman (Joe Mantegna) will hire Bill to write and co-star in a movie exactly like 1994's True Lies so that his son, Aaron Roman (Eric Gores), whose favorite film is True Lies, can live out his dream of being an actor and star of an action movie. Not knowing much about the boy or the billionaire, Bill agrees to do the project since he would make considerable profits from the project.

Later at the park, Bill encounters the man previously in his apartment. His name is Guy Prince (Richard Edson), and hasn't had a job in over 10 years. Bill finds he has a lot in common with Guy and asks him if he's interested in acting. Guy agrees and he becomes Bill's unconventional "best friend".

Johnny, Bill and Guy later show up at the lavish Roman mansion, meeting with Davis and his wife, Shelby (Shannon Elizabeth). They are a nice couple which makes Bill think they have a nice normal son. However, when Aaron shows up Bill becomes uncomfortable and assumes he will be making a bad film with a mentally impaired person. He attempts to back out of the offer when his ex-wife, producer Susan Mandeville (Linda Hamilton), comes in with a film crew and tells everybody she will be producing the movie. Shortly after she shows up, Davis tells Bill about how smart and dedicated Aaron is despite having cerebral palsy. Bill, remembering the money he will receive, agrees again to make the movie. Aaron is very excited to see Bill in person. He excitedly tells Bill about his interesting movie ideas as they begin to write the script. Although some of Aaron's ideas are unrealistic Bill becomes confident they will be able to shoot the movie. Aaron decides to call the movie Two Spies. Guy is enjoying himself as well as he flirts with the local women and spends time drinking all the Roman's booze. Aaron tells Bill he wants to kiss a beautiful women while in a hot tub for the closing scene. Bill agrees to the idea.

Production

Gores is the son of Alec Gores, a billionaire technology investor and founder of the Gores Technology Group, best known for its acquisition and resale of Brøderbund. The younger Gores has cerebral palsy and his father hired Arnold, a neighbor in Los Angeles, to make a sequel to Eric's favorite film, True Lies (1994), in which Arnold co-starred. The plot of The Kid & I closely parallels the actual situation.

The profits for this movie are going to United Cerebral Palsy, a lobby group for disabled people in Washington, D.C..

Jamie Lee Curtis makes a cameo appearance in this movie as herself, as well as Arnold Schwarzenegger, which was his second film appearance since he became Governor of California.

Songs