The Peanut Butter Solution

This bizarre Canadian children's film is undermined at every turn by amateurish acting, awkward storytelling and flat, ugly, overlit cinematography. Yet by virtue of its sheer, overwhelming weirdness, the film exerts a formidable hold over the imaginations of many adults who saw it as youngsters. Michael Baskin (Matthew Mackay) and his slightly older sister, Suzie (Alison Darcy), are left largely to their own devices when their mother takes an extended trip to Australia to deal with her late father's estate — their father (Michael Hogan, who bears a striking resemblance to Bruce Dern), a painter, is absorbed in his work. Michael and his best friend, Conrad (Siluk Say...