The Neverending Story

Only a certified grump could dislike this engaging fantasy that wends its way into the imagination and is a delight on most levels. Bastian (Barret Oliver) is a troubled lad who has just lost his mother. He lives with his father (Gerald McRaney), who lectures Bastian about the boy's penchant for daydreaming. The lad has to fend off school bullies and is having difficulty adjusting to being motherless. One day, instead of going to school, he wanders into a weird bookstore and borrows a book called The Neverending Story. As Bastian turns the pages, the story comes to life. A childlike empress (Tami Stronach), who is not well, lives in a land called "Fantasia" ...