Rat

Story Line: Reporter Phelim Spratt (Wilmot) moves in with the family of Hubert Flynn (Postlethwaite) to gather material for a book he's writing about Hubert's transformation into a white rat following a night of beer and cigarettes at the local pub.

Bottom Line: This hilarious modern-day Irish fable about family living is a farce of the first order, with loveable eccentrics and unpredictable action keeping the laughs coming from beginning to end. The Guinness-drinking titular vermin, rendered by Jim Henson's Creature Shop, has all manner of indignities hoisted upon it by his zany family in this wonderfully bizarre if none-too-subtle fantasy. With virtually no theatrical exposure in the U.S., this Rat will need a push, but word of mouth could keep it moving for a while. --Buzz McClain