Filmed in the beautiful mountains of northern Idaho, "(Everybody Loves) Mel" is the story of two California city boys, one of which, Roger, gets in trouble with the law one too many times. With his parents are at the end of their rope, they send Roger and Travis to their estranged grandfather in the mountains of Washington. While there in the tiny town of Swanie, they meet a crew of unique characters and Bailey Silverwood. Silverwood spends most of his time attempting to steal land from the people of Swanie to create his very own town, Baileyville and the boys grandfather is next on Bailey's list. But that's not the only odd thing going on in Swanie. Why does their grandfather keep going out late at night? What's kept in those big bags? And what was that odd creature they saw that one night?

This is a movie that needs open minded people. It was a low-budget film by Joey Travolta (brother of John Travolta of Grease and Hairspray), so the effects are not very believable and it features many new actors and even some people that aren't actors in general. Like the policemen are actually the real policemen from the town they filmed in. It's a good family film, because, since when do kids care about effects? It's a clean comedy that parents and kids can watch together.

I give it five stars.

Stars: Ernest Borgnine ("The Dirty Dozen") as Grandpa, Julie Hagerty ("What About Bob?") as Bonnie, Greg Evigan ("My Two Dads") as Peter, Bug Hall ("Get A Clue", "Honey, I Shrunk Ourselves") as Travis, Josh Paddock ("HollyWood Safari", "What Dreams May Come True") as Roger and Jack Scalia ("Pointman", "Wolf", "Sweet Deception") as the infamous Bailey Silverwood.

Trivia:

*Bailey Silverwood is the bad guy of the film. He was given the name "Silverwood" so that the filmmakers could use a them park near Coeur d'Alene Idaho named "Silverwood".

*Greg Evigan plays the boys' dad, Peter. His daughter, Vanessa Lee Evigan, also appears in the film as Roger's love interest, Susie.