Twelve-year-old Texas friends Jonathan Lipnicki (as Toby Wilson) and Cody Linley (as Cal McKnight) react like you might expect when "World's Fattest Boy," 443-pound Sasha Neulinger (as Zachary Beaver), comes to visit their Texas town. There are guffaws, groans, and grins - but, the three lads become pals. Mr. Lipnicki's mother leaves town to become a country music star, Mr. Linley's older brother joins the army, Mr. Neulinger's guardian disappears, and the three lads learn how friendship can help heal loss...Based on an award-winning children's novel by Kimberly Willis Holt, "When Zachary Beaver Came to Town" gets lost in the translation to motion picture. You can tell, however, there was a good story somewhere. The best storyline involves Linley's war-bound brother. The worst is may be Neulinger's baptism with a fat suit. There are intriguing but unrealized possibilities in wayward characters, like Lipnicki's mother (Jane Krakowski) and Neulinger's guardian (Kevin Corrigan). The book had to be better.**** When Zachary Beaver Came to Town (10/9/03) John Schultz ~ Jonathan Lipnicki, Cody Linley, Sasha Neulinger, Eric Stoltz

I like the characters and I feel a lot for them. It's nice how the main characters treat Zachary like how a person should be treated instead of being treated like a freak show like everyone else in the town. I was really sad when Cal's brother died in the army and I was sad when Toby thought that he wouldn't see his mother again and that he thought his dad didn't try hard enough. I was really annoyed at how the blonde girl talked. The reason why I gave this a five is because if the end. In the end, Toby and Cal try to get Zachary baptized before social services take him away so that he can join his mother in heaven when he dies. That is all that the ending. I didn't finish the ending because I think that it is stupid and way religious. I think that it's odd that a movie like this one made such a big change like that.

My Boss and I have started exchanging DVD's at work and we are not teenagers or children ....we are extremely mature adults, meaning in their 50's and 60's. Since we work an overnight shift...and our adult lives are very depressing with family and financial problems...we look for movies that are light, fun, meaningful, entertaining and hopefully even....sleep producing. We need to lay down, and let something entertain us while we think of nothing terribly earth shattering and nerve jarring. This is one of the movies she loaned to me. I looked at the title and said...."what on earth is this?"...so put it aside. Today I plugged it in and was pleasantly entertained. I did not, of course, read the book, or ever hear about it. I found it enjoyable and as a retired teacher, I thought.....this would be a movie you could play in school during a restful activity period. It had a message, it was acted according to the audience it was addressing......it was like real life small southern town reality and on the level of the youngsters it was designed for. It touched on many aspects of life that might impact children the age of the characters in this film. This is a worthy family film.

I thought this movie was very entertaining, in the spirit of "Stand By Me" but more life-affirming.The movie was well cast. In particular I thought the characters of Cal and Scarlett were well portrayed.I also enjoyed the "small town" feel. (It was filmed in Granger, Texas.) If you read the book, the movie is a little different, (It's a modern setting, and the cafe is not in a bowling alley.) but the spirit of the book is intact.