Sidekicks (1992) Biography, Plot, Trailer

Sidekicks (1992)

Sidekicks is a 1992 American adventure action comedy-drama film directed by Aaron Norris and starring Jonathan Brandis and Chuck Norris. The film debuted at No. 2 at the box office. It grossed $17,180,393 during its domestic release.

Plot:

Barry Gabrewski is a troubled and bullied asthmatic boy who lives with his widowed father, Jerry (Beau Bridges), in Houston, Texas. A loner, Barry has vivid daydreams about being Chuck Norris’ sidekick, battling against Norris’ movie enemies, who are often personified by Barry’s everyday bullies such as Randy Cellini (John Buchanan). Noreen Chan (Julia Nickson-Soul), his favorite teacher, often plays the damsel in distress in these daydreams. Barry wants to learn martial arts, but is rejected by the arrogant dojo owner Kelly Stone (Joe Piscopo) for being too weak.

Instead, he is taken on as a student by an old Chinese man called Mr. Lee (Mako), Noreen’s sly uncle and the owner of a local Chinese restaurant, “Frying Dragon”. Mr. Lee finds creative ways to teach Barry to defend himself from his bullies. Lee devises training methods that increase Barry’s endurance, which helps his asthma. Lee also deduces Barry’s hero worship of Norris, and from that at least some of Barry’s daydreams. He creatively incorporates this into Barry’s training, devising training scenarios that seem more dangerous than they are so that Barry will feel heroic for succeeding at them.

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Lee enters himself, Barry, and Chan into a local team Karate tournament but is a bit stymied to learn that a team must have four members. Norris is attending the tournament as a guest and, at Lee’s urging, Chan convinces Norris to join the team. Norris is both willing to help an ardent fan and has his own motivation for participating: he has encountered Stone on several occasions and wants to teach him “a lesson in humility”. Barry is stunned to find himself working together with his hero.

Filming:

Sidekicks was filmed primarily in Houston, TX. It was the pet project of well-known Houston furniture outlet owner Jim “Mattress Mac” McIngvale, who (in partnership with Chuck Norris and his “Kick Drugs out of Schools” campaign) invested 8 million dollars in producing this movie. Chuck Norris, who had appeared in many local television commercials for McIngvale, suggested the idea of creating this film, and “Mac” agreed to finance and produce it. In McIngvale’s book, Always Think Big, he states going into film and producing was “extremely hard work”.