'Red Chief' arrives on DVD

By NANCY CHURNIN
DALLAS MORNING NEWS
Miss the cute little Haley Joel Osment of "Forrest Gump"? The former Forrest Gump Jr. makes a cute little rascal in "The Ransom of Red Chief," an O. Henry story adapted for a 1998 television production that's now available on DVD.
Andy Dorset, a Dennis the Menace-type who predates Dennis the Menace, is the non-stop talking, mischief-making terror of his home and community. So when kidnappers send a ransom note to his well-to-do father, his father makes a counter-offer. He expects $250 from the kidnappers to take him back.
Haley Joel is, as usual, a joy to watch even when he's trying to be annoying. He gets great support from Christopher Lloyd and Michael Jeter as the hapless, would-be kidnappers, who turn out to be not as bad as they seem.
Fans of the original story will find it has been both expanded and sentimentalized, with an added theme about Andy's behavior being due to his too-busy and too socially conscious parents, who need to get reacquainted with their son. Another action-oriented addition is Richard Moll as Filthy McNasty, a dangerous criminal who tries to steal Andy from the bumbling kidnappers only to fall prey to Andy's "Home Alone"-type antics.
X"The Ransom of Red Chief" is rated PG.