Gail discovers the friendship one night after Linda comes over to ask Erik about something Dexter ate in the boys' quest to find a natural cure for his disease.

When the boys read an article in a tabloid about a doctor in distant New Orleans who claims to have found a cure for AIDS, they set out on their own down the Mississippi River with the hope of finding a means of saving Dexter's life.

When the boatmen find out their money has been stolen, they locate the kids at a bus station and proceed to chase them until they reach a dead end of a dilapidated building.

Realizing that their journey must end if Dexter is to be treated, Erik resorts to calling Linda to have her pick the boys up when they reach Stillwater by bus.

[1] Although studio executives were initially skittish about the film's commercial prospects due to its subject matter, the script became a hot property when Steven Spielberg's production company Amblin Entertainment showed interest in buying it.

[1] Horton attempted to address this problem through the character of Jerry, a gay male nurse played by actor Peter Moore.

"[1] Horton hoped to cast big stars to boost the film's box office returns and asked his ex-wife Michelle Pfeiffer and actress Meg Ryan to participate, both of whom declined.

[1] Horton was hesitant to work with children as he doubted the ability of young actors to express the emotional weight needed for the film, but was blown away by the auditions of both Joseph Mazzello and Brad Renfro.

In a review for AllMusic, Jason Ankeny commented, "The music's gentle strings and playful woodwinds sweetly capture the innocence of childhood without trafficking in schmaltz...More important, he treats the film's subject matter...with admirable restraint, eschewing heart-tugging treacle in favor of light, organic melodies that celebrate life instead of mourning its loss.

"[14] Peter Stack of The San Francisco Chronicle said Renfro and Mazzello's "performances are so warm and richly layered...in a loving, funny and wistful film that plays like a slightly torn Norman Rockwell illustration.

"[15] Kevin Thomas from the Los Angeles Times wrote, "[The film] works as a drama on friendship and its challenges" and commended Horton in drawing measured performances from his actors.

[16] Stephen Holden of The New York Times stated "it evokes with an intense clarity the particular blend of innocence, curiosity, terror and bravado that drives children to commit desperate acts.

The strength he brings to the material is in the development of their relationship," but lamented that "wholly preposterous plot turns take over, and [the] pic never recovers once the two boys decide to paddle down the Mississippi a la Huck Finn.

"[10] Another criticism was towards the film's softening of the physical ravages of AIDS,[14] "[reducing] the symptoms to weakness, occasional fever and a few mild coughing fits.

Then subtract another half a star for the absurdly in-your-face Butterfinger product placement, and what you've got left is a competently acted, high concept, family entertainment, coming of age, AIDS tearjerker that occasionally doubles as a candy bar commercial.

The film was released on Blu-ray in the United States via Mill Creek Entertainment, under their "Retro VHS Collection", on October 4, 2022.