HEARTS IN ATLANTIS (2001) / ***
Directed by Scott Hicks. Screenplay by William Goldman, based on the novel by Stephen King. Starring Anthony Hopkins, Anton Yelchin, Mika Boorem. Running time: 100 minutes. Rated PG by the MFCB. Reviewed on September 24th, 2001.
By SHANNON PATRICK SULLIVAN
Synopsis: Bobby Garfield (Yelchin) lives in a small town with his mirthless widowed mother (Hope Davis). Bobby's world revolves around his friends, especially the spritely Carol (Boorem). Then one day, a new boarder arrives at Bobby's house. Ted Brautigan (Hopkins) is an enigmatic man to whom Bobby takes an immediate liking. As the bond between Bobby and Ted deepens, Bobby becomes privy to Ted's great secret, an event which will change both of their lives forever.
Review: A small but enchanting movie, "Hearts In Atlantis" easily recalls another King-inspired coming-of-age film, "Stand By Me", both in terms of its setting and the sentiment it conveys. "Hearts" is a tribute to the magic of childhood, to those summers when the days seem neverending, and nothing means more than your closest friends. Unlike "Stand By Me", there is a supernatural element to "Hearts", but although it is key to the plot, it is not prominent. Like "Stand By Me", this is a mostly character-driven film, and as such it benefits greatly from superb casting. Yelchin is very good as Bobby, finding a good mix of innocence and resignation. More splendid still is Boorem, whom I praised highly for her work in "Along Came A Spider" and who is simply radiant here as Carol. And then there is Hopkins, who despite playing such a quiet, introspective character as Ted, nonetheless commands our attention every time he is onscreen. Less successful is Davis, whose strident Elizabeth comes across as overly cartoonish. I also found it odd that Bobby and Carol's other friend, Sully (whose death as an adult sets up the movie's flashback framing device), is paid virtually no attention. But Hicks' direction is lovely without being cloying, and despite the movie's general lack of incident, it never ceases to weave its spell over the audience.
Copyright © 2001 Shannon Patrick Sullivan. Archived at The Popcorn Gallery, http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sps/movies.html
| Shannon Patrick Sullivan | shannon@mun.ca | +---------------------------------+---------------------------------+ / Doctor Who: A Brief History of Time (Travel) go.to/drwho-history \ \__ We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars __/
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