Hearts In Atlantis
Hearts in Atlantis is a simple coming-of-age story about friendship, first love and the possibilities life holds--even if dangers are around every corner.
Story
Bobby Garfield (David Morse) returns to his small hometown to attend the funeral of his childhood friend and remembers the fateful summer in 1960 when his whole world changed. The story flashes back to when 11-year-old Bobby (Anton Yelchin) and his best friends Carol (Mika Boorem) and Sully-John (Will Rothhaar) capture the pure joy of youthfulness. When a mysterious stranger named Ted Brautigan (Anthony Hopkins) moves upstairs and starts to pay attention to Bobby, the boy suddenly realizes what's truly missing from his life--the love of a parent. Bobby's mother, Liz (Hope Davis), is embittered by the death of Bobby's father and shows little compassion for her son's growing needs. Ted fills a void with the boy, opening his eyes to the world around him, and helps Bobby come to terms with his real feelings for Carol--and his mother. But Ted also has some deep dark secrets of his own and Bobby tries hard to stop danger from reaching the old man.
Acting
The performances make the film, especially in the genuine camaraderie of the kids. Yelchin, Boorem and Rothhaar never deliver a false move, with an easiness that makes us believe we are simply watching three 11-year-old children grow up together. Yelchin, in particular, is able to get right to the heart of this young boy who misses his father and clings to the only adult who will listen. And his scenes with Boorem simply break your heart. (Davis) does an admirable job playing a part none too sympathetic. She manages to show a woman whose been beaten down but who does truly love her son, in her own way. Morse, too, is one of those character actors you can plug in any movie and get a performance worth noting. In Hearts you want to see more of him. Of course, the film shines brightest when Hopkins is on the screen. It may not be an Oscar-caliber performance, but the actor is unparalleled in bringing a character to life--showing the subtleties of an old man looking for some peace in his life.
Direction
If you are expecting the Stephen King novel, you may be disappointed. Screenwriter William Goldman and director Scott Hicks (Shine) deftly extracted the King formula of telling a story through a child's eye and explaining how the relationships formed as a child shaped the adult later. Hicks did an amazing job with his young actors, especially Yelchin and Boorem. But where the novel continued into a supernatural theme, explaining Brautigan's fear of being captured by ''low men in yellow coats'' (a reference to King's The Dark Tower series), the movie downplayed the mystical elements, instead giving real explanations for Brautigan's man-on-the-run. That was the one problem with Hearts--we needed more danger. Introducing men from another dimension may not have been the way to go, but had there been more tension the film would have resonated more, especially when Bobby risked his own safety to save Ted.
Bottom Line
It's a sweet film, reminiscent of times when hanging with your best friends meant everything and growing up was hard to do. Just don't expect too much more than that.