This is a tough movie to rate. Hundreds of people have discussed the plot points here, so I'll just elaborate on my "confusion".
I am a huge fan of John Cusack, in fact, I believe him to be one of our finest actors. It was a pleasure to see him escape those recent romantic comedies he has been trapped in. His performance here is one of the main reasons the movie was watchable. He has that knack of making the dialogue sound like it flows naturally, and some of the dialogue was tough to swallow. The young boy in the movie was excellent, balancing his creepy persona with a wounded sensitivity. We feel his pain from prior abandonment, but are frustrated by his inability to return to "normal". Its a fine line to tread and he performed it admirably.. Joan Cusack, the most reliable sidekick in movies today, is at her quirky best, and Amanda Peet tends to light up any movie she is in.
So, all that said...... this just didn't quite connect. While I did have a "lump" in my throat at the finish, the journey to there was a rocky one. The entertainment value of watching John's character talk as an "adult" for long stretches to an unresponsive, wounded child, was mostly uncomfortable. The "crashing and squirting" scene felt especially false. This is "based on a true story", so I'll assume some of the parenting and break thru info displayed here may have happened, but I'm guessing it was heavily fictionalized.
I would have trouble recommending this movie, but felt is was very well acted and its story clearly has merit. To watch two lost and hurt people connect is uplifting. Wish I liked it more!
I am a huge fan of John Cusack, in fact, I believe him to be one of our finest actors. It was a pleasure to see him escape those recent romantic comedies he has been trapped in. His performance here is one of the main reasons the movie was watchable. He has that knack of making the dialogue sound like it flows naturally, and some of the dialogue was tough to swallow. The young boy in the movie was excellent, balancing his creepy persona with a wounded sensitivity. We feel his pain from prior abandonment, but are frustrated by his inability to return to "normal". Its a fine line to tread and he performed it admirably.. Joan Cusack, the most reliable sidekick in movies today, is at her quirky best, and Amanda Peet tends to light up any movie she is in.
So, all that said...... this just didn't quite connect. While I did have a "lump" in my throat at the finish, the journey to there was a rocky one. The entertainment value of watching John's character talk as an "adult" for long stretches to an unresponsive, wounded child, was mostly uncomfortable. The "crashing and squirting" scene felt especially false. This is "based on a true story", so I'll assume some of the parenting and break thru info displayed here may have happened, but I'm guessing it was heavily fictionalized.
I would have trouble recommending this movie, but felt is was very well acted and its story clearly has merit. To watch two lost and hurt people connect is uplifting. Wish I liked it more!