Age Difficile Obscur

Greetings again from the darkness. Very few things provide me the thrill of watching a movie with a great story, interesting characters, wonderful acting and professional direction. This is the case even when I realize that of all the people I know, 97 out of 100 will not see the film. Such is "Thumbsucker".

Director and co-writer Mike Mills presents the film version of Walter Kirn's novel and nails the issues we all face with relationships and life. So many teen angst movies provide us one dimensional adults or even one dimensional teens. This film shows the struggles we all face at every age and every stage in life. Catherine Hardwicke's "Thirteen" was a powerful movie focusing on girls. "Thumbsucker" is every bit as powerful, if not a bit softer in its approach.

Relative newcomer Lou Taylor Pucci is stunning and brilliant as Justin, the seventeen year old thumbsucker who, along with 98% of the others his age, just can't seem to figure out what its all about. His character turns out to be one of the lucky ones who finally determines that none of us really get it. That includes his friends, parents, teachers, orthodontist and celebrities.

The supporting actors are stellar and very well cast. Justin's parents are played well by the great Tilda Swinton (slightly underused here) and Vincent D'Onofrio. His hypnotist would-be guru orthodontist is hilariously played by Keanu Reeves and Benjamin Bratt is the TV celeb whom Justin's mom carries a torch for. Vince Vaughn flashes some real acting chops as Justin's Debate Team sponsor. This is not the typical punchline Vince that we have come to expect. A real standout is Kelli Garner as Rebecca, Justin's first crush. This role was originally going to Scarlett Johansson which would have been a mistake. Garner is so believable as the would be world saver if she could just understand why everyone acts the way they do. Looking forward to more of her work.

For a movie that tackles such tough subject matter, it does an amazing job of keeping the viewer from being depressed. There is actually hope in the message. The soundtrack was a bit of a distraction at times, but not enough to ruin any particular scene. Also, there is a story line about Ridlin and ADHD that would require a thesis to to describe my disgust. This is a film that deserves a bigger audience than it will reach. Sadly, too many will line up to see "Proof" which only impersonates an important film.

this movie was absolutely beautiful in so many ways. as an adolescent Justin, the main character, struggles with trying to stop sucking his thumb, the film creatively explores issues of identity, self-worth, achievement, family dynamics and so many other elements of life that are difficult to articulate. The film is fun and funny, but at the same time cleverly portrays the hard parts of growing up and communicates a profound and moving message. i was fortunate enough to see this movie BEFORE it was released in theaters with a Q and A portion after the film, with the director, Mike Mills. he was every bit as charming and clever as his film and his personality could be clearly seen in the film's character. I'd recommend this movie to anyone who appreciates a good laugh, a good story, or a touching picture of what it means to be human.

I sucked my thumb as a child. But unlike Lou Taylor Pucci's character in this film, I had quit sucking my thumb long before high school. Justin is a senior in high school, he's shy, awkward, insecure, and his self-esteem is not helped by the fact that he's a 17 year-old thumbsucker. At its core, Thumbsucker is an adorable teenage comedy about addictions, bad habits, and the emotional crutches we reply on whenever we feel pain. Thanks to his hippy, new-age orthodontist (Keanu Reeves), Justin is hypnotized into thinking his thumb tastes horrible, so he quits. But the end of one addiction merely marks the beginning of the next, and Justin soon convinces himself that his ADHD medication will change his life. But why are we so consumed with changing? Is thumb-sucking really such a bad habit after all? It's healthier than smoking crack. Thumbsucker is pure joy from beginning to end.

I was really expecting to not like Thumbsucker. I don't care for "teen angst" movies. Now having seen Thumbsucker, I'm really confused as to why Sony would market it in this genre (teen angst = teen $, I guess) and why its below the 5-star mark here at IMDb. It's really a remarkable movie. When it hits its stride, about 30 minutes in, it gets to places that few movies ever get to with respects to growing up, family dynamics, being a teen, being an adult, just generally being human.

When I saw Thumbsucker, the screening was followed up with Q&A with the director and a few of the actors. Apparently they were all pretty dedicated to their rehearsals and developing the character's relationships. Their hard work paid off with an exceptional movie.

Mike Mills may not be the most prolific of filmmakers, (he's only made three feature films in the last 10 years), but he's certainly one of the most idiosyncratic. If "Thumbsucker", his debut feature, feels like the kind of small, quirky picture that sometimes gives independent movies a bad name it might simply be because it deals with aspects of growing up that even small, independent movies tend to overlook.

Our teenage hero, (an excellent Lou Taylor Pucci), has issues that tend to stem from his inability to stop sucking his thumb but that's only the tip of the iceberg. This is essentially a film about psychoses but it lacks the hysteria we tend to associate with American films on that subject. Even its attitude to teenagers and teenage sexuality is distinctly European. Good performances, too, from Tilda Swinton and Vincent D'Onofrio as Pucci's parents, (only to be expected), but also from Vince Vaughan, never better as Pucci's teacher though Keanu Reeves, woefully miscast as a hippy dentist, is his usual wooden self. Worth seeking out.