After seeing "Hearts in Atlantis," (based on Stephen King's 1999 novel) I left the theater confused. This should have -- and could have -- been a good movie. At first, it is difficult to figure out why, where and how its promise turned to disappointment.
We meet the main character Bobby Garfield (played by David Morse and Anton Yelchin) on his way to a funeral for a childhood friend. This funeral catapults Garfield, an aging photographer, into an intricate flashback dating back to the summer when he turned 11. According to Bobby, this was the last summer of his childhood. It was one spent with his friends Sully (Will Rothhaar) and Carol (Mika Boorem), and the mysterious tenant in the apartment upstairs, Ted Brautigan (Anthony Hopkins).
It is the summer of Bobby's first kiss and his first love, and it marks the first time he becomes able to see and accept his self-centered mother, played by Hope Davis, as she is. We are made aware that these developments come about due to Brautigan's presence in Bobby's life. This is not, however, a simple coming-of-age story. No Stephen King story would be complete without a touch of the supernatural. Brautigan soon divulges his secret to Bobby: he has a certain power, for which he is being pursued by people he terms the "Boogie Men."
The plot itself was not particularly unsettling, but there were too many questions left unanswered. The details of the story fit together -- often a little too perfectly -- but I was left in doubt as to the basic theme. What was the movie's message? As an audience, we acknowledge that this summer was a turning point in Bobby's life, yet we see nothing of his present life which indicated its impact. How are we to believe in the significance of the summer?
Then there is the mystery surrounding Brautigan. To be fair, this mystery was probably intended. We are meant to see this enigmatic older man through the eyes of 11-year-old Bobby. But the audience would have benefited from just a few more basic facts, such as how Brautigan received his gift and how the "Boogie Men" became aware of it.
On a smaller note, the pacing of the movie is unbalanced. The middle of the story drags a bit, and then the action explodes at the end when several -- too many -- important events happen in what seems to be about five minutes.
This is not to say that a person could not sit for just under two hours and enjoy "Hearts in Atlantis." For Anthony Hopkins fans, it's a worthwhile film. There is one point in the movie when Ted Brautigan describes childhood as magical. Magical is exactly the way to describe Anthony Hopkins.
However, for those who enjoy the work of Oscar-nominated director Scott Hicks, put all expectations aside. Most of what goes wrong with this film is the fault of the director and his choices.
