Little Children [DVD] [2006]

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• This item: Little Children [DVD] [2006] DVD ~ Patrick Wilson

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Amazon.co.uk Review
Kate Winslet operates at a galaxy-class level in Little Children, Todd Field's gratifyingly grown-up look at unhappy suburbia. Winslet is magnificent, in an Oscar-nominated performance, as a stroller-pushing mother who becomes attracted to a passive househusband (Patrick Wilson). Their slow-burning infidelity (Field wisely allows time to pass in this unhurried film) is contrasted with a more sensational subplot, about a convicted pedophile (Jackie Earle Haley, also Oscar nominated) returning to the neighborhood to live with his mother (Phyllis Somerville). Field, who brought his civilized approach to In the Bedroom, uses a deliberately literary style here, including a device with a narrator who sounds as though he's sitting at our side as he reads from Tom Perotta's novel. (The narrator is a superb touch--his cultivated voice distances us from the sloppy passions of the characters.) The film's biggest miscalculation is a self-appointed neighborhood vigilante (Noah Emmerich) determined to make life miserable for the paedophile. But Wilson is appropriately nebulous, Jennifer Connelly solid as his wife, and Haley (child star of the Bad News Bears movies), as the creepy, childlike molester, found himself rediscovered after a long career layoff. There's decent acting here, but Winslet is in a zone of her own, with so much emotional honesty and subtlety of expression that she transforms a good movie into a must-see. --Robert Horton

Synopsis
Actor-turned-director Todd Field follows up his Oscar-nominated drama, IN THE BEDROOM, with this ambitious adaptation of Tom Perrotta’s celebrated novel. Set in the imploding minefields of modern suburbia, LITTLE CHILDREN follows several inhabitants of a small American town as they fumble their way through adulthood. Numb-to-life housewife and mother Sarah Pierce (Kate Winslet) finds an outlet for her yearning in gorgeous househusband Brad Adamson (Patrick Wilson), who is crippled with insecurity over the fact that his perfect wife, Kathy (Jennifer Connelly), is the family breadwinner. When Sarah and Brad meet at the local playground one afternoon, a passionate affair is sparked. In a further attempt to reclaim his youthful fire, Brad joins a night football league with Larry Hedges (Noah Emmerich), a former cop who has begun to harass a convicted sex offender, Ronnie J. McGorvey (Jackie Earle Haley). These troubled lives eventually collide, causing each individual to take full responsibility for their not-so-responsible actions. Adapted for the screen by Field and Perrotta and artfully photographed by Antonio Calvache, LITTLE CHILDREN is a bitingly funny, and nakedly honest, critique of middle class dysfunction. Though the cast is universally superb, it is former child actor Haley (THE BAD NEWS BEARS, BREAKING AWAY) who steals the show. After only two features, Field proves that he is a truly gifted storyteller.

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31 Reviews 5 star:  (3) 4 star:  (13) 3 star:  (12) 2 star:  (1) 1 star:  (2)           Average Customer Review 3.5 out of 5 stars (31 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   17 of 17 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Thought-provoking, 8 Sep 2007 By  waigie "ClydebankMan" (Ireland) - See all my reviews This is a movie which I would recommend to anyone. despite its flaws, adequately enumerated by other reviewers here, the message(s) of the movie are unusual and the whole so well acted, particularly by Ms Winslet, that this is really a must-see. It is very unusual to show the life of a paedophile in such detail and the point here, in relation to all the main characters, is that it is appropriate to have empathy, sympathy even, for anyone - i.e. there's something worthwhile in all. Also, regarding the title, it struck me afterwards that the writer was postulating that none of us is really mature - each of the key characters take decisions/actions at some point here that are not those of so-called mature sensible grown-ups, but which are plausible nonetheless. A difficult to categorise movie because of the various plots and the occasional disturbing scenes (the paedophile on his date was particularly tragic), but one that is ultimately a rewarding and enjoyable watch, despite the slow pace. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   22 of 24 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars american beauty meets desparate housewives, 2 Feb 2007 By  jrhartley - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    This film explores the hidden lives of surburbia in a similar way that American Beauty did before it, only from a more broader perspective - both in terms of protagonists and also, perhaps, the social context. Characters are well constructed and the storyline credible. In essence, the film is a dig as life in the suburbs - extra-marital affairs, pressure to do well in work, set against the fear of paedophilia / child abduction (hence the film's name). The film's title is also probably referential not only to the children who are being so vehemently watched under the threat of a known child molester living in the vicinity, but also in the naivity of their own hopes and dreams, which are in reality, only short-lived whims. So we go on to see, that despite the thrill of the notion of change, in surburbia, plus ca change. Well acted, well shot, this film isn't predictable right to the end, making it a compelling watch. Worth the investment of your time to see. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   14 of 15 people found the following review helpful: 3.0 out of 5 stars Aims high, falls short, 21 Jul 2007 By  International Cowgirl - See all my reviews    This isn't a bad film at all - in fact it has moments of genius. But ultimately Little Children yearns to be something it isn't. The source novel by Tom Perrotta is great in a breezy, colloquial way, with occasional moments of real insight that strike home all the harder for being less expected. Todd Field's cinematic take on it, however, has pretensions all of its own. Once in a while I'll watch a film that could really use a voice-over (The Handmaid's Tale for instance) because there's simply no other way of getting across the true beauty or the impact of the original novel. But in the case of Little Children the booming narrator is basically just an affectation. Something to give it an artier edge, maybe, a quirkiness or a gravitas that Field thought the film might otherwise be lacking? Gimmicks like these are a popular technique when the story alone isn't quite cohesive enough. Whereas the novel segues smoothly from inside the mind of one character to another this is less well achieved on screen, and it does seem bitty occasionally. Not to mention long-winded. The film really plods sometimes, whereas the novel moves at a cracking pace for the most part. And Todd Field is the DH Lawrence of the film world - a man without a humorous bone in his body. Little Children has 'take me seriously' emblazoned across it in neon sky-high letters. Yawn. As for the cast, Patrick Wilson is kind of good as the bewildered-looking former jock led astray by boredom and testosterone. Kate Winslet is the one everyone raves about, but there's something annoyingly mannered about her performance, including that smooth American drawl perfected to within an inch of its life. She definitely looks less ravishing than usual, but physically she and Wilson aren't quite as mismatched as they're meant to be. Jennifer Connelly's perfectly fine as documentary-maker Kathy, but she must have been twiddling her thumbs a lot on set. Her wafer-thin role mostly involves demonstrating how much longer her legs are than Kate Winslet's. The film comes alive in its less comfortable moments, nothing to do with the starrier cast members at all. Another plot follows convicted paedophile Ronnie McGorvey, released into an increasingly hostile community and hounded by the slightly-unhinged Larry, himself a defrocked cop. A scene at the town pool is so skillfully handled that your major feeling for McGorvey is sympathy, while a shocking episode involving a blind date turns everything on its head again. It's a complex portrayal, and brilliantly acted, although Field suddenly goes for the jugular with a melodramatic ending (not in the book) that smacks of shock tactics. The fate of the other characters gets sewn up in an equally unrealistic way. Hence the three stars, when it should really have been four. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 31 customer reviews...		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 3.0 out of 5 stars Pools and porn sites Perrotta's script, based on his own novel, sets out to explore some emotive themes: marriage and fidelity; sexual mores; fear, anger, and confusion caused by the reintroduction of... Read more Published 3 days ago by sft 3.0 out of 5 stars Curious movie that doesn't go anywhere Quite similar in a way to Revolutionary Road in which Kate Winslet also appears; the plot follows the flawed lives of several individuals whose paths briefly cross. Read more Published 5 days ago by kdog 4.0 out of 5 stars Suburban spaces This was a very good movie dealing with suburbia and it's underbelly. Winslet as Sarah Pierce is superb in a low key finely tuned role of great sensitivity. Read more Published 23 days ago by technoguy 4.0 out of 5 stars It's no American Beauty, but it is a brilliant picture Bored suburban mother Sarah (Winslet) begins an affair with married man Brad (Wilson) whilst the town is in uproar against a paedophile returning to the area Back in... Read more Published 1 month ago by Stampy 4.0 out of 5 stars Sexual realism? The way director Todd Field handles human sexuality in this movie reminds me a bit of the way Todd Solondz handled it in Happiness (1998). Read more Published 2 months ago by Dennis Littrell 4.0 out of 5 stars Clunky narration spoils viewing pleasure Clunky narration spoils viewing pleasure - but only a little. An excellent story and great adaptation, but PLEASE take that voice off! Published 3 months ago by Chris M. Dooks 3.0 out of 5 stars Worth watching for Kate Winslet - but the narration is awful Without the narration, this could have been a 4 star film, but I found having the bloody obvious stated for me throughout both annoying and patronising. Read more Published 6 months ago by Tonkfan 3.0 out of 5 stars a peculiar experience I had looked forward to seeing this and so was very surprised when the story turned out to be the most peculiar movie ever. Read more Published 7 months ago by Ms. F. I. Macdonald 3.0 out of 5 stars suffer the little children....... 3.5 stars There are some excellent scenes in this film - an examination of children of various ages; the local paedophile snorkels in the town pool and clears it in moments, there is a the... Read more Published 7 months ago by J. Minogue 4.0 out of 5 stars Quite Simply A Remarkably Good Film Drama This is a must see! Quite challenging and provocative, the narrative presents us with that post-modern cliche of dysfunctionality within our social mores, our families,... Read more Published 7 months ago by Stewart Selkirk Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews › See all 31 customer reviews...

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