Little Children Review
by [email protected] (dnb AT dca DOT net)November 15th, 2006
LITTLE CHILDREN
A film review by David N. Butterworth
Copyright 2006 David N. Butterworth
***1/2 (out of ****)
Much as he did in "In the Bedroom," director Todd Field upsets the sanctity of New England suburbia and brings it crashing down in his new film, "Little Children." Based on the novel by Tom Perrotta (who co- wrote the screenplay), Field's film explores the interrelationship between the occupants of a quiet Massachusetts hamlet--the beautiful people who live their grossly imperfect lives in the shadow of a recently arrived sex offender who, by his very existence, threatens their young progeny. Sarah (a feisty Kate Winslet) hangs out at the local playground with her young daughter Lucy while the other mothers fuss and gossip over the handsome father-figure who has lately returned to the area. The stay-at-home moms have dubbed Brad (Patrick Wilson) the Prom King and, partly out of amusement, Sarah bets them she can get his phone number which she promptly does, as well as an impromptu kiss which sets the wicked wheels of infidelity in motion (Brad's married to the attractive but emasculating Kathy, a documentary filmmaker played by Jennifer Connelly, who's pushing her husband to retake the bar exam a third time. Brad, however, prefers to skip class and watch the skateboarders, firstly, then take a more hands-on approach with Sarah following mutual town pool trips and dips). But it's when former cop Larry (Noah Emmerich) ups his one man terror campaign against Ronnie the borough deviant (Jackie Earle Haley in a scary return to the big screen) that our protagonists wind up a little too close to each other for comfort. Field orchestrates the tension beautifully and, for his master stroke, conducts a literary voiceover that reads like a good book.
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David N. Butterworth
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