Hey folks, Harry here with the first look I've seen anywhere of the new Stephen King flick... HEARTS OF ATLANTIS. Directed by Scott Hicks (director of SHINE) and Written by William "I AM THE PATRON SAINT OF SCREENWRITING" Goldman... this is a Stephen King project with the pedigree I love. And if you've read the novel... you know how it isn't the 'typical' King story... This Warner/Castle Rock flick isn't due out till the late fall... Holiday time period... and this is a WAAAAAAY Early look at it. It still has work to be done, but from the sound of Pajamo here... this is a special movie in the works... I can't wait!
Hey Harry,
pajmO here
I saw a WAY WAY WAY ADVANCE screening tonight here in La Canada, CA (near Pasadena.)
"Hearts of Atlantis" is based on the book by Stephen King. I think it's coming out in the fall.
It was obviously a work-in-progress but I thought so far pretty good.
It's about a guy named Bobby Garfield (why can we always remember King's character's names?) who after a funeral for an old friend goes back to visit the house he (Bobby) grew up in, which is now condemned (why are they never occupied by, I dunno, new residents?) At the house, he thinks about his life when he was nine years old. At that time he had two pals (Carol and Sully), a mixed-up mom and a new live-in tenant...Anthony Hopkins. Hence, the flashback, er, story begins...
To sum up the tale: Ted offers to pay Bobby a dollar a week to read the paper to him. Bobby wants a new bike that his mom couldn't afford to get him so that's good but truth be told, Bobby really needs a friend (cough Father Figure cough).
Bobby learns that his new pal Ted has special powers...kind of. The power is a little non-descript but I'll try to spin it. He can look at a person and sum them up; their fears, their desires, even more basic stuff like what's on their mind, root beer or a bicycle?
By King magic the boy gets a hint of the power(hello, Green Mile) and viola he can win a game of three card Monty not by watching the cards but by watching the dealer.(Actually that scene was quite effective even though it sounds a little corny).
This is all fine a dandy except Ted fears that there are people with shiny cars who post "lost dog" signs are out there looking for him. After signs and fancy cars start popping up in Bobby's town he is fearful to tell Ted because he doesn't want him to leave but also doesn't want any harm to come to him. Conflict!
It's like King took his Stand By Me age and mixed it with the mood of Shawshank or Green Mile. It actually works pretty well. I say pretty well because there are some weird problems that perhaps with re-editing they can fix.
There is a bully in the film: un-remorseful, powerful and always teasing Bobby by calling him a fairy. Later there's a scene in which the bully is explained to be a textbook homo-phobe, in other words he's a closeted homosexual himself. But the weird part for me was that even with this new knowledge about the bully, he's still a jerk and gets his comeuppance, instead of say sympathy.
Then there's the mom: she claims Bobby's dad was a gambling bum. She never has money to buy her son anything but can afford new dresses for herself. And usually she's quite a nag. (*SPOILER*)But then she gets raped by her boss. I don't wanna ruin anything but the following scene actually plays out in a way that is not sympathetic to her. Let's just say that her rape is mirrored with an incident that the mother believes maybe molestation, so she flys off the handle and we the audience just want her to cool out. "Cool out?!" She had just been raped not 24hrs prior!
Now before you get all pissed off let me say that's it's a good film. I liked it. It has a real nice relationship between Bobby and the old man, Ted(Hopkins). It's strange though; little boy with old man could be a pedophile thing but it's not. King takes the situation and makes it a nice relationship, a friendship that two individuals needed. I really like that. (Hopkins has only been better in Remains of the Day and Silence of the Lambs).
I think it's better than Green Mile but is still running into similar territory. Mainly, King takes things that most may have ignorant views on (a big fearsome black death row inmate, a close relationship between a retired gentleman and a boy) and gives us much compassion and a full story in these tales.
I think the bad part for me, is that he feels the need to write in characters that could also be seen as types(single mom, bastard warden) and let's their compassion fly out the window. The mom is a way better character than the one-dimensional jerk in Green Mile but she seems cut from the same cloth.
And what about Hicks the director? Well, the last film he did was "Snow Falling on Cedars" which I felt was pretty to look at but also pretty boring. This film is the opposite. Pretty engaging story but rather dull cinematography. (however, it is a work-in-progress so maybe the final print will look stunning.)
But forget about Scott Hicks, he's basically a Frank Darabont for-hire. This is King's story all the way.
Lastly, Hopkins is the only big star but that's because it's mostly him and the kid(newcomer Anton Yelchin, who was pretty good, much better than manniquin Skywalker or even that teen from "Almost Famous").
Overall ***
Pajamo Parapet
