thePeanutBloggery

Dark and ambitious (though somewhat uneven), Little Children is a film about responsibility, adulthood, and the harm that is inflicted on children when the generation before refuses to grow up. Set in a small, family oriented suburb of Boston, it’s the story of Sarah (Kate Winslet), an unhappy wife and mother, and Brad (Patrick Wilson), an unhappy husband and stay-at-home father, and their love affair. It’s also the story of child molester Ronnie (Jackie Earle Haley) who, fresh out of prison, has moved into the neighborhood, and former policeman Larry (Noah Emmerich), who makes it his personal mission to force him out. These two plotlines don’t weave in and out of each other, but rather, like charged wires, spark into powerfully haunting moments when they touch.

Although there’s no shortage of actual little children, the title actually refers to its grown-up characters. As Brad, Patrick Wilson (Angels in America, Hard Candy), perhaps the best unknown hunky actor in Hollywood, is both charming and pathetic. He finds himself regularly watching a group of skateboarders when he’s supposed to be studying for the Bar Exam, longing for an adolescence he isn’t sure he ever had. Kate Winslet plays Sarah, a sad but intensely smart woman who seems utterly frightened of her own daughter, her most memorable role since Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. However, the most notable performance comes from former Cutter and Bad News Bear Jackie Earle Haley. His Ronnie is disturbing and disgusting, yet ultimately sympathetic, and he will linger in your mind for days. The recent spate of “Best Supporting Actor” awards is no fluke.

Based on the novel by Tom Perrotta (who also co-wrote the screenplay with director Todd Field), Little Children’s one major flaw is its NPR-esque literary narrator, which is a constant reminder that the movie is based on a book. Unlike literature, film is a visual medium, so, instead of telling us what the characters are thinking or feeling, it would be far less distracting to show us.

This isn’t a fun movie; it’s a message movie, so if you leave with nothing else, you’ll leave with this: focus on protecting the children, so they won’t end up as damaged as the adults.