Our Rating: 3.00
If “Hearts in Atlantis” suffers from any overall failing, it’s familiarity. As adapted by veteran screenwriter William Goldman from two stories in a Stephen King collection of the same name, the film relies on a well-worn framing device: Phoenix, Ariz., photographer Bob Garfield (David Morse) returns to his home town for a funeral, allowing himself a moment of sad reflection that transports us a full-on flashback set in 1960. Didn’t we just see this technique used in “The Green Mile,” another King adaptation that co-starred Morse? The similarity is a little off-putting.
So, too, are the abundant references (whether intentional or accidental) to “Stand By Me,” yet another film based on a King story. A group of adolescents — this time, 11-year-old Bobby (Anton Yelchin) and his best friends Carol (Mika Boorem) and Sully (Will Rothhaar) — tool around their lower-middle-class New England neighborhood and the nearby woods during one endless summer. They climb down ravines, walk along railroad tracks and negotiate with bullies. Meanwhile, pop songs of the era (here, “The Twist,” “Only You” and “Ain’t That a Shame”) blast away as signifiers.
Feelings of déjà vu aside, “Hearts in Atlantis” is an appealing tale, a pleasant coming-of-age story that’s bolstered by affecting performances, particularly those of Yelchin and star Anthony Hopkins.
As the story proper begins, Bobby and his widowed mom, Liz (Hope Davis), have been getting by — but just barely. The pretty Liz hopes to parlay her looks and ambition into a better position at the real-estate her company where she works. She lavishes her money on her party-dress wardrobe, her time on her job, and her affections (apparently) on a piggish boss who may or may not provide a step up the economic ladder. Meanwhile, her son is all but left to fend for himself. For his birthday, instead of receiving the bicycle he wanted, Bobby gets a library card, empty promises and a dinner party from which his mom remains absent.
The arrival of mysterious stranger Ted Brautigan (Hopkins) sets the tale in motion. The town’s new (and perhaps only) enigma, he’s a literate loner who prefers to spend his time reading. Occasionally, he falls into semi-catatonic states, during which he mumbles obscure phrases. (These segments, thankfully, are not overdone.) The old man seems to know a little too much about what’s on the minds of those around him, and he’s given to fretting about the impending arrival of “low men,” a.k.a. government operatives, who he believes are tracking him for some unspecified reason.
All his quirks aside, Brautigan, makes a good grown-up pal and father figure for Bobby. The boy makes $1 per day reading the newspaper to his adult friend, whose eyesight is failing. They also embark on a small adventure into a nearby town, where they enjoy a meal, a screening of “Village of the Damned” and a visit to a gamblers’ bar. There, Bobby discovers that his late father had a reputation as a generous, conscientious man — a far cry from the portrait painted by his mother.
Director Scott Hicks’ latest film is more modest and far more successful than his messy, convoluted “Snow Falling on Cedars” (1999). “Hearts in Atlantis” comes equipped with a palpable sense of melancholy; subtly stated elements of mystery and the occult; and several suspenseful moments. As for Hopkins, his full-blooded, definitive performances as Hannibal Lecter have obscured his true range, as amply demonstrated in films such as “Nixon” and “The Remains of the Day.” He slips into the skin of the world-weary, troubled Brautigan with the greatest of ease.
This article appears in Sep 26 – Oct 2, 2001.