HEARTS IN ATLANTIS (2001)

The only Stephen King novel I ever read was Christine and I thought it was a good scare. Much better than the movie. I think the general opinion is that, apart from Kubrik's "the Shining", Stephen King has not fared too well on the big screen.

Fortunately for me, I had no idea that "Hearts in Atlantis" had anything to do with Stephen King. I was still in bed, convalescing with back pains, headache and hives and cruising up and down the strip of HBO stations when I landed on it. I'd remembered it coming out and I was aware that there was supposed to be a bit of hocus-pocus in it. What I found myself getting involved with was a fairly decent coming-of-age story that had, in its periphery, a story about psychics and the "low-men", a group of mysterious men driving around in shiny black sedans who for all the world could be the Men in Black of science fiction lore.

Although Anthony Hopkins has been saddled with countless (okay, four) efforts in the Hannibal Lector series, he's a great actor. My first awareness of him was as the ventriloquist Corky in the thriller "Magic". Throughout the movie he is both Corky and the voice of Fats, his possibly living dummy. In the final act, Fats, now in total control of Corky, has him barking, panting and running around the room like a dog. There are two distinct personalities on the screen but only one actor: Anthony Hopkins.

Mr. Hopkins has little to do in this movie but sit around, deliver lines, be a mysterious but gentle presence to the kids and occasionally get lost in catatonic immobility. All well and good, but the actor is so fine it's fun to listen to him be wise and odd in his mostly whisper of a voice.

The kids in the movie, Anton Yelchin and Mika Boorem (where was the casting done?), are fine for the most part delivering fairly understated roles.

I think I tend to get drawn into coming-of-age films because I was aware of the genre growing up (A Separate Peace, The Learning Tree, To Kill a Mockingbird, etc.)and throughout my adolescence I always looked for my literature-ready coming-of-age moment. By the time I hit thirty and I realized I was still looking for it, I came to the conclusion that if it had truly happened, it was insignificant enough that I would never remember it. Hence, I would never own that moment where I would look at an adult with newly opened eyes and say "I guess it's just like (insert title of coming-of-age book here)" whereupon said adult would recognize that I had just crossed over into early adulthood.

Anyway, Hope Davis as the Mom looks great in all her retro-fashions and Anthony Hopkins is probably the only actor since Richard Burton who could read the White Pages and have it be riveting.

Directed by Scott Hicks, I give Hearts in Atlantis 5 rootbeers and a moon-pie.