Album Reviews
Movies
Concert Reviews
Movie Resources
Concert Reviews
Book Reviews

Top 10
Resources
Contact Us

There is an old saying that if you point a finger at someone in distain, there are several fingers pointing back at you. Such is the storyline in Little Children by Todd Field (_In the Bedroom_.) Field has a handle on just what makes couples tick, and here he shows that marriage is sometimes inhabited by children who play at being parents. Maturity hasn’t quite set in yet and what occurs when something frightening happens in the marriage situation. _Little Children_ can have two meanings. The little children the parents watch over and the parents themselves, who behave like little children. Their sandbox is the neighborhood and when they can’t understand or co-exist, sand starts being thrown. I think we have all met people like Kate and Patrick and their neighbors Does this bring out maturity or send childish emotions to the forefront? I’m going to say right now that this film is ripe with actors who could qualify for Oscar nominations, from Kate Winslet to Jackie Earle Haley to Phyllis Somerville, plus Todd Field and Tom Perrotta’s screenplay.

Little Children is narrated with a bit of humor. This aided in setting the tone for a particular scene and why an actor has a particular expression. As the story goes deeper, the narrator is dispensed with and it is assumed the audience can now follow. Kate Winslet is married, but not happily. She lives in her late mother-in-law’s house and has a husband (Gregg Edelman) who secretly visits porn web sites. They have a child, Lucy. Kate is a stay-at-home Mom who regularly visits the local parks and meets other Mom’s and their kids. Enter the handsome Patrick Wilson who is a stay-at-home Dad (can’t pass the bar exam) with son Aaron, who also visits the park. Patrick’s wife is a super organizer, you know, the kind who runs everything and well played by Jennifer Connelly. Everyone at the park swoons when he goes by and on a dare, Kate asks for his phone number and a kiss to purposely startle the other ladies. Ah, what emotional electricity is in that kiss, for before long, Kate and Patrick have a full-blown affair that encompasses an attic and laundry room. Into this arrangement comes Jackie Earle Haley, as a convicted indecent exposer who is out of prison and living with his mother, the excellent Phyllis Somerville.

Patrick’s friend is a retired cop who is sex offender and constantly harasses Jackie and his mother. Things escalate into such emotionally charged incidents that there is no turning back. Caught up in this as a sideline, are Kate and Patrick. As we watch, we wonder just who should be on the accusing line here and who is guilty of what? The Bible states that “Let he who is without guilt cast the first stone,” and the audience wonders when---if ever---this will sink in.

Kate Winslet, with the sensitive face, shows insecurities of her character. She can’t believe that someone as handsome as Patrick could love her, but is it love or lust. Jennifer Connelly as the organized wife has a telling moment in the film when she realizes something about her home situation. Phyllis Somerville plays the mother who will always love her son no matter what he has done and Jackie Earle Haley is the son who will always love his mother, but Jackie has a deep secret and his tormentor, the cop (Noah Emmerich) also has a secret. In fact, this is a movie of secrets and this talented cast lets their faces do as much acting as the dialogue. Director Todd Field wisely lets the camera rest on the actor’s faces so we can literally read their thoughts. It’s no secret that this is one of the better films of the year.

Copyright 2006 Marie Asner
Submitted: 12/5/06