FILM REVIEW: Thumbsucker

[johnnycakes]

I can’t believe this movie has not been discussed yet…but it hasn’t. So here’s my review.




Title: Thumbsucker

Cast: Lout Taylor Pucci, Tilda Swinton, Vincent D’Onofrio, Vince Vaugh, Keanu Reeves, Benjamin Bratt, Kelli Garner

Justin Cobb (Lou Pucci) is a middle-class 17 year old high school senior. He gets middling grades and his only extra-curricular activity is the debate team, which he obviously joined so he could spend time with the object of his lust, Rebecca (Kelli Garner).
His dad, Mike (Vincent D’Onofrio), a former jock and current sporting goods store manager, doesn’t understand him.
His mom, Audrey (Tilda Swinton), a nurse, is lost in a fantasy of winning a date with an actor (Benjamin Bratt) from a prime-time cop drama.
His little brother feels self-imposed pressure to be extra-normal since he perceives that his parents perceive Justin as not normal.

Justin still sucks this thumb. It is his comfort and his bane and an extreme annoyance to his father. Justin finally decides he’s had enough and is going to stop. He gets unsought advice from his new-age influenced dentist Perry (Keanu Reeves), before going to his doctor. He is diagnosed with ADD and starts taking Ritalin. Justin is changes in every facet. He transforms from a timid, disheveled, mediocre student to a confident, well groomed debating machine. This, of course, pleases his debate team coach (Vince Vaughn).


The acting of all the adult roles in this movie is flawless. Keanu Reeves is great (or as great as Keanu Reeves can be). Vince Vaughn plays his role mild mannered, which is something we haven’t seen from Vince in a while. Benjamin Bratt is hilarious in his cameo. Tilda Swinton and Vincent D’Onofrio are real (I can’t think of a better word, or bigger compliment) as Justin’s genuinely loving parents who are just trying to understand their son. I especially like how Mike (D’Onofrio) was written as a father who has grown distant. I think my favorite moment in the movie occurs when Justin discusses moving away for college and Mike replies genuinely with “But I was just starting to get used to you.”

Mike Mills created and executed this script (based on the novel by Walter Kirn) masterfully in his first feature film. The movie is a coming-of-age tale, but does not once descend into melodrama, nor does it unintentionally become a parody of real life as coming-of-age tales often do.

I highly recommend this to...everyone.

RIYL: Rushmore, Junebug, I [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] Huckabees

Rating: 4.8 (out of 5)

[diebitter]

Never even heard of this one. I'm gonna watch out for it. Tnx

[Blarg]

I'm curious why taking Ritalin makes it sound like the movie just ended. Is the movie an advertisement for Ritalin?

I'm not sure I understand what the movie's main themes were or how you felt about it.

[johnnycakes]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm curious why taking Ritalin makes it sound like the movie just ended. Is the movie an advertisement for Ritalin?

I'm not sure I understand what the movie's main themes were or how you felt about it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry, I was afraid of that.
The movie is not about Ritalin. It's about a kid at that akward age of 17 trying to "find himself". He's trying to fix what's wrong (thumsucking in his case. doesn't everyone at that age feel like there's something wrong with them?) while dealing with the usual pressures of home and school and discovering girls and drugs.

He also suspects his mom is cheating on his dad.

All that sounds pretty cliche, but it's executed perfectly. The people are real. The relationships are real. I don't think I've ever seen a movie capture so well that father/son I-don't-understand-you-but-I-love-you relationship.

I didn't want to describe much more past the beginning of his taking Ritalin because I just don't want to tell the whole movie. I'd rather you watch it.

Oh yeah, it came out on DVD this past Tuesday.

Netflix it people!

[tdarko]

johnnycakes,

weird that you reviewed this b/c i watched this yesterday. i loved this movie and thought that keanu as the hippie pyschobabble orthodontist was brilliant!

i know its another half comedy half teen melodrama about angst and fitting in and having strange parents that you don't relate to and its been done before but i thought this movie was very unique and eccentric.

this movie is very close to junebug, i haven't decided which one i like better yet.

EDIT: oh and i would have punched kelli garner in the face.

[KDawg]

definetly gonna have to check this one out

[johnnycakes]

tdarko:

Yes! I love Junebug.
But I like Thumbsucker more.

I watched Chumscrubber tonight. It had the same "feel" as both those movies, but it failed in every aspect where Thumbsucker succeeded.

It also had Lou Pucci in it. Along with Jamie Bell, Glen Close, Allison Janny, Ralph Fiennes, Carrie-Ann Moss and Rita Wilson.

Jamie Bell is awesome. That kid is going to have an amazing career.

But I digress. Maybe I'll write a Chumscrubber review later...

[thatpfunk]

watched this tonight... excellent.

dialogue was very good, i was completely engaged throughout. acting was superb, keanu was a great choice for his character.

im not exactly sure how to describe it or what to compare it to... it is just a very entertaining, a well done movie that feels as authentic as this genre can get.

[Tennenbaum]

I just watched this movie Friday. I couldnt agree more w/ OP. This is a very overlooked movie and was supremely well acted and written.

I also watched Shop Girl and The United States of Leland. Both of which were just as good as Thumbsucker.

I have yet to see Junebug, but if OP liked it, I'll get it next. Needed to bump this because I think more people should get it. If you have Netflix I suggest putting this in your queue.

[Full Metal]

I couldn't have wrote a better synopsis, but where's the review? I always see this movie on tmn but never watch it. I'm definitely going to sit through it the next time it's on.