Old Stuff
Hearts in Atlantis (2001)
Directed by Scott Hicks
How many movies in one lifetime could be described as psychic schmaltz? To my mind, "Hearts in Atlantis" is the first. It has the nostalgia of "Stand by Me" and a touch of the supernatural reminiscent of "The Green Mile." All three, told in flashback, are based on stories by Stephen King. Unfortunately, some of the ideas explored in "Hearts in Atlantis" are not as fully developed as its predecessors.
A baseball glove sends Bobby Garfield home for the funeral of a childhood friend and a trip down memory lane at the abandoned home of his youth. The past comes alive with the arrival of Ted Braughtigan, a world-weary loner with few possessions who takes residence in an upstairs room at the Garfield house. Bobby's mother, Elizabeth, is a self-absorbed realty clerk trying to make ends meet. Sometimes that means working late, even on important birthdays like Bobby's! Bobby has his eye on a Schwinn Phantom bike, and Ted needs someone to read to him. His eyes are going but not his mind. So they strike a deal. Bobby will read to him for a dollar a week with each week bringing Bobby a dollar closer to his bike. The deal leads to friendship and a mutual trust that permits the unveiling of secrets. Bobby must be on the lookout for the low men after Ted, and Ted, in his own way, will watch out for Bobby.
It seems Ted has a psychic gift that a shadowy government agency covets. The gift manifests itself in strange ways. Ted has portents of the future and vibes that reveal the darker aspects of peoples' character. This thread of fantasy is introduced to "Hearts in Atlantis" as an article of faith. For Bobby, it becomes one of life's unfathomable mysteries. It is a conundrum that weighs heavily on the movie and detracts from the movie's strength, the friendship that develops between Ted and Bobby. One can argue that director Scott Hicks or veteran screenwriter, William Goldman, is relying on the intelligence of the audience to fill in the gaps, and make the necessary connections between action and reaction. The simple fact of the matter is, if Ted can make certain predictions, like Bobby kissing a girl with a kiss by which all others will be measured, why can't he predict when the bad guys are coming? If Ted would have been given the opportunity to at least, sense their presence (sometimes he does but most of the time doesn't), a multitude of sins could have been forgiven.
Instead he, we and Bobby are warned by the mysterious appearance of posters on lampposts in the neighborhood. This is a glaring defect in what is otherwise an enjoyable film about the loss of innocence and the enduring memory of friendship. Anthony Hopkins brings an understated charm and grace to Ted Braughtigan. He is a man whose gifts have robbed him of a normal life. Thankful for the roof over his head he welcomes the chance to take vicarious pleasure from Bobby's boyish innocence. Anton Yelchin plays the kid that he is with all the wide-eyed wonder of his age. He is ready for his first love but not yet ready to become her defender. Braughtigan becomes the father figure in the absence of Bobby's dad who, according to his mother, was a ne'er-do-well who left her penniless. Hope Davis plays the carping mother who naively believes her boss is more interested in her future than her figure. Braughtigan is the catalyst who helps Bobby with his self-esteem and also helps bridge the gap between mother and child through an act of selflessness. David Morse bookends the movie as the adult Bobby in a few scenes that raise more questions than the movie answers.
When Bobby and his mother eventually move away, he promises to write Carol Gerber, his puppy love. You are led to believe he never does. However, there is no mention of a communication between him and Sully, the best friend who left Bobby his baseball glove. "Hearts in Atlantis" does its fair share of tugging at the heartstrings, thanks to the steady hand of director Scott Hicks. The relationship between Bobby and Ted Braughtigan comes across as the genuine article, and the feeling Bobby has for Carol has the ring of truth. Unfortunately, there are enough loose threads to give the idea that the pieces that could tie them all together were left on the cutting room floor. -- Rating: $7.00
Greg Murray -- copyright 2001