Martian Child..GOOD MOVIE

[RobertScorpio]

This movie doesn't have action scenes...it doesn't have aliens or vampires...but what it is? It is David Gerrold's best work, in movie form.

If you are a parent, if you've ever lost your parents, and if you've ever had a child who is different, then you will really like this 'button pusher' of a movie.

John Cusack adopts a boy who believes he is from Mars. The child is a very disturbed person due to the fact his parents abandoned him. The movie pretty much follows a predictable journey, but the acting, and especially Cusack and the kid playing his adoptive son, really shine.

I was nearly in tears at the end, my wife was. I had no idea what this movie was going to be about. But I have never seen Cusack in a really bad movie. You could say its KPAX, but with a kid...and in my opinion it delivers the emotion that Kpax didnt...

No, not a great movie, but a good movie..and definately worth watching, if you can handle movies without Hobbits and Romulans.

Rob

 

[auntiehill]

It WAS a pretty good movie---until the end. That rather contrived "child in jeopardy ending with tearful confession" crap was right out of a Lifetime telepic.

They could've done a lot better with the material than that. I also find it odd that in both the novella (novellette?) and the expanded novel, the main character, like the author, is a single gay male, trying to adopt. But in the movie, he's suddenly a straight widower, driven to adopt because of his late wife's wish.

All the Hollywood tinkering with the story made it a little too overblown, IMHO. Your mileage may vary.

 

[Kelso]

I also find it odd that in both the novella (novellette?) and the expanded novel, the main character, like the author, is a single gay male, trying to adopt. But in the movie, he's suddenly a straight widower, driven to adopt because of his late wife's wish.

One of the writers explains that here.

 

[auntiehill]

I don't really mind so much that they switched the character's orientation; it's that they felt they had to add the extra DRAMA of the tragic past on top of everything the child was going through. Seemed a bit too heavy handed. Couldn't he just be a single guy who wanted to be a dad?

 

[RobertScorpio]

Well...I liked it the way it was, to each their own. It was a bit syrupy, but i like a good ole tear jerker, and this one delivered for the family. Cusack never lets me down...well.....then again, there is 2012

Rob