Little Children
LITTLE CHILDREN: SAD LOOK AT EVERYDAY LIFE
With Little Children, Todd Field (In the Bedroom) delves into the darker side of suburbia. Kate Winslet shines as an unhappy stay at home mom. The narration of the film, provided by Will Lyman, lends a Discovery Channel like feel. Jackie Earle Haley as a convicted sex offender is pathetic and childlike. This all makes for a not feel good movie that makes you think what your neighbor next door is actually doing.
Sarah Pierce (Kate Winslet) has a master’s degree in English Literature but has chosen to stay at home with daughter Lucy. She doesn’t fit in with the other moms at the playground. She forgets Lucy’s snacks for snack time. She doesn’t have the token preppy attire. When Brad (Patrick Wilson), dubbed “The Prom King” by the other moms, shows up at the playground, Sarah finds an ally. They spend their days together with their kids at the pool. They start a heated affair once Brad realizes Sarah longing for him. Ronnie (Jackie Earle Haley) has moved back in with his mom after being released from jail for indecent exposure to a minor. Larry (Noah Emmerich), an ex-cop, is determined to make Ronnie’s life a living hell. All adults of this small town have different public and private lives, hoping to never be exposed.
The story focuses on not being happy with life choices and trying to recapture what has been lost. For Brad, it is his youth. He is controlled by his working wife Kathy (Jennifer Connelly). Sarah is miserable as a stay at home mom, married to an internet porn happy husband. Her daughter Lucy is just a burden. Brad and Sarah are the outcasts in their neighborhood, not conforming to what others think. Kate Winslet was born to play this role. She is subtle with her dissatisfaction, obvious with her awkwardness. She is quiet but comes alive when around Brad. She doesn’t hope for a better life. Haley as Ronnie just wants to stay at home with his mom. He is charming during dinner with a blind date. He is disgusting as he is turned on by a playground. You want to despise and feel sorry for him at the same time. The scene where Ronnie goes swimming at the public pool is straight out of Jaws. The setting is a peaceful neighborhood that masks what goes on behind closed doors.
This is not a happy movie. The tone is consistent. It never attempts to give answers. For these reasons, any attempt to alter it would change its meaning.
Little Children is not for the happily ever afters. Regrets pave the way for more mistakes for these married couples. Good and evil is not black and white in the everyday world. The documentary like narration makes it more authentic. You won’t leave the theater smiling but you will be affected by these peoples’ lives.
Report Card:
Story-A
Acting-A
Visuals-A
Originality/Innovation-A
Enjoyability Grade–B+
Overall Grade-A-
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