Hearts in Atlantis (2001)

Not to split hairs but aren't those just hands on a pane of glass?

Genre: Drama Mystery

Starring: Anthony Hopkins (The Remains Of The Day; The Elephant Man), Anton Yelchin ("Huff"; Along Came A Spider)

Directed By: Scott Hicks (Snow Falling On Cedars; Shine)

Overview: An 11-year-old builds a friendship with a friendly yet strange old man who lives upstairs.

Acting: The kid is good in the TV Series Huff, but in this his acting is weak (though I blame the direction more than anything). Hopkins delivers his part very well, remarkable for such an uninspired character - who should have been completely fascinating - but back to the terrible direction of the other characters... They stink.
Rating: 6

Cinematography: The images were as bland and uninspiring as you could expect from this no name director (or at least lets hope). I haven't seen Shine or Snow Falling on Cedars, but I really feel safe in saying that I'm not missing much. Yes it was professional, and the scouts picked some pretty good locations, but that isn't the direction now is it? Utter mainstream crap for people who have no imagination. Barely better good than bad.
Rating: 6

Script: The writing was semi-decent in the beginning. Again, nothing truly original, but not stagnant or anything. Then the end approaches, and for some reason it's like the writer suddenly realized he was on a deadline, and utter fecal matter ensues. I was rolling my eyes, yelling, "Come on!", and even booing at the screen, and I watched this ALONE.
Rating: 4

Plot: The plot goes the same way the script does, actually it's worse. We're waiting for the secret, waiting fore the secret, little hints as to things, waiting for the secret... An hour and a half later, BAM, kid asks flat out, "This is why they're after you!", mom gets her tragedy and Bobby's stupid little girlfriend gets hers too. I couldn't believe it. It's like the predictably of mom's events juxtaposed with the bullshit resolution of Carol's... Piss! Don't bother.
Rating: 3

Mood: The score was completely distracting. Here's this movie trying to be feel good and happy, and you know it's going to end with some tragic drama and they're playing happy doo-wop music and playing up the wrong things. There's this moment of utter disjointedness, as though someone realized that there wasn't enough time to tell it all (more like no one would sit through this cowpie) and they skipped three chapters to jump to the climax. More like premature ejaculation if you ask me.
Rating: 4

"Anthony, You're fine but will my career ever recover?"

Overall Rating: 46% (Flush This Back to Atlantis!)

Aftertaste: This movie bothered me... Even the title was terrible! I didn't expect much here, but the whole way through I was waiting for the feel good bee-bop music to end and for some serious or at least half-decent story to start. This is some retarded coming of age tale with a twist, and that twist is nothing more than some lame add-on to make it interesting. Well guess what? It wasn't. This movie was given to me as a "Here, I don't want it." Frankly, I'm embarrassed to own it, and look forward to regifting it.