Hearts in Atlantis (2001)

A widowed mother and her son change when a mysterious stranger enters their lives.

Director:

Scott Hicks

Writers:

Stephen King (book), William Goldman (screenplay)

Stars:

Anthony Hopkins, Anton Yelchin, Hope Davis

2 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anthony Hopkins	...	Ted Brautigan
Anton Yelchin	...	Bobby Garfield
Hope Davis	...	Liz Garfield
Mika Boorem	...	Carol Gerber
David Morse	...	Adult Bobby Garfield
Alan Tudyk	...	Monte Man
Tom Bower	...	Len Files
Celia Weston	...	Alana Files
Adam LeFevre	...	Don Biderman
Will Rothhaar	...	John Sullivan
Timothy Reifsnyder	...	Harry Doolin (as Timmy Reifsnyder)
Deirdre O'Connell	...	Mrs. Gerber
Terry Beaver	...	Mr. Oliver
Joe T. Blankenship	...	Richie O'Rourke
Brett Fleisher	...	Willie Shearman

Storyline

This is a gentle, innocent film about the reflections of an aging man, who returns to his home town after the death of his best friend. Memories of life at age 11 floods back as it was a magical time that changed his life. Three 11 year old children (Bobby, Carol, and Sully) share their lives. Carol and Bobby have a special affection for one another including sharing a kiss "by which all others will be measured". Bobby lives with his mother, a bitter, vain woman who looks for pleasures for herself without sharing much with her son. Into their lives comes a mysterious new boarder, who befriends the boy but generates distrust from the mother. As time passes, the man and boy share confidences and special powers are revealed. The man warns the boy to be on the lookout for the "lowmen", who were seeking him. The two share a summer's adventures and come to love one another before the inevitable happens. A confrontation with a school bully also changes everyone.

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Plot Keywords:

memory | mysterious stranger | kiss | bully | working late | 

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Taglines:

What if one of life's great mysteries moved in upstairs?

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for violence and thematic elements

Details

Official Sites:

NZZ Online - (German) Warner Bros. [us]

Country:

USA Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 September 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Nostalgia del pasado

Filming Locations:

Dinwiddie, Virginia, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$31,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£110,793 (UK) (8 March 2002)

Gross:

£110,793 (UK) (8 March 2002)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Castle Rock Entertainment, Village Roadshow Pictures, NPV Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The story on which this film was based originally contained references to Stephen King's "Dark Tower" series, which is set in a parallel universe somehow linked to our own. The character of Ted Brautigan later appeared in King's seventh and final Dark Tower novel, "The Dark Tower". In that novel, the full extent of Ted's psychic power is shown. At one point, he leads several other characters into a closet, from which he transports them to a far-off land. One character explicitly compares this to the wardrobe from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis. Anthony Hopkins played Lewis in Shadowlands. Lewis himself also wrote an unfinished novel entitled The Dark Tower.

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Goofs

On the front porch, Bobby's newspaper switches from folded (at around 7 mins), as Bobby stands and holds his fingers in a cross, to unfolded (at around 31 mins), as Bobby sits back down, between shots.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Bobby Garfield (Adult): Whenever it wants, the past can come kicking the door down. And you never know where it's going to take you. All you can do is hope it's a place you want to go.
Bobby Garfield (Adult): [answering machine message] Hi, you have reached the Garfield family. Jill and the boys are away skiing, you can reach them on their various cellphones. Me, I'm going to be on the road for a few days. I'll be back Tuesday.

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Crazy Credits

Thanks to the citizens of Richmond and Staunton, Virginia

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Connections

References The Boogeyman (1982)

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Soundtracks

"Everything's Gonna Be Alright"
(1959)
Written by Little Walter (as Walter Jacobs)
Performed by Little Walter
Courtesy of MCA Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

GREAT FILM!!!!

This movie was a great surprise! I never read the Stephen King novel that this film comes from, but as always, King has crafted an intriguing and absorbing story.

Anthony Hopkins never disappoints and his performance as Ted Brautigan here is no different.

Brautigan lives upstairs from young Bobby Garfield and his widowed mother and a friendship soon develops between Bobby and Ted. Bobby knows that there is something different about Ted, and the bond between them grows when Bobby starts uncovering some of Ted's secrets. Bobby's father passed away when he was very young and he has no knowledge of who his father was except the word of his neglectful mother that his father was a drunkard and gambler. Bobby, through Ted learns a lot about his father, and more importantly, himself.

I don't want to give away too much of the plot of this wonderful movie, especially if like me you have not read the book. This is a thoughtful, insightful, well written and well acted movie and is definitely a part of my own library.

Dont miss Hearts in Atlantis.. you will be sorry if you do!! 8/10