Little Children (2006)

Director:

Todd Field

Writers (WGA):

Todd Field (screenplay) &
Tom Perrotta (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

3 November 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

The lives of two lovelorn spouses from separate marriages, a registered sex offender, and a disgraced ex-police officer intersect as they struggle to resist their vulnerabilities and temptations.

Plot Keywords:

Bar | Sex Offender | Suburb | Sex | Dysfunctional Marriage

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 10 wins & 24 nominations

Cast

Kate Winslet	...	Sarah Pierce
Patrick Wilson	...	Brad Adamson
Jennifer Connelly	...	Kathy Adamson
Gregg Edelman	...	Richard Pierce
Sadie Goldstein	...	Lucy Pierce
Ty Simpkins	...	Aaron Adamson
Noah Emmerich	...	Larry Hedges
Jackie Earle Haley	...	Ronnie J. McGorvey
Phyllis Somerville	...	May McGorvey
Helen Carey	...	Jean
Catherine Wolf	...	Marjorie
Mary B. McCann	...	Mary Ann
Trini Alvarado	...	Theresa
Marsha Dietlein	...	Cheryl (as Marsha Dietlein Bennett)
Jane Adams	...	Sheila

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexuality and nudity, language and some disturbing content.

Runtime:

130 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (DuArt)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | SDDS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Ireland:16 | Malaysia:(Banned) | Singapore:M18 | Australia:MA | UK:15 | Netherlands:12 | Portugal:M/16 | Argentina:16 | Finland:K-15 | Canada:18A (British Columbia) | Brazil:16 | Greece:K-13 | Germany:16 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Chile:14 | South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-18 | Japan:R-15 | New Zealand:R16

Filming Locations:

Boothbay Harbor, Maine, USA

Company:

New Line Cinema

Trivia:

In the book Patrick Wilson's character is called Todd. It was changed to Brad, probably because the writer and director of the film is Todd Field.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The envelope from the credit card company has "08945" (non existent) as the East Wyndam Zip Code. The bar code does not decode to numbers. When Mom takes out the classified ad for Ronnie, the East Wyndam Zip Code is now 02748 (South Dartmouth, MA). The return-address stickers that mom puts on the after-death note to Ronnie has a East Wyndam Zip code of 02786 (non-existent).

Quotes:

[first lines]
Lucy Pierce: Want to take a walk with me?

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 79th Annual Academy Awards (2007) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words)

Toronto Film Festival: Little Children

Todd Field, director of the involving ''In The Bedroom'', has once again made a fine picture, worthy of Oscar buzz. ''Little Children'' is even better than his latest movie and is the best dramatic movie of the year. 2006 is proving to be the finest year for movies.

The story is magnificent. In a calm community, Sarah (Kate Winslet, Oscar-deserving), mother to Lucy, realizes her life isn't at all what she wanted it to be. Meanwhile, Brad (Patrick Wilson, worthy of notice), married to Kathy (Jeniffer Conelly, great) and father to Aaron, also seems unsatisfied with his life. One day, in the pool, accompanied by their little children, Sarah and Brad notice each other. It is the beginning of a forbidden love.

This is a powerful, mature film that draws the audience attention from the start. Todd Field improves his directing skills to the maximum as he makes the camera a viewing eyes to the sins and secrets of the society. With memorable- and shocking- sequences, ''Children'' is a masterpiece.

When could you ever see Kate Winslet performing badly? She is a total Oscar contender as the role of a home mom who finds an opportunity to be fully happy. She is brave, strong, and genuinely impressive. One of my favorites so far. Patrick Wilson also delivers and finds a role that can define his career and open more doors to his future. Jennifer Conelly is also great, along with Noah Emmerich as a retired cop. Jackie Earle Haley completes the list of the magnificent actors.

To conclude, I must say ''Little Children'' is going to come full throttle in the awards season. A movie worthy of its spunk, its power, and of all its infinite buzz. A masterful adaptation of a Tom Perrotta novel.---10/10