Martian Child

Posted on Nov 1st, 2007 in Comedy, Drama, Family | 0 comments

“Personally, I found nothing strange about the premise that a small boy may actually be an alien from Mars. If anything, it seems odd that only one child has been identified as such – personal experience has convinced me all children must be aliens, strange sticky-handed little creatures – surely not of this planet.

Martian Child stars John Cusack as David, a science fiction writer and widower, who decides to adopt a child in part to honor his deceased wife’s desire. David, a grownup outcast who still carries the scars of a traumatic childhood, immediately identifies with Dennis (Bobby Coleman), who spends all his early on-screen time peering out of a slit in a cardboard box.

Eventually a quasi-normal home routine is established, though David seems to struggle more to adapt to his new situation than his new son. Eager to be a good father, he permits Dennis to continue entertaining his extraterrestrial fantasies; though friends and doctors advise it will be a detriment to them both.

Amanda Peet plays Harlee, David’s friend and obvious love interest. Harlee enters the picture just long enough to offer her own brand of unconventional, eastern-influenced advice, without ever having time to develop a satisfying character. The love story is thankfully downplayed, which makes room for what is really important: the tentative relationship between Cusack and Coleman.

Playing David’s sister Liz, Joan Cusack injects a much needed shot of humor at times. She thankfully buoys a script that otherwise would flounder under the weight of seemingly endless series of mundane earthly discoveries and apparently important, though under-dramatic events.

What’s lacking most in this movie is neither content nor good acting (especially from Coleman). Both are ample and even intriguing at times, but a sense of urgency and purpose that would make audiences care about what happens to the characters by the film’s end. Though only 108 minutes in length, I found myself checking my watch at least a half dozen times before the credits finally answered my question.

Martian Child explores what it means to be an alien among humans, exemplified in both Coleman’s and Cusack’s characters, and for this it finds redemption. The movie, while deficient in other ways, manages to avoid such typical pitfalls like poor acting and frivolous love interests to present a story that is refreshingly original and focused. Whether Dennis is truly a Martian or not is a question that is rightfully disregarded by the movie’s end. Instead, the film culminates in a giant feel-good hug (literally) of parent-child affection and basic human connection.” (Cameron Mortimer)

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