Little Children
Lissa Coffey
Grade: B
| The movie may be called “Little Children” but it is definitely a very adult film. It’s more melodrama than drama, really tragic. At the end it’s hard to say which character you feel worse for, there’s no happy ending. Kate Winslet is nominated for an Academy Award for her role as Sarah, a bored housewife who befriends a lonely househusband, Brad, played by Patrick Wilson. Their relationship turns serious when they begin an affair, and we see the repercussions played out in each household.
The simultaneous storyline is about a pedophile who has served his time and now lives in the neighborhood with his mother. Jackie Earle Haley is nominated for his performance in that role. He’s the town pariah, and he knows it, and yet he is not equipped with the tools to better himself or his situation. There’s no good guy in this movie, and no bad guy. The whole set-up is tragic from the start, the only bright light being the little children everyone is so desperate to protect. Dark, and thought-provoking. For adults only. |