Review: King’s ‘Atlantis’ best flick of year

Andy Morgan

What’s the deal with Stephen King? In the early ’80s he gave us crappy films like Maximum Overdrive, Creepshow and Pet Cemetery. Now, with some maturity and sobriety, King’s writing has given moviegoers The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and now, Hearts in Atlantis.

Hearts in Atlantis is based – rather well, I must say – on the section in King’s novel entitled Low Men in Yellow Coats. The story is set in the 1960s, and follows an 11-year-old boy, Bobby (Anton Yelchin) and his relationship with his new neighbor, the enigmatic wanderer, Ted Brautigan (Anthony Hopkins). While Ted and Bobby’s friendship develops, we are able to see the world from Bobby’s eyes and understand his feelings toward his mother (Hope Davis), his friends, Sully (Will Rothhaar) and Carol (Mika Boorem) and life in general as a pre-teen. As the feature progresses, Ted gives Bobby advice concerning his mother, but delivers more dialogue about young Carol, telling Bobby to never let her go, and, to Bobby’s amazement, when he kisses Carol, it will be the kiss upon which all others will be judged.

With Brautigan’s revelatory comments, we begin to understand he harbors a special gift, something passed to Bobby and something which has caused the Low Men in Yellow Coats – men without names, faces or personality – to find Ted and exploit his powers for some unknown good or evil. The movie hints at the Low Men possibly being the FBI, but King’s story leaves it open to the imagination. They could be, as Bobby calls them, Boogiemen. He promises not to let them get to Ted, and in turn, Ted cares for Bobby like a son.

The cast of Hearts in Atlantis is perfect and unknown. Davis is excellent as Bobby’s nitpicky and unpleasant mother. Mika Boorem is a genuine beauty, and I pray she doesn’t collapse from grace and fall into Child Actor Purgatory. And Yelchin portrays Bobby with a scale of truthful emotion which places him next to Hopkins, as far as becoming one with the character is concerned.

As for Hopkins, he is purely spectacular. Listening to him speak, watching his movements, makes it easy to see the amount of his dedication.

Hearts in Atlantis is hands-down the best movie currently playing in theaters. Spending $6 on this flick is a wise choice.