Hearts in Atlantis (2002)
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The story
Middle-aged photographer and businessman Bobby Garfield returns to his old hometown upon learning that his childhood best friend, decorated soldier John "Sully" Sullivan, has died in a traffic accident. There, he begins recollecting his past when he visits his childhood home, which has long since been abandoned. During a summer in the 1960s, an eleven-year-old Bobby lives with his widowed mother, self-centered Liz Garfield, and has two friends, Carol Gerber and Sully. They experienced many things together, the most mysterious of which was meeting the older gentleman Ted Brautigan, whom Liz takes in as a boarder.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In the present, Bobby Garfield returns to his hometown after the death of his childhood friend Sully. He visits his abandoned childhood home and recalls the 1960s, where he lived with his mother Liz and friends Carol and Sully. They met Ted Brautigan, a boarder with psychic and telekinetic powers who took Bobby under his wing. Ted revealed he was fleeing the 'Low Men,' strange people seeking to control him. Ted asked Bobby to watch for signs of these men, such as missing pets. While Bobby, Carol, and Sully dealt with a local bully, Harry Doolin, Ted used his powers to protect them. However, after Liz mistakenly accused Ted of being a child molester due to her own trauma, Ted was captured with her help. Before being driven away, Ted shared a final emotional moment with Bobby. In the present, Bobby meets Molly, Carol's daughter, and they connect over a photograph of her mother.
- First release year
- 2001
- Runtime (minutes)
- 101
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Scott Hicks
- Writers
- William Goldman · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Anthony Hopkins · Ted Brautigan; Anton Yelchin · Bobby Garfield; David Morse · adult Bobby Garfield; Hope Davis · Liz Garfield; Mika Boorem · Carol Gerber; Mika Boorem · Molly; Deirdre O'Connell · Mrs. Gerber; Will Rothhaar · John "Sully" Sullivan
- Genres
- mystery; drama; thriller
- Themes
- father-son bond; trauma; mystery; coming-of-age
- Tone and mood
- mysterious; mood piece; beautiful
- Premise and plot tags
- psychic powers; low men; childhood memories; mystery
- Source material / true-story basis
- Loosely adapted from Stephen King's Dark Tower tie-in "Low Men in Yellow Coats," a novella in the 1999 collection Hearts in Atlantis
- Franchise connections
- Dark Tower
- Content notes
- rape
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews, described as a well-acted and beautiful mood piece. It earned a 'B' average on CinemaScore and a three and a half out of four star rating from Roger Ebert.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 49% · review count: 137; Metacritic · score: 55 · scale: 100 · review count: 30
- Production trivia
- The film is dedicated to the memory of its cinematographer, Piotr Sobociński, who died a few months before its release.; Anton Yelchin's feature film debut.; Scott Hicks brought Yelchin to Charleston to read with Anthony Hopkins.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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