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List Price: $14.98 | | Label: Warner Home Video
Salesrank: 26896
Released: February 12, 2002 |
| Our Price: $3.00 |
| Used Price: $1.03 |
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MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
An extraordinary journey of the heat. An 11-year-old boy discovers a courage and self-reliance he didnt know he had when he tries to help a friendly boarder with unique powers elude equally mysterious agents pursuing him. Special features: subtitles in english and french and much more. Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 02/08/2005 Starring: Anthony Hopkins David Morse Run time: 101 minutes Rating: Pg13 Director: Scott Hicks
Description of Hearts in Atlantis:
Fans of The Green Mile and The Shawshank Redemption will feel a similar affection for Hearts in Atlantis, a Stephen King adaptation that again finds the horror writer in more mainstream waters, with a bit of dabbling in the supernatural. When mysterious out-of-towner Ted Brautigan (Anthony Hopkins) moves into the boarding house that 11-year-old Bobby Garfield (Anton Yelchin) shares with his self-involved mother (Hope Davis), Bobby jumps at the chance to befriend an adult who talks to him straightforwardly. Ted enlists Bobby to read him the newspaper daily--and to keep an eye out for the "low men" bent on capturing Ted, who possesses a strange mind-reading power. Hopkins is in fine form, ably matched by the phenomenal young Yelchin, but director Scott Hicks (Shine) more often than not flattens out the dramatic arcs of the story, despite all the intriguing turns the film takes. Thankfully, though, the schmaltz factor is kept to a minimum, making Hearts in Atlantis a heartfelt coming-of-age drama. --Mark Englehart
Hearts in Atlantis Reviews:
Title A Misnomer As It Only Focuses On One Book Story 
2008-12-30 - At face value, this is a decent film. The relationship between Bobby Garfield and Carol Gerber (a brilliant performance from Mika Boreem)) is the centerpiece of the film, and will really tug at your heartstrings as the film comes to a close. Also, the eccentric Ted Brautigan is perfectly cast in Anthony Hopkins, while Bobby's mother Liz Garfield adds a dark aspect. So, all in all, the film is a decent little story that, while never really resolving itself fully, does capture your interest and really make you feel for the protagonists.
However, titling the film "Hearts in Atlantis" in trying to capture the essence of Stephen King's masterful novel was an injustice to King's original story, which tells 5-6 different stories and weaves recurring characters into each. In fact, the "Hearts" in the title of King's book is actually a play on words for the card game that Carol Gerber's college friends play relentlessly, day and night.
Thus, this film really should have been called "Low Men In Yellow Coats", as that is the King tale that really is being told. Even if that would have happened, though, I think that telling this singular tale does a great injustice to King's great novel. Whereas in the book the story just sets the stage for the drama to come, the film tries its best to inject that drama into only the one story, which is sad. A great attempt is made to do so, but ultimately it will leave you wanting, as it seems (for much of the film) that it is building towards a bigger resolution that never comes.
If you read the book, I wouldn't spend too much time/effort acquiring this film, as it doesn't come close to equaling the success of the original novel. However, if you didn't read the book and are a sucker for a good love story, you very well may like this movie much more than I.
Haunting 
2008-10-28 - This movie sticks in my mind. There's no real plot, but I like the characters. Sometimes it's hard to remember that it came from a story by Stephen King, but it does have that same rich attention to details from the past that's always been a part of his work. Anthony Hopkins is, of course, wonderful, and so is Anton Yelchin. To be honest, it's not my favorite movie, but I find it haunting enough that I had to buy it.
What if one of life's great mysteries moved in upstairs?
2008-07-03 - Anthony Hopkins stars in this adaptation of Stephen King's short story of the same name. The film begins in 2001 (The year the film was made) we are quickly introduced to a character named Bobby (played as an adult by David Morse) Bobby begins to recollect memories from his past, memories from his eleventh birthday and spending time with his friends in the summer. Including the memory of a mysterious individual named Ted Brautigan (Anthony Hopkins)
Ted Brautigan moves in next door to Bobby's house (played at the age of 11 by, Anthon Yelchin) Bobby lives with his mom only, his father is rarely mentioned. Bobby begins to find a father figure in Ted...but there is a special gift that Ted has inside. I will not give more details as to what happens. The only thing about the film that bothered me a little was the pace; it can be a little slow and sad in some points. Though I also don't understand why this film received a PG-13 rating. It should have been rated G, it's a nice and at times sad story about childhood that is surely to be enjoyed by all ages, can't understand why they made the decision of classifying it as PG-13. Also the movie is done in the tradition of "Stand by Me". And it's up there with Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile and Stand by Me for well crafted adaptations of Stephen King's Novella's.
MY PERSONAL RATING: 3 ½ OUT OF 5
I wouldn't have missed a single minute of it
2008-01-29 - "Hearts in Atlantis" is based on a short story written by Stephen King. The 2001 film tells the story of how young Bobby Garfield's (Anton Yelchin) life changes when an older man (Hopkins) moves into the same building where he lives in with his selfish single Mom.
Ted (Hopkins) treats Bobby like an adult, exposing him to fine literature and opening his mind to his own potential. In a few short weeks, a young boy becomes a strong young man capable of taking care of himself and others.
Ted's vested Bobby with a job. For a dollar a week, he reads the newspaper to Ted and watches out for the low men. Ted's afraid that these people will come to take him for his 'gifts'. (He's a psychic)
"Take that, for the Gerber baby!" is one line that had both my husband and I cheering loud enough to have gotten us thrown out of the theatre. Bobby delivers this coup de grace to a school bully who'd been hurting his girlfriend, Carol Gerber (Mika Borem).
While we rented this film, my husband and I both agreed to purchase "Hearts" because we would like to be able to see it again. This is an exceptional film and a very interesting viewing.
You can skip this one 
2007-12-09 - I love Anthony Hopkins as much as the next person, but this movie had several flaws:
(1) nothing much happens;
(2) Anthony Hopkins speaks with a slur that I guess is supposed to imply world weariness, but instead is just annoying;
(3) Anthony Hopkins spouts trite observations ("we're all just passing through, kiddo, just passing through") that are meant to imply wisdom, but instead are just annoying;
(4) the movie could have ended at any one of its last four scenes, and nothing would have been lost.
However, I don't think the movie's awful. There are a couple of scenes that are outstanding, the best of which is a conversation that Hopkins has with a local bully. And the young protagonist's girlfriend was perfectly cast and excellently played.
