 | |
List Price: $14.94 | | Label: Sony Pictures
Salesrank: 29349
Released: January 24, 2006 |
| Our Price: $4.74 |
| Used Price: $1.98 |
|
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
|
Editorial Review:
JUSTIN COBB STILL SUCKS HIS THUMB AT 17. HE BELIEVES THAT IF HE COULD JUST STOP HE WOULD FINALLY BE HAPPY & 'NORMAL'. THE ONLYTHING THAT MAKES HIM QUIT IS HYPNOSIS ADMINISTERED BY HIS ORTHODONTIST. BUT WITHOUT HIS THUMB JUSTIN FEELS MORE ALIENATED THAN BEFORE & HIS REAL PROBLEMS HAVE JUST BEGUN.
Description of Thumbsucker:
A sterling cast--including Vince Vaughn, Keanu Reeves, Vincent D'Onofrio, and especially Tilda Swinton--lifts this coming-of-age story above the norm. Justin (Lou Pucci, Personal Velocity) is 17, yet he still sucks his thumb. Depressed, he frets that his parents (D'Onofrio, Full Metal Jacket, and Swinton, Orlando) are going to split up, that he has no focus in life, and that the girl he longs for can never love him--until his orthodontist (Reeves, The Matrix) hypnotizes Justin into quitting his thumbsucking, and a questionable diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder results in medication that launches him into a wave of over-achievement. The script, though it has some clever flourishes, never lifts beyond typical adolescent turmoil, but thanks to wonderfully vivid and multi-layered performances (including Vaughn, Wedding Crashers, as a debate teacher with hair issues), the movie never flags. Swinton also executive-produced the movie; she clearly saw in this suburban mother a character she could invest with as much emotion and intensity as the angel Gabriel (Constantine) or the White Witch of Narnia (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe). It's rich, intricate acting, never showy, yet mesmerizing. Thumbsucker also features Benjamin Bratt (Pinero) and Kelli Garner (Man of the House). --Bret Fetzer
Thumbsucker Reviews:
a coming of age story with comedy and drama 
2009-12-07 - Thumbsucker is a sweet, tender and often humorous look at an awkward teenager's coming of age. The casting was superb; and the acting so well done that I found it a delight to watch this quirky comedy. The script was great, too; and both the cinematography and the choreography shine. The plot moves along at a very good pace and I never got bored; there's also plenty of character development and that's great.
When the action starts, we meet young Justin Cobb (Lou Taylor Pucci), a seventeen year old high school student with mediocre grades and a lack of interest in doing much schoolwork. Justin has his eyes on a young girl who is heavily into the environmental movement in their debate club; but he's shy and understandably clumsy about bringing up the topic of intimacy with her.
However, Justin has something else on his plate: curiously enough, at the age of seventeen he still sucks his thumb--not in public; but even the private habit angers his father Mike (Vincent D'Onofrio) and puzzles his well meaning mother Audrey (Tilda Swinton). When Justin's nutty dentist (Keanu Reeves) suggests hypnosis to rid Justin of his thumb sucking problem; it works--but then poor Justin has to find a way to get through life with yet another crutch. And wow, how this new crutch becomes an issue!
I came away from this movie wanting to yell "bravo" while standing up in my theater seat! The story is told with such tenderness that it truly touched me; and it goes to great lengths to show just how hard it can be to be an adolescent. Some people will say, of course, that Justin's behavior isn't always too endearing; and they certainly have a point. However, teenagers are at a tough age; many of us behaved like Justin behaves at one time or another when we were teenagers. If I was disappointed with the lack of development of anyone's character, it might be Justin's father Mike who always feels sorry for himself about a knew injury that kept him from playing pro football many years prior--if he were to make it to that level, of course. Look also for an outstanding performance by Tilda Swinton as Justin's mother Audrey; and Keanu Reeves provides some comic relief as the flaky dentist who wants to help Justin grow spiritually. In addition, Kelli Garner plays Rebecca wonderfully and Vince Vaughn plays Mr. Geary, the debate club teacher.
The DVD comes with a few extras. There is a "behind the scenes" featurette and there is an optional audio commentary with writer/director Mike Mills. There is also a conversation with director Mike Mills and novelist Walter Kirn.
Thumbsucker is a terrific, quirky comedy that still manages to tackle a number of issues at once and this impresses me. I recommend this for people who like coming of age stories; and of course fans of the actors in this film will want this for their collections.
Next teen movie 
2009-10-20 - A next movie of a teen entering adult world with exploring sexuality and new stuff aroung is rather comedy than a drama of "in-between" speculations.
Funny and easy watching stuff.
Middling...
2009-07-12 - I remember the book being really good, but this movie about a teen who's still sucking his thumb definitely wasn't. Sure, there are tender scenes - Keanu Reeves is surprisingly good, and so are lookalikes Vince Vaughn and Vincent D'Onofrio - but Tilda Swinton is surprisingly boring, the main guy is so totally unforgettable that we still never understand from him why his parents' marriage is troubled, why he sucks his thumb, why he takes Prozac, and why his 10-year-old brother has more characer than he does...
Excellent Condition!
2009-04-20 - I was very satisfied with my purchase. The DVD is in great condition and it plays perfectly =)!
3 stars out of 4 
2008-12-20 - The Bottom Line:
Ignored upon its release (and hardly thought of subsequently), Thumbsucker is an enjoyable coming-of-age story/comedy that features a perfectly cast Keanu Reeves (words I never thought I would write) and an appealingly different Vince Vaughn; it's worth seeking out.
