REVIEW: THUMBSUCKER
Title: Thumbsucker (2005)
Starring Lou Taylor Pucci, Kelli Garner, Vincent D’Onofrio, Tilda Swinton, Keanu Reeves, Vince Vaughn and Benjamin Bratt
Produced by This is That Productions, Good Machine, Cinema-Go-Go, Keep Your Head, Bull’s Eye Entertainment, Bob Yari Productions and Scared Little Animals
Written by Walter Kirn (novel) and Mike Mills
Directed by Mike Mills
This movie is a slice of independent film gold. As my old boss, Carina, said, “It’s like someone figured out the formula to make an independent film.” Even though she meant it in a negative context (I still can’t believe you don’t like that movie, Carina), I think she’s on to something…but in a good way. Thumbsucker is one of the best coming-of-age films I’ve seen in quite some time.
Justin Cobb (Lou Taylor Pucci) appears to be a normal kid. Well, he is a normal kid except he sucks his thumb…at age 18. He has a rather dysfunction family life, with a mother (Tilda Swinton) who’s obsessed with a famous T.V. star (Benjamin Bratt) and a father (Vincent D’Onofrio) who can’t move on from his glory days. Justin falls hopelessly for Rebecca (Kelli Garner) who gets bored with him, and he’s left to find himself for the first time in his entire life.
Lou Taylor Pucci is my hero. He is absolutely phenomenal and hands down one of the greatest young actors today. He actually won several awards for this film, including the Special Jury Prize for Dramatic Acting at Sundance 2005. Vincent D’Onofrio, as always, was amazing. It was nice seeing him play a fatherly role which is something totally unlike what he’s known for doing (i.e. The Cell, Full Metal Jacket). Vince Vaughn played this creepy ass debate team coach, and I was sincerely freaked out by him in this movie.
Thumbsucker was one of, if not the first, full-length features from Mike Mills, and I must say it’s an impressive film for a newbie. The writing, based on an excellent novel by Walter Kirn, was a great adaptation. I’ve read the book, which is why I wanted to see the film version. Of course, the book was better, but the movie was a great translation either way. The look of the film was very sharp and slightly dull-looking, but he was a simple kid so it really worked for me.
The best part for me, by far, was getting to hear a lot of music from the late Elliott Smith. I’m insanely obsessed with him, and I was just delighted to hear his music in the movie. It was extremely fitting and personalized the movie for me more than it might have if someone else had done the music. Also, The Polyphonic Spree did the original music for the film. I’m not really a fan, but it didn’t annoy me.
I have the poster for this film directly over my T.V. at home and it makes me smile every time I look at it. See it now, bitches.
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