Little Children
I’m not sure exactly where people are finding the laughs and satire of this haunting drama, based on the novel by Tom Perrotta (who also wrote “Election”), who collaborated on the screenplay for this film with director Todd Field, best known onscreen as the pianist in “Eyes Wide Shut,” but offscreen was Oscar-nominated for his directorial debut, the equally haunting and poignant “In the Bedroom.” There are moments of devious wit to be sure (delivered mostly by the film’s narrator, PBS’ Will Lyman), but the characters in the film’s suburban universe seem to live in a more subdued variation of “American Beauty” (which was enhanced, like this film, by a typically-lyrical score by Thomas Newman), which looks like a whacky comedy compared to this film. But “Children” isn’t “Beauty”-lite- it works on its’ own terms in looking at the relationships and interactions between its’ main characters. It doesn’t always work- a subplot involving Kate Winslet’s husband’s obsession with online porn is dropped almost as quickly as it’s introduced, for instance- but it’s always compelling to see how events play out. The main characters in “Children” are Sarah (Winslet finds the vulnerability in Sarah’s home life and liveliness in her interactions with Brad in a performance that rates with her best work), whose husband doesn’t appreciate her, and Brad (Patrick Wilson from “Hard Candy,” who gets into the character, but doesn’t necessarily turn him into as compelling a lead as Sarah is), whose wife Kathy (Jennifer Connelly, who lacks real presence in a moderately-developed character)- a documentarian- puts food on the table while he tries to pass the bar exam. Both couples have young children, who become fast friends when Sarah and Brad begin to see more of each other, first at the playground where some of the more conservative mothers in the neighborhood (in their values, at least) call Brad- a fantasy man for them- the Prom King (since none of them have gotten the courage to ask his name until Sarah takes a bet, and wins big in a slyly sensual scene), later at the local pool where the kids swim at while Sarah and Brad bond, eventually turning friendship into a sexually-charged affair that brings some passion back into both people’s lives.
At the pool, however, another event happens that illicits emotions on the opposite end of the emotional spectrum. One day, Ronald McGorvey (Jackie Earle Haley from the original “Bad News Bears,” in a revelatory performance), an older man who lives with his caring mother May (Phyllis Somerville makes a strong impression as well in a well-written smaller role), goes for a swim with the children at the pool. He is a sex offender, just released after two years in prison for exposing himself to a child. Parents are freaked, and the police are called. Already inscensed by the thought of a sex offender in their neighborhood, parents go into a frenzy while Ronald (who tries- in vein- to go on a date with a woman from another town) and his mother try to weather the storm. But residents like Larry (Noah Emmerich, whose first major role was in “The Truman Show,” is a major triumph in this performance), an ex-cop (with a past of his own) who plasters posters all over town and harasses Ronald and his mother, won’t tolerate it. The title of the film is a curiosity until you watch Field’s story unfold onscreen (and see how every major character has “little children” playing major roles in their lives), and you will be watching each turn- both in the story and in the characters- until the final moments, which would feel like tacked-on moralizing if it didn’t have the unmistakable ring of truth. Ultimately, “Little Children” is about leaving the past behind and seeking redemption for past sins in the future, and though that makes it sound all touchy-feely (pardon the expression), Field and his cast make it feel as difficult- yet ultimately attainable- as it is in real life.
