Film Bites

Before now, David Gordon’s(Cusack) life was all about his imagination and writing. He explains that he uses these tools as a temporary escape from reality and as a coping mechanism. That may explain why his recent science fiction novel was such as success; following closely behind the death of his wife. To feel love again, David decides he wants to adopt. Something he thinks will honor his wife and bring happiness to his world.

Enter Dennis(Coleman), a young boy in need of a family who believes he’s on a mission from Mars. David and Dennis are two kindred souls each using their imagination to liven their worlds and shelter their hearts. Together, they help each other realize that there is still plenty worth loving here on Earth, for both humans and martians.

What drew me to this movie was the movie poster of John Cusack standing next to a box with a smile on it. Something about the image had a sorrowful yet, cute feel to it. At the time, I didn’t know it was about adoption, something that is personally meaningful to me.

This film raises many important points about the significance of being ready and capable of becoming a parent. Having kids doesn’t automatically make you a parent, it takes lots of love, patience and humility. A quote that hit me especially hard was,

I don’t want to bring another kid into this world. But how do you argue against loving one that’s already here? – David

I wouldn’t chalk this film up to being Oscar worthy; the supporting actors were simply too superficial; I do think this is one of the better films this year. The fact that it can openly address issues about adoption that Hollywood usually sugar-coats is testament to it’s brilliance.