Thumbsucker Doesn't Suck

I watched a movie that I ended up really enjoying this past weekend. It's called Thumbsucker. It's based on a novel that I had never heard of prior to seeing the film. I thought the movie was interesting because one of the themes is that lots of people think that they are 'broken', or that there's something wrong with them, but that there may not be a 'fix' for their 'problem'. And that that's OK because that's what makes us human. Another interesting theme in the film is that many parents think that they should somehow magically have all the answers and be totally together themselves, but that's not how it works out in the real world. And that's OK too. The movie has a very hopeful outlook that I just really responded to in my present frame of mind.

I won't quote it here in case you want to see the movie yourself, but I loved the final quote from the Keanu Reeves character. In a way it's a little like hitting you over the head with the message of the film, but for one thing I often personally need that in a 'message' movie, and for another the 2 words he tacks on to the end of the quote soften the effect wonderfully.

The actor playing the main character is really good, and I think this was one of his first films. And if you watch the interview extra on the disc, he bears a strong resemblance to the author of the book. The movie also stars the usually excellent Tilda Swinton and Vincent D'Onofrio and even has a nice performance from Vince Vaughn. Well worth checking out, and if you want to see what the 'professionals' say, here is a link to the metacritic reviews.