Customer Reviews

Thumbsucker

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Seventeen year old Justin (Lou Taylor Pucci) is a high school senior who still sucks his thumb. His father, Mike (Vincent D'Onofrio) seems more concerned about it than his mother, Audrey (Tilda Swinton). One day, Justin's dentist Perry (Keanu Reeves) talks to him about this habit, among other things, and Justin stops sucking his thumb becoming a chaotic individual who has to use Ritalin to calm down. The transformation is miraculous and he becomes a fantastic student and a brilliant member of the debate team headed by Mr. Geary (Vince Vaughn).

"Thumbsucker" written and directed by Mike Mills is a very good look at what life is like for a teenager and their parents.

Pucci won an award at Sundance for his performance. He does a very good job of portraying the low key teen and his character is fun to watch as he changes to the new Justin. One moment, he is a surly, confused teen who would prefer to sleep and then after he starts taking Ritalin, he becomes Super Student, always full of energy and raring to go. His performance is very natural and it is deserving of the award at Sundance. But I have to wonder how much of the `naturalness' comes from his age? Perhaps he simply hasn't had the time to become `an actor', to `emote'. But I don't think that gives him full credit. Even new actors generally take some time to find their place, appearing awkward and unnatural unless guided by a good director. I think the majority of us have all appeared in some sort of school play and know how it feels to be onstage in front of a bunch of staring eyes. Pucci appears to be naturally gifted and hopefully will continue to show this skill in many more films.

The supporting cast is filled with interesting and varied actors. Tilda Swinton and Vincent D'Onofrio are great as Justin's parents. They seem in a state of constant shock that they actually have two children. At one point, Mike professes that he is afraid Justin is smarter than he is. Mike, a one promising athlete who got injured, is the manager of a sporting goods store. He may not like the job, but he gives it everything he has, because he has a family to support. Audrey (Swinton) is a nurse at a local hospital who has a major crush on actor Matt Schramm (Benjamin Bratt), the star of a television cop show. She asks for Justin's help with an essay to win a date with the actor. Both are strange, unusual and completely natural. They are supportive and loving of their children, but unsure of how to deal with them.

Keanu Reeves is humorous as Justin's New Age dentist, the man who sets him on the right path. Reeves is perfectly cast for the role, allowing his surfer dude dialect to complete the portrayal.

Vince Vaughn is also great as the Debate Club advisor. He seems thrilled to be along for the ride as Justin begins winning debates, taking their team to the state finals. Mr. Geary is a mellower version of the "Vince Vaughn" character he has played many times. At one point, he asks Justin to bring the girls on the debate team into the boy's bathroom, for a quick pep talk. Justin hesitates. Then Vaughn says "That's okay. I'm a teacher. I'm a teacher." It is a funny moment and very low key for Vaughn.

The best thing about the film is that everything seems very natural. Yes, Justin calls his mother and dad by their first names, but that seems to fit. Yes, some crazy stuff is going on in the family, but that works as well. The film portrays a sort of heightened naturalness which works and makes the film all the more enjoyable.

Writer/ Director Mills keeps the story moving at a good pace, holding our attention as Justin makes his journey through the story. At one point, early on, Justin announces that he would like to attend NYU. Mike snorts and then states that his grades aren't good enough. I get the feeling he is also reacting to the possibility he may have to pay thousands of dollars to help his son go to a college like NYU. After he becomes a super student, he decides to apply anyway and writes an essay about his family life. When he is accepted, he tells his shocked parents the good news. They aren't shocked because they don't believe in him, but shocked because they don't want their son to move that far away. After Audrey lets this news sink in a little, Justin approaches her to try to comfort her. She states "You're already gone." This scene is a nice example of the style of relationship Justin has with just about everyone in the film. The scenes ring true and the dialogue is very good.

"Thumbsucker" is a quirky, interesting, well-made film. If you are a huge fan of independent films, you should definitely see it. If you are normally used to louder, bigger budget films, you will probably have to adjust to the film. But go to a bargain matinee.

After passing many a delightful colorful poster, I finally saw Mike Mills' coming of age story Thumbsucker. It's a bittersweet film, mixing comedy with somewhat melancholy overtones in an Igby Goes Down sort of way. We follow a 17-year-old Justin Cobb (Lou Taylor Pucci) who hides behind his bangs and sucks his thumb as a means of comfort. Distant from his perfectionist father and concerned about his mother's crush on a drug-addicted actor, he struggles to rid himself of his thumbsucking habit and be everything he's supposed to be.
It's a nice little relatable film with the occasional surreal element, but I think what really made the film for me was Keanu Reeves' role as Perry Lyman, Justin's quasi-mystic orthodontist. I wiggled with glee every time he appeared on screen, as hearing Mr. Reeves guide a child in a dentist chair to find his power animal is pretty darn funny. Nothing he said would have been remarkable if he was played by anyone else. While his acting style has failed to change, he seemed a lot more relaxed than when he was Neo of the Matrix and it was all too perfect.
So I'm going to throw aside the fact that Justin pushes and pushes and pushes himself through the debate team, experiments with drugs and sex, becomes hostile with friends and family as he strives to be a flawless human being, and ultimately learns a very profound truth, and say GO SEE IT BECAUSE KEANU REEVES PLAYZ A HIPPIE DENTIST LOL.

i have no idea what the other reviewers on here are talking about. First of all, this movie had some hilarious moments. Keanu Reeves as the hypnotist is a great and funny scene. This movie is somewhat formulaic in the way that a young boy who doesnt fit in overcomes his problems and fits in - but it all goes to his head. But the directing is beautiful and the acting is quite brilliant (even vince vaughn is pretty good). and don't listen to the guy who said that me and you and everyone we know is unoriginal. that movie was as good as thumbsucker if not better.

Justin is a nice, but weird, kid who has the unseemly habit (as the title suggests) of chronically sucking his thumb. This is considered socially unacceptable behavior in a 17-year-old. What's his problem? What deep dark secret childhood trauma is causing him to do this? There must be one...right? Adults keep trying to intervene, but end up only making things worse. Finally, he is put on Ritalin, which works wonders. He becomes the genius star of the debate club. There's only one drawback; as his debate coach (Vince Vaughn) puts it: "In my professional opinion...you've become a monster."

Thumbsucker is one of those off-beat, coming-of-age movies...like Donnie Darko without the science fiction. It chronicles the horrors and the humor of being seventeen and different. The movie benefits from great performances. At its heart is newcomer Lou Pucci, who manages to be off-putting or cute as the film requires. He calls his parents by their first names. His mother (Tilda Swinton) fantasizes about running away with a movie star and his father (Vincent D'Onofrio) is a jock who lives in the shadow of a ruined football career and who doesn't know what to make of his son. Surprisingly, one of the best performances comes from Keanu Reeves, who almost plays a parody of himself; he is Justin's orthodontist, but he acts more like his psychiatrist.

This movie will probably develop a cult following over the years. It will certainly appeal to teenage outcasts and those of us who are recovering from being one. It is funny and quirky (if a bit long) and is a good independent alternative to the usual studio fare.

Thumbsucker is the first film made by indy director Mike Mills, in 2005, and it's a solid film, but nowhere near as good as one might presume according to its plaudits. The story was adapted from an autobiographical 1999 novel by Walter Kirn, and while it is uniformly well acted the basic problem is that it is yet in another of the series of `American suburbia is hell' films. Given the last few years of terrorism and war this simply does not resonate as strongly as it did a decade or so ago, and even then the horrors of being well-fed, having a good roof over one's head, and having to listen to one's parents was, to say the least, a tad overdone.
But, the thing that is missing is the screenplay. Having not read the novel I have to put the blame on filmmaker Mills. There is just something a bit too ABC Afterschool Special or Doogie Howser about this film. Yes, drugs are bad, and life is tough for a teenager. So? This is where the failings of the script come in, because once the film was over, I didn't really care what happened to any of the characters, unlike, say, the flawed but better Mean Creek, or even a weaker film like Igby Goes Down. As good as Pucci is there is a blandness to him that any of the Culkin actor boys does not have. One can believe that those kids, with their slightly inbred looks and glassy eyes, really do suffer in silence, as they say. Pucci, well, he's just too white bread and charmed. And things like cute girls who catch you sucking your thumb on an airplane and then flirting with you do not occur. Also, the scenes with his parents, when Justin is about to go off to college, are just a wee too precious, with tears welling in the eyes. This is where the film really goes ABC Afterschool Special, and hits the viewer over the head with the message that life is about suffering and growing. To emphasize the point, Mills even has Perry Lyman return to say these very things before Justin leaves. And even though hi scharacter seems to have gotten over his hippy phrase, he still tosses off bon mots like, `The trick is living without an answer.' Whoa, dude....that's heavy, like. Note to Mills: condescension is never a good thing in the arts. However, there are enough good performances and scenes to make up for these flaws, if just enough.

Justin Cobb (Lou Pucci) is a high school senior from a rather...unusual family. He refers to both of his parents (Vincent D'Onofrio and Tilda Swinton) by their first names since calling them "mom" and "dad" makes them feel old. His dad lives each day as if it should not happen. He is the manager of a sporting goods store, which is a far cry from the professional football player apparently everyone expected him to be, before the injury. His mother is a nurse with a not-so-secret and maybe not-so-innocent crush on a television star.

As a senior in high school, Justin was looking at college. His parents suggested local state schools. The explanation was that he may as well have stayed close to home since he would not have many options to go far because his grades would not have raised any eyebrows with admissions departments. Very matter-of-factly they pointed out that he just lacked the things that students need to get into the colleges worth attending.

Justin was socially awkward and had even less interaction with peers than he did with his parents. Issues with his parents and with school, primarily in Mr. Geary's (Vince Vaughn) debate club, kept Justin rattled. He coped...by sucking his thumb.

Justin had a very unique support group. His younger brother Joel was his conscience and his orthodontist (Keanu Reeves) was his spiritual and philosophical mentor. They helped kept things in perspective.

To relieve the anxiety that led to his unfocused approach to school, a counselor suggested medication. A.D.H.D. was the explanation given to Justin's parents. His pills and the hypnosis administered by his orthodontist served as the one-two punch to break his dependency on sucking his thumb.

Aside from his orthodontist, no one ever really wanted to help Justin. He was the natural scapegoat for the problems that faced his family. His father's life had turned out entirely differently than was planned. He chose to ignore that fact rather than deal with it, though he used Justin as his aggressive release, though it was verbal and emotional and never physical. He channeled his self pity into disappointment in his older son.

Justin's mother had a similar attitude. Though she claimed she fell in love with Justin's father when he suffered the knee injury, there appears to be a rather ironic lingering-resentment. Any pent-up hostility she has about how her life did not turn out anything like her fantasies of being with a big-shot became impatience towards her older son.

Justin's younger brother, Joel, viewed him as a loser. He pointed out Justin's social short-comings throughout the movie. His frustration was not known until the end when he had to tell Justin how hard it was to be the normal one since Justin had monopolized being different.

Towards the end of the movie, they almost became a real family. While on the medication, Justin became a very successful debater. For the first time in his life, Justin's parents were proud of him. They were able to ignore the pangs of personal regret and accept that their son had talent. Vicariously through him, they were able to forget their own failures. Though it is in short supply, he gave them hope. They focused their issues on him, but later it was in a more positive fashion.

A parent should arguably never be more supportive than when a child strives to meet a personal goal. Justin wanted to go to college out of state, though as mentioned above he was never encouraged to try. When it becomes clear that, even if it is without his family's blessing, Justin was leaving, his family pushed back. His dad said that he was just getting used to his son and his mom accused him of flying the coop, alleging he would never come back. Their motives were selfish ones, for with Justin out of the house, their own problems could not be ignored. What he really needed was to get away. Leaving the house, the town, the state could do nothing but good for him.

No one performance stuck out above the rest, though everyone did a decent job. The movie was relatively thought provoking, which is a plus.

I liked Thumbsucker. I liked how Justin was able, through trial and error (with emphasis on error), to realize how to be himself. He began to see how he was like his dad by never being open with the things that bothered him. And how he was like his mother by desiring a life outside his own family. He knew that while taking his pills, it was a glimpse of who he could be, but not who he was. He even tried recreational drugs before seeing that his way out was not through drugs, but rather on an airplane.

My orthodontist never had private rooms. There was just one big room with a lot of chairs and he went from patient to patient after his assistants finished with the cleanings. I only mention this because the orthodontist portrayed by Keanu Reeves in "Thumbsucker" operates in a tiny room decorated with paintings of wolves. He's more than an orthodontist, you see. He also offers spiritual guidance to Justin, the movie's main character, who gets different forms of guidance from a handful of people in the movie, including his parents, his little brother, the debate team coach, and a girl at school.

The film basically follows Justin through his last year of high school. He's a social reject, as his little brother let's us know. He's also awkward with girls. And, much to his dad's chagrin, he still sucks his thumb. But things change for Justin once he stops sucking his thumb and starts using drugs to control his attention deficit disorder. He suddenly becomes confident and more self-assured, though this doesn't really solve his problems--it just causes different ones.

"American Beauty" and "Donnie Darko" are just a couple of the witty, teen angst movies that might have inspired Mike Mills when he made this movie. If you liked either of those movies then this might be worth checking out. Personally, I felt like the director started off with the best intentions, but in the end everything seemed a little too borrowed. For example, you have Kelli Garner, who looks like Mena Suvari, playing the manipulative female character. The little brother is the foul-mouthed comic relief. The dad is a typical ex-jock who settled for marriage and a job at a sporting goods store. And the kid is the same confused teen you've seen in a thousand other movies. In the end, I just felt like there were too many twists and turns that I'd seen in other films. Worse, the movie could never decided if it wanted to be an offbeat cult classic or an emotional coming-of-age tale. Because it never made a choice the over all feeling was that the movie was somewhat muddled and what could have been a good film just ended up being an average movie with a few good laughs and some good acting.

Amidst all the big bang sequels to cartoons, actions flicks, horror movies, and potty mouth raunch films it is refreshing to find a continuous trickle of meaningful stories bravely presented to the public, unfortunately usually for a short screen time before they move on to DVD. Such is the case for THUMBSUCKER, a quiet little examination of the fragility of family life in the society we have created. Other films such as this one include Pieces of April, The Chumscrubber, Junebug, In the Bedroom, The Mudge Boy, Mean Creek etc - films that take unpopular subjects and use that as a pivotal point for opening superficial wounds in the integument of family units.

Adapted from the novel by Walter Kirn, screenwriter and new director Mike Mills introduces us to the Cobbs, a Portland, Oregon family of four, each with secrets or private problems that prevent them from functioning at full capacity: father Mike (Vincent D'Onofrio) fractured his knee at the brink of a brilliant football career and married Audrey (Tilda Swinton) who, lost in the routine of a boring life, works as a nurse who fantasizes about a TV star Matt Schramm (Benjamin Bratt) to the point of entering contests to meet him; youngest son Joel (Chase Offerle) is not allowed a life in the household dominated by the bizarre behavior of older brother Justin (Lou Taylor Pucci) who is a chronic underachiever and geek and still sucks his thumb at age 17! Justin is the pivotal role, ashamed of his addiction to thumbsucking but unable to control it until his orthodontist Perry (Keanu Reeves) applies hippie hypnosis in aversion therapy, putting Justin in touch with his inner 'Power Animal'. Justin's failing grades and bizarre behavior prompt the school psychologist to diagnose ADD and Justin begins to take Ritalin. Pow! Life changes: Justin becomes a star on the debate squad guided by teacher Mr. Geary (Vince Vaughn), finally is approached by a mixed up girl Rebecca (Kelli Garner) who even introduces him to pot. No longer sucking his thumb, Justin becomes a champ - and an arrogant overachiever!

Audrey is assigned as RN to a drug rehab facility where one of her patients just happens to be Matt Schramm, her cocaine and multi-addicted actor/patient. Justin discovers his mother's connection to her fantasy as does Mike and the men of the family think Audrey is having an affair. Incidents occur which draw distant Mike and Justin together, solidify the close relationship of Audrey and Justin, and give Joel a special place of importance in the family. The kinks are ironed out in a well-orchestrated ending.

Not much of a story, but if the film is examined as a series of character developments, folks whose lives influence each other, provide changes in self perception and acceptance, and suggest that maturation is an ongoing matter of evolving, then the power of the movie is significant. Each of the roles is filled by actors who surpass even their own standards: Tilda Swinton is amazing in the breadth of her emotional role; Lou Taylor Pucci may be only 20 years old but he is a dynamite actor; Vince Vaughn, Keanu Reeves, Benjamin Bratt and Vincent D'Onofrio - each out of their element - prove that given the right material they can produce subtle, nuanced performances. Mike Mills directs with the manner that makes us feel as though he is giving his talented cast utter freedom to create while maintaining the reins on the flow of the story. Outside of an obnoxious musical score that covers the lines of the actors whenever it is concurrent on the track there are few flaws.

Yes, similar stories exist, and yes, the film could use some editing polish, but for a first film directing venture Mike Mills has a lot to say and orchestrates a fine cast in a memorable movie. Recommended for those who appreciate little films that quietly move us. Grady Harp, January 06

I just saw this on Sundance and I can't believe it didn't win more awards!
It's the best movie I've seen in years and one of the rare few that I'd like to see again and to buy the dvd! The story is engaging, the acting top notch, the issues universal and thought provoking...It's also uplifting and a great movie for anyone who may feel like a "square peg" or just different and lacks confidence due to being "different". Has an amazing stellar cast as well with Tilda Swinton, Keanu Reeves, Vince D'Onofrio, his buddy Vince Vaughn and Benjamin Bratt and of course the leads Lou Taylor Pucci and his lady love interest. This is not a teen movie unless you think of Edward Sccisor hands as a teen movie! (This movie is pignant but still upbeat and funny) Made me think about Kurt Cobain who also was put on Ritalin as a kid...

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.