Review: Thumbsucker (A-)

Thumbsucker (2005)
Directed by Mike Mills
Starring Lou Taylor Pucci, Vincent D'Onofrio, Tilda Swinton, Vince Vaughan, Benjamin Bratt, Keanu Reeves and Kelli Garner
MPAA: R
Grade: A-

Review by Sebastian Francis Kennedy

Director Mike Mills ventures into Todd Solonz territory with the slightly unsettling, yet ultimately satisfying feature film, Thumbsucker. On the surface, the story concerns a teenager's addiction to sucking his thumb. However, this addiction is merely a symptom of a larger problem - the teen yearns to fit in, but can't. His family is slowly disintegrating into chaos, and he feels powerless to change it (or himself). He decides that he "wants to change". The film is remarkably well balanced, directed and acted. It is one of the best indie films to hit the U.S. in quite some time.

In Thumbsucker, Justin Cobb (played well by Lou Taylor Pucci) is a high school teen that still sucks his thumb, and is for the most part, a loner. His parents (played by Tilda Swinton, recently of Broken Flowers and Vincent D'Onofrio, (who seems to be in everything these days) are both struggling with their own roles as adults. They refuse to allow their son to call them "Dad" or "Mom", for fear that it makes them feel old. They have trouble dealing with Justin's issues, and finally he takes control of the situation himself by pushing them to allow a doctor's diagnosis to stand. He is put on Ritalin and begins a remarkable transformation.

Thumbsucker features some fantastic acting performances, most notably by Swinton, Taylor Pucci and Vince Vaughan (Wedding Crashers), who plays Justin's debate coach. This is a film that, in tone, reminds me somewhat of American Beauty. It thoroughly dissects the strained relationships that are pushed to the limit when people transform. Director Mike Mills skillfully juggles numerous story threads through the film and in the end, the movie is powerful, uplifting and of course, very enjoyable. Don't miss this one.