Jonathan Safran Foer’s second controversial novel receives a full studio treatment here via Scott Rudin’s production company.  The story involves a boy (Thomas Horn) who loses his father (Tom Hanks, a holy being) on September 11 and has a difficult time dealing with the loss.  He keeps secrets from his mother (Sandra Bullock) and his relationship with her deteriorates until he finds a key that he thinks may be a clue from his father.  He searches New York City for a lock to fit his key and along the way meets many lovable, colorful characters.  He also meets his grandfather (Max Von Sydow, silent and graceful) but eventually runs him off with his rudeness.  A happy ending is waiting once he solves the mystery and reconnects with his mother.

A film about such a serious matter will obviously be dramatic and this film pulls out all the stops in trying to make the subject larger than life.  Thomas Horn is game as the mildly autistic main character but in the end he is impossible to like.  He is rude, impulsive, strange, and not worth all the trouble.  Are the children of 9/11 going to end up as emotionally stunted rudeniks?  Apparently so.  This film’s Best Picture nomination is one of the weakest in years and other than Von Sydow’s performance there is little to recommend it.  ☆ 1/2.

MJM  05-18-2012