Martian Child
Category: Movies & TVAudio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Over the years I have watched many movies that have been surprisingly good despite the fact that they sounded extremely boring. Movies like Akelah and the Bee, Finding Forrester, Freedom Writers, and The Christmas Shoes, did not scream out “you must watch me,” but they all turned out to be good movies.
Martian Child fits right into this category. Basically this movie is about adoption, plain and simple, that’s it. Sound’s riveting doesn’t it. However, when you start to include plot developments like the main character being a successful, but down to earth writer, and that the child he adopts believes he is from Mars, Martian Child quickly moves away from the formulaic, and instead becomes a highly original movie.
The movie stars John Cussack as David, a science fiction author who is trying to get on with his life after the passing of his wife. In fact, he’s trying to love again and figures if he reaches out and adopts a child then all will be good in the world. However, his sister doesn’t think it’s such a good idea and early on in the movie she asks him whether he really wants a child and tells him that it’s hard being a parent, to which he replies that maybe he doesn’t want to bring child into this world, but is ready, and more than capable of loving a child already here.
The rest of the movie follows the relationship between David and Dennis, the “Martian” child; the up’s and down’s, the frustrations, the fears, the joys, and so on. And what could have easily turned into a yawn-fest “seen it all before” kind of movie, Martian Child turned out to be a surprisingly enjoyable and very thoughtful movie.
Cussack is brilliant, as usual, turning in a performance that is both heartfelt and sincere, and I have to tip my hat to Bobby Coleman who was very believable as Dennis, the “Martian” child, a young boy who has created for himself an alternate reality as a defense mechanism to help him deal with all the rejection and pain he has already experienced in his short time here on planet earth.
Although this movie doesn’t contain a pro-faith message, per say, I thought I would include it because it is maybe one of the finest examples of the fragility of human beings and the one thing that heals all wounds, love. I also found that as a Christian I was able to relate to the story because it reminded me about the unconditional love of the Father, and how once we are adopted in God’s family, nothing can ever separate us from the love of the Father ever again.
It was also a breath of fresh air to watch a movie that was totally free of any violence, sex, and bad language, something many of us have become all too accustomed to in our movie watching habits. The subject matter was also very fresh, as I haven’t seen too many movies that has the issue of adoption as the main focus of the storyline.
Not to ruin the story for you I must admit I did keep hoping that the movie would have a twist ending, that the child was actually a Martian and that the “mothership” would come back for him at the end of the movie. Now that would have been unexpected and very cool, but alas the movie begins and finishes with not an alien in sight.
All in all, I really liked this movie. It was sad, but not depressingly so, and it dealt with the heavy subject matter with seeming ease, yet without making it too fluffy and nonsensical. I highly recommend this movie.
Christian St John
December, 2008
Related Posts:
- Christmas Do-Over Jay Mohr stars in this family Christmas movie, but is it worth putting on your...
- A Simple Faith There was once a time when my faith was so simple; I remember a time...
- Keeping Check I was in my office the other day and looking out of the window I...
- The Wool Cap William H. Macy (Wild Hogs, Cellular), one of the best, though somewhat under-rated actors in...
- Terminator Salvation Don't expect this movie to contain any BIG messages; Terminator Salvation is, for the most...
