Retro Film Review: Little Children (2006)

Todd Field, despite his filmography as director being anything but prolific, managed to become one of the more interesting figures of modern American cinema. Good example of his style and favourite themes can be found in his second film, 2006 drama Little Children.

The film is based on the eponymous 2004 novel by Tom Perrotta, the author renowned for novels that were adapted into 1999 black comedy Election and television series The Leftovers. The script, co-written by Field and Perrotta, is set in a Boston middle-class suburb inhabited and follows the lives of several characters. One of them is Sarah Pierce (played by Kate Winslet), self-proclaimed scholar and former feminist who struggles to reconcile with her new role as a wife and mother. The embodiment of Sarah's ideals is Kathy Adamson (played by Connelly), a workaholic documentary filmmaker whose unsuccessful husband Brad (played by Patrick Wilson) is apparently happy to take the responsibilities of stay-at-home dad. Meanwhile, their neighborhood is disturbed by the arrival of Ronald James McGorvey (played by Jackie Earle Healey), a paroled paedophile intending to live with his elderly mother May (played by Phyllis Sommerville). Most disturbed by this is Larry Hudges (played by Noah Emmerich), a former police officer and Brad's friend, who, as a self-styled vigilante, begins a campaign of intimidation and harassment against the McGorveys.

Before his notable feature directing debut In the Bedroom, Field was better known to the public as an actor, particularly remembered for his role as a pianist in Eyes Wide Shut, Stanley Kubrick's last film. In Little Children, more than in his earlier film, the influence of the old master, known for his misanthropy and cynicism, is evident. Field's direction is cold yet precise, and he approaches the characters and events in a way that makes it difficult to find sympathy at first glance. The narration, which provides information about the characters along with a series of sarcastic socio-psychological comments, contributes significantly to this impression.

Field's approach is very good, but in his attempt to dissect the characters and the world they inhabit in detail, he sometimes dilutes the plot too much. Some scenes, such as McGorvey's visit to the pool, veer into the grotesque. However, Field allows the audience, especially towards the end, to find a glimmer of hope and humanity in the characters, and the conclusion significantly improves the overall impression—being markedly different from what the preceding events suggest, as well as from the unwritten rules of similar Hollywood films of that type.

Little Children, while showcasing an experienced director and skilled screenwriters, and boasting a fairly reliable cast, is not among the works that can expect to achieve the status of unquestionable classics in the future, as evidenced by its lack of recognition in the race for Oscar nominations. However, this does not mean it should be deprived of recommendations, as it represents much of what a "serious" Hollywood film should be.

RATING: 7/10 (+++)

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