Taken as simply a short yarn told through a filter of childhood innocence, Hearts in Atlantis tugs at the ol' heartstrings in all the right ways.
Hearts in Atlantis (2001)
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Reviews Counted:133
Fresh:65
Rotten:68
Average Rating:5.7/10
Consensus: Hearts in Atlantis is well-acted and beautiful to look at, but the movie is nothing more than a mood piece.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for violence and thematic elements
Runtime: 1 hr 41 mins
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:Sep 28, 2001 Wide
Box Office: $23,604,382
Synopsis: "Sometimes when you're young, you have moments of such happiness, you think you're living in someplace magical, like Atlantis must have been; then we grow up and our hearts break into... "Sometimes when you're young, you have moments of such happiness, you think you're living in someplace magical, like Atlantis must have been; then we grow up and our hearts break into two." --Ted Brautigan For middle-aged photographer Bobby Garfield (DAVID MORSE), the past comes kicking the door down one day when the death of a childhood friend beckons him back to the town of his upbringing, and the memory of his 11th summer in 1960. It's a summer of friendship shared with his closest pals, Carol (MIKA BOOREM) and Sully (WILL ROTHHAAR), and marked by the arrival of a new lodger, Ted Brautigan (ANTHONY HOPKINS) in the upstairs apartment of the boarding house where Bobby lives with his self-obsessed mother, Liz (HOPE DAVIS). Bobby's memory of his long-dead father is clouded by his mother's bitterness, but Ted fills the gap, offering him adult friendship and attention, and helping to open the boy's eyes to a bigger world. But Ted brings with him too a haunted past, and strange powers which both puzzle and alarm Bobby. When he offers Bobby a job, it's more than simply reading the paper to save the old man's failing eyes. Ted enlists the boy to help him avoid a powerful danger that's pursuing him. As the last summer of Bobby's childhood draws to a close, Ted gives him a new understanding of his father, and the possibilities of life and love, before events overtake them all. Ted's pursuers close in, forcing Bobby to find depths of courage and forgiveness he never imagined. And for the adult Bobby, revisiting his childhood home and the memories of a summer long gone, a chance encounter completes the circle of his journey back in time. -- © Warner Bros. [More]
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Anton Yelchin, Hope Davis, David Morse
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Anton Yelchin, Hope Davis, David Morse, Mika Boorem, Alan Tudyk, Tom Bower, Celia Weston, Adam LeFevre, Deirdre O'Connell, Timothy Reifsnyder, Will Rothhaar
Director: Scott Hicks
Director: Scott Hicks
Screenwriter: William Goldman
Producer: Kerry Heysen
Studio: Warner Bros.
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Reviews for Hearts in Atlantis
The film has a lot of nice little touches going for it, and while there are the obligatory moments of heartstring plucking underscored by the stir of violins, it never really overdoes things. The only problem is, it's just been so done already.
Movie lovers who leave their expectations at the door and treasure fascinating characters and superb acting are in for a treat.
Likeable, nostalgic movie that walks a smooth tightrope between a coming-of-age tale and a dark, long-forgotten Twilight Zone episode.
At its best, the movie has that 'a tale told' quality that Goldman used so winningly in The Princess Bride.
After having our hearts ripped from us; Hearts in Atlantis miraculously sets them beating again.
This is about the problems of growing up and of friendship, and when it stays on that level, it's brilliant.
Director Scott Hicks imbues this fascinating coming-of-age drama with remarkable scenes and an astonishingly rich collection of performances.
A heartwarming coming-of-age pic that prompts its audience to recall the golden days of joyful youth.
The elegiac, reflective mood is treated almost incidentally, letting it earn a reaction naturally
The film offers genuine rewards, particularly its understanding of the crossroads that lead a child to adulthood.
Latest News for Hearts in Atlantis
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
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| 98% 98% | Up |
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| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
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| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
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| 45% 45% | Shorts |
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