Despite the film's laziness and mawkishness, however, Martian Child has some lovely sections.
Martian Child (2007)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:102
Fresh:32
Rotten:70
Average Rating:5/10
Consensus: Despite some charms, overt emotional manipulation and an inconsistent tone prevents Martian Child from being the heartfelt dramedy it aspires to be.
Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for thematic elements and mild language
Runtime: 1 hr 48 mins
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:Nov 2, 2007 Wide
Box Office: $7,486,906
Synopsis: After decades of playing single men in romantic comedies from the classic SAY ANYTHING to the critical favorite HIGH FIDELITY, the year 2007 marks a change for John Cusack. With roles as fathers in... After decades of playing single men in romantic comedies from the classic SAY ANYTHING to the critical favorite HIGH FIDELITY, the year 2007 marks a change for John Cusack. With roles as fathers in 1408, GRACE IS GONE, and MARTIAN CHILD, the beloved actor grows up and deserves some of the highest praise of his career. In MARTIAN CHILD, David Gordon (Cusack) is a successful science fiction author, plagued by both the death of his wife and writer's block. When a group home worker (Sophie Okonedo) tries to pair him with a young boy named Dennis (Bobby Coleman), David initially resists. But once David spends time with Dennis, he realizes how special the boy is. The outsider (and sci-fi fan) in David thinks he might just understand Dennis best since the child believes that he's from Mars and he'll return there soon. David and Dennis struggle to create the most unconventional of families, as Dennis strives to learn more about being human. MARTIAN CHILD is a moving drama that works because of the genuine performances of everyone involved, but it rides on both the experienced shoulders of Cusack and those of his young costar, Coleman. Both excel at communicating their characters' isolation and eventual connection, but it's Coleman's work in his first major role that is such a pleasant surprise. Supporting turns from Cusack's sister Joan (who plays his sister in the film) and Amanda Peet add emotional depth to the sweet story. MARTIAN CHILD is based on the autobiographical novel by David Gerrold, who is most famous for writing the STAR TREK fan favorite "The Trouble with Tribbles." [More]
Starring: John Cusack, Joan Cusack, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt
Starring: John Cusack, Joan Cusack, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Sophie Okonedo, Bobby Coleman, David Kaye, Richard Schiff
Director: Menno Meyjes
Director: Menno Meyjes
Screenwriter: Seth Bass, Jonathan Tolins
Producer: David Kirschner, Ed Elbert, Corey Sienega
Composer: Aaron Zigman
Studio: New Line Cinema
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Reviews for Martian Child
John Cusack is the only bright spot in an otherwise sentimentally sloppy drama that telegraphs its plot points with a blinding laser beam.
Martian Boy carries off the relationship with winning performances from [John] Cusack and the young [Bobby] Coleman...
Martian Child wants to make us cry. It nearly made me gag. This is an exercise in shameless and inept emotional manipulation.
No one in the movie speaks like a real person. Even the youngest cast member talks as if footlights and a proscenium hemmed him in.
There is something disingenuous and calculating about the work of his director and composer.
In this abandoned-kid-who-thinks-he’s-an-alien mush-fest, Martian Child doesn’t offer much beyond its small-screen sensibilities.
The credits state that Martian Child stars John Cusack, Amanda Peet and Joan Cusack, but really, it stars Lucky Charms, M&M's and Amazon.com.
A comedy masterwork that touches the heart with its portrait of the survival tactics of an abandoned orphan and the loving ministrations of a widowed science fiction writer who adopts him.
There are absolutely no surprises as the film disintegrates into its own cutesy display.
Though it panders shamelessly, it's not entirely unwelcome in a time when the PG movie is an endangered species. [DVD review included.]
if you like these emotionally-brittle family dramas, you'll eat this film up. But for a confirmed cynic like myself, it was torture to sit through the movie
The film feels lazily conventional. There are truths to be had here, but much of the film still rings false.
Martian Child would like to be About a Boy (Who Thinks He's a Martian), but, disappointingly, it doesn't even come close.
It's a largely dreary time at the movies and offers next to nothing for the kids that it's advertising to.
Latest News for Martian Child
November 04, 2007:
Box Office Guru Wrapup: American Gangster Crushes Competition at #1
The North American box office exploded thanks to the scorching debuts of the Denzel Washington-Russell Crowe crime drama American Gangster and Jerry Seinfeld's animated comedy... More...
November 03, 2007:
John Cusack gets seriously spaced out, in this cross between A Beautiful Mind and ET. ![]()
More...
November 01, 2007:
Critical Consensus: American Gangster is Certified Fresh, Bee's a B-, Martian Alienates
This week at the movies, we've got crime lords (American Gangster, starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe), busy bees (Bee Movie, starring Jerry Seinfeld), and kids from... More...
November 01, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: Bees and Gangsters Slug It Out For #1 Spot
Following a sluggish fall season, November kicks off with a bang this weekend with two high profile films both reaching for the number one spot while appealing to vastly... More...
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