The Lovely Bones

Readers of Alice Sebold's 2002 bestseller will already know that this is a ghost story, of sorts: a sad, melancholy meditation told from the afterlife perspective of 14-year-old Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan), a suburban Philadelphia teenager brutally murdered in 1973 by a perverted neighbor. Susie had much to look forward to—she aimed to become a wildlife photographer when she grew up, and wanted to be kissed, preferably by handsome Ray Singh (Reece Ritchie). But all that ended when she was lured into an underground hideaway in a cornfield by a creepy stalker (Stanley Tucci). Unwilling to move on, Susie's soul lingers, observing how her death affects her obsessive-compulsive father (Mark Wahlberg), anguished mother (Rachel Weisz), suspicious younger sister (Rose McIver), and vulnerable brother (Christian Ashdale), as well as Ray. Best known for his Lord of the Rings trilogy and King Kong, New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson fills the screen here with exquisite visual imagery of a celestial limbo, but the lush CGI wizardry threatens to overwhelm the thin, fragile story, which ultimately keeps the audience at an emotional distance. None of this is the fault of the actors, however, who deliver solid performances, particularly the luminous Ronan (Atonement), as well as the almost unrecognizable Oscar-nominated Tucci, and a campy Susan Sarandon as Grandma Lynn, who adds some much needed levity to the surreal drama. Recommended, overall. [Note: Blu-ray extras include an intro by filmmaker Peter Jackson and a “Filming The Lovely Bones” documentary culled from 15 weeks of diary segments and hosted by Jackson and co-screenwriter Philippa Boyers (180 min.). Bottom line: a fine Blu-ray extras package for an interesting cinematic take on Sebold's bestseller.] (S. Granger)