Fussy teen angst, insecurity, and Attention Deficit Disorder are cleverly personified by oral fixation in this understated, ironic indie—based on Walter Kirn's novel—that pokes fun at suburban ennui in general and at all sides in the debate over drugging troubled kids with mood stabilizers such as Ritalin and Prozac. Newcomer Lou Taylor Pucci embodies wallflower misfit-dom as Justin, a skinny, hair-in-his-eyes teenager who only lets go of his titular childlike habit after being put on meds that brighten his personality and clear his depression enough for him to become the geeky star of his high school debate team. Soon it becomes equally evident that the adults in his life are just as screwed up in their own ways, which leads Justin to an internal debate about his pharmaceutical-induced contentment. Writer-director Mike Mills takes stylistic cues from Paul Thomas Anderson (Magnolia) and Todd Solondz (Happiness), creating characters often stripped down to their raw, vulnerable humanity, and the strong cast includes Tilda Swinton as Justin's downtrodden mom whose fortunes rise with her son's, Vincent D'Onofrio as his failed football-player dad, Vince Vaughn as his glib, weirdly attentive debate coach, and Keanu Reeves, stunt-cast as a hippie hypno-dentist. Unfortunately, the film stumbles a bit when the solutions to the problems come off seeming a little too easy. A strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by writer/director Mike Mills, a 42-minute “Conversation” documentary with Mills and novelist Walter Kirn, a 22-minute behind-the-scenes featurette, a DVD-ROM director's blog, and trailers. Bottom line: a fine extras package for an uneven film.] (R. Blackwelder)
Thumbsucker
Sony, 96 min., R, DVD: $26.99, Jan. 24 Volume 21, Issue 1
Thumbsucker
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: