Thomas Horn plays Oskar Schell

Tambourine Clad Boy Searches for Answers After 9/11

That dreadful day (Sept. 11th), a precocious 11-yr. old boy, a deceased father, a grieving mother, a caring grandmother, a mysterious key, a silent renter and the residents of New York are all woven together into the movie version of author Jonathan Safran Foer’s book of the same name. A stellar cast, anchored by Tom Hanks, with Sandra Bullock and Viola Davis, all shine in scenes with young newcomer Thomas Horn. The downside − too many loose ends and inadequate explanations − leaves too many unanswered questions in this very sad story.

Director Stephen Daldry and screenwriter Eric Roth have crafted a film that is told through the inner voice of 11-year-old Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn) while he searches New York City for a lock that will fit a key, hoping to solve a secret concerning his deceased father.

Oskar is no ordinary middle school child. He’s highly intelligent, has many fears, is rude to adults, talks in continuous monologue, is socially awkward, perseverates on a topic and has no friends his own age. In my past teaching of gifted 9-11 year olds, these characteristics were recognizable signs of Asperger’s syndrome. In the film, Oskar states that he was tested for this disorder, but then the topic is dropped and we are left to draw our own conclusions.

Viewing a grieving child on-screen as well as adding these unique characteristics could be a deal breaker as to whether you’ll decide to see the film, as Oskar is at the core of the movie. I can tell you that Horn had no previous acting experience and was a big winner on the TV show, “Kid’s Jeopardy.” I can also explicitly tell you, that he handled an extremely verbose script with spot-on pacing and flawless emotion. This was a tough role, even for an experienced child actor. Horn was perfect as Oskar. You can’t help but root for him; he draws you into his world, longing to be noticed, craving love, attention and sympathy.

The film opens with glimpses of Thomas Schell (Hanks) and his son Oskar as they go through daily life together. Oskar is fortunate to have a dad that somehow understands his struggles. He devises scavenger hunts around New York City that benefits Oskar as he’s forced to relate to people during these games. Hanks plays the role with tenderness and compassion. These scenes were my favorite as Thomas Schell is the quintessential model parent. He challenges his overly curious son’s mind as well as his social inabilities. You can sense the delight in both father and son as they clearly enjoy each other’s company.

After Schell dies, Oskar finds a key in his father’s closet with ‘Black’ written on the envelope and embarks on the search for the lock. Using the New York City phone book, Oskar pays a visit to every person listed under the name Black. Oddly, this is the bulk of the movie. This is also when we meet a tearful Viola Davis.

Sandra Bullock plays Oskar’s mother with the same compassion as Hanks, yet her character lacks her husband’s knack in relating to their son. She struggles and Oskar doesn’t give her any slack. These scenes are heart wrenching as, post 9-11, the wedge between mother and son grows deeper. We sense that Thomas is angry with his mother and we aren’t sure why. His disrespectful behavior towards her is also tough to watch, especially since we know how charming he can be with his father. He actually hides the answering machine that has 5 messages from his father on what Oskar refers to as, ‘the worst day’.

In the book, both mother and son are in counseling and we are given some insight into the situation. The film omits this important aspect of the grieving process and viewers are left clueless. Bullock’s parenting appears irresponsible as she allows her son to wander New York City for hours − missing school and interacting with strangers. It just didn’t feel authentic. As a parent I felt uneasy through most of it.

Oskar’s grandmother (Zoe Caldwell) lives next door in an apartment that he can see from his bedroom window. He does confide in her, as well as the new speechless, elderly renter, played by Max von Sydow who accompanies Oskar on part of his search. The renter communicates by using pen marked hands, one ‘Yes’ and the other ‘No’, and also writes short phrases in a notepad. Both characters, while interesting, add further confusion to an already ambivalent script.

Bottom-line: All of the excellent performances can’t lift the veil of doubt and vagueness surrounding the story.

Sarah Knight Adamson© January 17, 2012