The Lovely Bones
Release Date:
December 11, 2009
Expands December 25, 2009
Limited release
On the Big Board |
| Position |
Staff |
In Brief |
| 45/169 |
Max Braden |
The afterlife effects are pretty cool. Readers say the movie is a letdown; without having read the book the movie is fine, but a lot like a tv procedural. |
It's not a particularly well hidden secret that our staff...likes Peter Jackson. Heavenly Creatures is an underrated favorite, Braindead is schlocky good horror fun, King Kong has a remarkable second half, and then there's a trio of films known as The Lord of the Rings. We sort of love those movies. Thus, we're always going to be pretty thrilled when the director has a new project in the offing. Sure, he was attached as producer to summer's District 9, but we're all ramped up to see what he'll do with a more subdued story than he's attempted in some time.
Based on a popular novel by Alice Sebold, the movie centers on a girl named Susie Salmon (played by Atonement's Saoirse Ronan) who is killed by a neighbor, who is a serial killer and rapist. She finds herself in a Heaven-like place, where she observes her family's grief and also watches her murderer's plans to repeat his crime. Ronan has already been nominated for an Academy Award, and seems quite a solid choice for the role, and she stars alongside Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz and Stanley Tucci.
While the story sounds as though it might be akin to Mystic River or something similar in tone, the fact that Susie is in "Heaven" allows Jackson to play with effects and images in her ethereal location. The trailer is very intriguing, and we're guessing that The Lovely Bones will be in the discussion for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, along with a slew of other awards. (Kim Hollis/BOP)
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