"The Lovely Bones"
Directed by: Peter Jackson
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Stanley Tucci, Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon
Rated: PG-13
Those who know director Peter Jackson only from his "Lord of the Rings" trilogy may not recognize the style he brings to the screen in his adaptation of Alice Sebold's 2002 bestselling novel, "The Lovely Bones."
But before Jackson got Hobbit fever he directed two horror/fantasies (that were also tinged with comedy), "Braindead" and "The Frighteners," as well as "Heavenly Creatures," which was based on a true story and filled with matricide and fantasy and the love between two teenage girls.
In "The Lovely Bones," Jackson visits some very creepy territory and, with the help of cinematographer Andrew Lesnie and production designer Naomi Shohan, evokes the visual mood of 1973 as well as a vision of the Elysian Field-like place known as "the in-between." It's a place that's not heaven and not Earth; a purgatory.
The main inhabitant - as far as the film goes - of the in-between is Susie Salmon (played by the effervescent Saoirse Ronan). As the narrator of the film she informs us early on that she is dead; she was murdered at the age of 14 on Dec. 6, 1973. Ronan, herself 14, is already a talent to be reckoned with. She received a 2008 Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress for her role in "Atonement," and her acting - and accompanying voice-over work - in this film belie her young age.
In the first act of "The Lovely Bones" we get the details of Susie's rape, murder and dismemberment at the hands of her neighbor/serial killer, George Harvey.
Thankfully, Jackson doesn't present any graphic violence on-screen, but I'm still surprised the film is rated PG-13. The emotional content is intense enough to garner an R.
Stanley Tucci plays against type as Harvey. He's cold, calculating and creepily quiet. We see him drawing plans for some sort of structure in his sketch book. It turns out to be an underground bunker in the cornfield located between Susie's school and home.
Harvey makes it appealing enough to catch the interest of a 14-year-old girl on her way home from school and reeling from an encounter with a boy she has a crush on.
When Harvey meets Susie on her way home and says he's "built something for the kids in the neighborhood," the audience is saying to themselves, "Don't go in there. Don't go in there ..." But she does. And that's her ticket to the in-between.
She can't get all the way to heaven because she has so much unfinished work on Earth. She wants to help her family deal with their loss. Dad (Mark Wahlberg) is devastated. Mom (Rachel Weisz) can't handle the loss and packs her bags to head off to a life far away, physically and emotionally. Susie's younger sister and brother have the kinds of reactions one can imagine young kids would have when dealing with something for which they are completely unprepared.
She also meets a lot of other girls in the in-between who are eventually revealed to have deep connections.
Sister Lindsey (Rose McIver), with help from the beyond, begins to suspect Mr. Harvey, who is actually planning something for her much like what happened to Susie. The scene with Lindsey inside the killer's house, finding his sketchpad, is effective edge-of-the-seat material.
Critics aren't being overly kind to "The Lovely Bones." Roger Ebert went so far as to say it is "deplorable." And audiences are having mixed reactions. Much like the recent "Youth in Revolt," some fans of the novel are finding fault with the screen interpretation. My longtime movie companion - 33 years of going to movies together - read Sebold's novel and thinks Jackson's film is fairly true to the book. I take her word on that.
It's a disturbing subject to be sure, but the movie isn't as bleak as the subject matter might suggest. There are moments that examine the joy of life, and there is the suggestion that justice somehow always gets done and that this physical plane isn't the be-all, end-all.
I prefer Jackson's work in films like "The Lovely Bones" and "Heavenly Creatures" to his most popular three films.[[In-content Ad]]
Jim Wunderle owns Wunderle Sound Services and is a Springfield freelance writer and musician. He can be reached at info@wunderlesound.com.
