Review of Hearts in Atlantis (2001) by Aaron B — 20 Sep 2009

It really pains me to give a low rating to a film starring Anthony Hopkins, but as a constant reader of Stephen King I must protest that this film does absolutely no justice to the book. None. Not that I'm surprised, as this is frequently what happens to King's fantastic writings. At least this movie can stand on its own and be a heartwarming story, instead of turning into what could only be described as a craptastic movie (Remember "It"? Yeah, I didn't think so.).

Don't get me wrong; the acting was wonderful. The kid who played Bobby was nearly as good as Sir Hopkins. And yes, I shed a tear at the end. But the ending in particular is so vastly different from the book as to betray the entire concept of the novel.

And so, I will remain a defender of both the superb acting skills of Sir Anthony Hopkins and also the incredibly unique writing style of Mr. Stephen King. Enjoy the film if you like. Just don't read the book first.