For those of you who are not in a book club, The Lovely Bones is the story of a 14-year-old girl who is murdered in a cornfield near her home in 1970’s Pennsylvania. She narrates her tale and watches her family cope from the “in-between”–a perfect place to hang out before one lets go and ends up in Heaven. (OK. I can hear you groaning.) I had been warned that the “Heavenly” scenes in the film were pretty saccharine–but they are in the book as well, and were my least favorite part of the novel. And, it is true that Peter Jackson’s (The Lord of the Rings trilogy) CGI effects in these parts of the film are pretty silly, but they fall just short of awful in this thankless task. Where Peter Jackson succeeds is in the mood of the story. He does this more than adequately, and nicely captures and conveys the sadness and yearning that pervade the novel.

The cast deserves some credit for this success. Stanley Tucci is almost unrecognizable as the creepy neighbor who painstakingly sketches out plans to lure Susie to her death. Mark Wahlberg is convincing as the manic dad, crazed with grief and haunted by his daughter’s “ghostly“ presence in his life. Susie’s sister Lindsey (Rose McIver) is given short shrift in the film (as compared to the novel). Jackson chooses to focus more on the father’s pursuit of the killer than Lindsey’s gut instinct that there is a psychopath living across the street. Saoirse Ronan, as the murdered teen Susie, is appropriately breathy in narration from “heaven” and spunky in her pre-death performance. Where she excels is in the terrifying moments when she realizes that she is trapped with a man who is going to kill her. These moments are absolutely stomach-churning. I would advise all parents to be prepared for these scenes, for themselves as well as for their young teens, if they choose to let them watch. Jackson spares the audience the gruesome details and elegantly handles the end of this scene.

The PG-13 rating on this film is Absolutely Too Soft! This is a film with some very disturbing moments similar to and more intense than one of Jackson’s early films, Heavenly Creatures (1994). Heavenly Creatures was also infused with a dreamy/nightmare vibe similar to the mood in The Lovely Bones. A nod must also be given to the set designer and costume designer for their accurate evocation of 1970’s suburbia. It is not unusual for a film to fail to live up to expectations when a gripping novel is adapted to the big screen—this film is no exception. The Lovely Bones is a film with many flaws, yet enough positives to merit a view on the small screen. – [DVD]

Drama/Fantasy/Thriller

Rated PG-13

DVD Release Date: 4/20/10

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