Thumbsucker

Thumbsucker is one of those movies that seems to do everything right, and yet somehow falls short in terms of connecting with the viewer. Part of the problem is director Mike Mills’ screenplay, which emphasizes quirkiness to an almost infuriating extent. Newcomer Lou Pucci stars as Justin, a 17-year-old misfit with a penchant for sucking his thumb. This is the least of Justin’s problems, though, as the boy’s having problems at school, he’s not getting along with friends and family, and he seems to be suffering from what seems to be a terminal case of apathy. He’s eventually diagnosed as having ADD, and a daily dose of prescribed drugs seems to be just the trick to pull Justin out of his funk. With a supporting cast that includes Vincent D’Onofrio, Keanu Reeves, and Vince Vaughn, Thumbsucker remains somewhat watchable throughout; however, Mills’ rambling narrative (which only becomes more pronounced as the film progresses) makes it impossible to really latch onto any of these characters. This is particularly true of Pucci’s Justin, who – although the film revolves around him – never entirely comes off as an entirely fleshed-out figure (instead, his actions often seem to be dictated by the film’s unusual plot twists). And while there are a few surprisingly compelling moments towards the end (particularly one revolving around an honest conversation between Justin and his father), it’s an obvious case of too-little-too-late by that point.

** out of ****