Thumbsucker

Genre: adolescent drama
Director: Mike Mills
Release: 2005
Studio: Bull’s Eye Entertainment, Sony Pictures Classics et al.
Rating: R
MBiS score: 7.9/10


Whatever Gets You Through The Night (thank you, John Lennon!)


At 17, Justin Cobb (Lou Pucci) is in an emotional rut. He lacks motivation in school, doesn’t know what to do with his life and has little success with girls. To relieve himself of his inner tension, he has resorted to sucking his thumb, a nasty habit that infuriates his father Mike (Vincent D’Onofrio) and saddens his mother Audrey (Tilda Swinton). With Vince Vaughn (Mr. Geary), Keanu Reeves (Dr. Perry Lyman), Kelli Garner (Rebecca), Chase Offerle (Joel, Justin’s little brother) and Benjamin Bratt.

Over the years, I have developed an interest for modest, second-tier productions (which works out well if you’re mostly into big-leaguers) and I do hope THUMBSUCKER attracts your attention because it’s an odd and engaging little ride. Though its subject matter may sound unappealing – and even repulsive – at first glance, it really stands out among recent Hollywood films due to its lively pace, intelligence and unpredictable story-line.

In content, THUMBSUCKER delivers some funny moments but doesn’t hide the fact that Justin’s life is mostly sad and rudderless. As bright as he is, our young man suffers from chronic insecurity and, all film long, he will struggle against his private demons using all means available to him. In the process, he will receive lots of advice from a motley group of onlookers, among them his mother and father, a gung-ho teacher and an adult mentor, Perry Lyman, who is at once fascinating and flaky (I don’t understand how an orthodontist can smoke on the job but Perry manages it). As an entertainment vehicle, THUMBSUCKER is never boring and some of its success can certainly be attributed to Lou Pucci and an excellent cast led by Tilda Swinton and Vincent D’Onofrio, a thespian who always catches my eye even in minor roles. In fact, there are enough twists and turns in Mike Mills’ film that it may feel disjointed at some point but it bounces back quickly enough and finishes with a nicely conceived denouement. Production values are consistent throughout and direction shows steadiness as well as ability.

More than anything, you will be impressed with THUMBSUCKER’s sensitivity and seriousness. Instead of mocking Justin or making him the star attraction of some adolescent freak show, it confronts him with a question we must all try to answer in life: how does one cope with this exhausting, dog-eat-dog world around us? For this reason alone, Mike Mills’ film is not only diverting but also instructive and worthy. A little advice never hurts and Perry’s is as good as any: ‘I accepted myself in all my human disorder. You might wanna do the same.’


MBiS

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