Martian Child (2007)

"...[a] likable story of healing and redemption.  Claudia Puig, USA Today
"A warm, funny and heartfelt story.  Jeffrey K. Howard, KCLV (Las Vegas)

Editor's Note After decades of playing single men in romantic comedies from the classic SAY ANYTHING to the critical favorite HIGH FIDELITY, the year 2007 marks a change for John Cusack. With roles as fathers in 1408, GRACE IS GONE, and MARTIAN CHILD, the beloved actor grows up and deserves some of the highest praise of his career. In MARTIAN CHILD, David Gordon (Cusack) is a successful science fiction author, plagued by both the death of his wife and writer's block. When a group home worker (Sophie Okonedo) tries to pair him with a young boy named Dennis (Bobby Coleman), David initially resists. But once David spends time with Dennis, he realizes how special the boy is. The outsider (and sci-fi fan) in David thinks he might just understand Dennis best since the child believes that he's from Mars and he'll return there soon. David and Dennis struggle to create the most unconventional of families, as Dennis strives to learn more about being human. MARTIAN CHILD is a moving drama that works because of the genuine performances of everyone involved, but it rides on both the experienced shoulders of Cusack and those of his young costar, Coleman. Both excel at communicating their characters' isolation and eventual connection, but it's Coleman's work in his first major role that is such a pleasant surprise. Supporting turns from Cusack's sister Joan (who plays his sister in the film) and Amanda Peet add emotional depth to the sweet story. MARTIAN CHILD is based on the autobiographical novel by David Gerrold, who is most famous for writing the STAR TREK fan favorite "The Trouble with Tribbles."

	Amanda Peet
	Anjelica Huston
	Bobby Coleman
	Joan Cusack
	John Cusack
	Oliver Platt
	Richard Schiff
	Sophie Okonedo
	Aaron Zigman - Original Music By
	Bruce Green - Editor
	David Gerrold - Based On Novel By
	David Kirschner - Producer
	Gwendolyn Margetson - Art Director
	Hugo Luczyc-Wyhowski - Production Designer
	Jonathan Tolins - Screenplay
	Menno Meyjes - Director
	Robert D. Yeoman - Cinematographer
	Seth Bass - Screenplay
	Toby Emmerich - Executive Producer

Ultimate DVD
3 stars out of 5 -- "Cusack and young Bobby Coleman have a palpable screen connection which will make you go warm and fuzzy..." 04/01/2008 p.86

ReelViews 6 of 10
Martian Child wants to make us cry. It nearly made me gag. This is an exercise in shameless and inept emotional manipulation. The film doesn't try to hide what it's doing. If you don't cry, it hasn't worked. There's not a single genuine human emotion to be found between the beginning and end credits. Worse still, anyone with familiarity with this genre will know how things are going to turn out fifteen minutes into the production. And it's not just the ending that's obvious - it's the entire transparent journey that takes us there. Martian Child offers no surprises, not even little ones. One could argue that its heart is in the right place, but that's about the only thing it gets right...Martian Child had a troubled production history and the release date was delayed several times. The resulting motion picture isn't a first rate disaster but it's unpleasant enough to leave a bad aftertaste. Formulaic tear-jerkers are delicate things and when a director crafts one with the sledgehammer-like subtlety displayed here, it's likely to offend those who value a degree of authenticity in their dramas. - James Berardinelli