Mike Mills' 2005 coming-of-age indie, Thumbsucker, is available on DVD and is well worth your purchase or rental dollars.
You'll get Thumbsucker's gist from the DVD's menu design, which gives us on-the-nose themes from the story; for example: "How can I be the parent, when I'm just the kid?" or "Oh right, answers. I'm just guessing" and "I love you so much I just can't deal with you."
This is a story about growth, about development, about what's important, and what's simply a ruse (hint: it rhymes with plumbplucking) - and how we're all just frightened animals as we grow and deal with the world.
The characters are lined up in neat little metaphoric rows for us to poke and prod. Justin (Lou Pucci) is our coming-of-age hero and thumbsucker, Mike (Vincent D'Onofrio) and Audrey (Tilda Swinton) are his parents and they are terrified of getting old (they insist that their children call them by their first names,) Dr. Perry Lyman (Keanu Reeves) is his mystical orthodontist who, well... sets things straight, and Mr. Geary (Vince Vaughn) is his teacher who is tasked with challenging and assessing Justin during this chaotic period.
Mills' use of intercutting time lapses to get into his characters heads works well and his use of a few surreal sequences will remind you of Donnie Darko. But Thumbsucker is not dark - it's an innocent world where being screwed-up is simply part of life. Trouble comes when we try and figure out why we're so screwed up - or real trouble when we try and fix it. Thumbsucker's lesson is not to simply say: no one can change. Its lesson is more: understand what it screwed up about you, and learn to live with you (notice I didn't write "it".)
Mild Plot Spoiler
Thumbsucker's plot is really quite simple: boy sucks thumb, boy tries and tries to not suck thumb, boy accepts he sucks his thumb. Mills and co-writer Walter Kirn use this device to show us a child and then force us to see that thumbsucking in this case is not childish.
The script does a fine job of dealing with such topics as over prescribed teen pharmaceuticals and drug use without getting preachy. There's never a sense of an all-powerful Being passing judgment - only how these substance-abuse answers are really not answers at all; they are simply the forest that Justin must pass through on his journey.
Thumbsucker's casting (Jeanne McCarthy) may be the real star here. D'Onofrio and Swinton (Mike and Audrey) are matchless as parents and a couple dealing with their mid-life crises. The script's most honest and open line of dialogue is from Mike after learning that Justin has been excepted to NYU and will be leaving right away: "I was just getting used to you."
Keanu Reeves is right on as the guru orthodontist, who changes throughout the story but always seems to have the right answers. Perry has Thumbsucker's best line of dialogue: "Some dumb babysitter holds your mouth shut so she can watch her soap operas in peace, and at forty you wonder why you can't stay married."
Pucci is near perfect in this role of terrified teen taking flight. He possesses the rare ability to speak volumes with his eyes. You'll empathize and sympathize with Justin in those quiet moments.
The other star of Thumbsucker is Tim DeLaughter's score. If that name sounds familiar, it's because Tim founded The Polyphonic Spree - and if you don't know them, you should... There are also some standout tracks by the late Elliott Smith that fit perfectly with Thumbsucker's tone. This is a score you'll want to own.
Thumbsucker plays like a real-world coming-of-age movie. There's nothing dark or weird here - what is here is a family and a world that most, if not all of us, will relate to and understand.
Thumbsucker definitely belongs in your Netflix queue.
Various Thumbsucker things:
- Lou Pucci won a 2005 Sundance Special Jury Prize for this role
- Co-Writer Walter Kirn plays the debate judge
- Scarlett Johansson was originally cast as Justin's love interest, Rebecca, but she dropped out shortly before filming and was replaced by Kelli Garner
- Note the name of the lead production company
Production Companies
- Scared Little Animals LLC
- Bob Yari Productions
- Bull's Eye Entertainment
- Cinema-Go-Go
- Good Machine
- Keep Your Head
- This Is That Productions
Distributors
- Sony Pictures Classics
