“Hearts in Atlantis” is shown via flashback from the perspective of Bobby Garfield, portrayed by two time Emmy nominee, David Morse (John Adams). He is a professional photographer who has returned home to Harwich, Connecticut, to attend the funeral of one of his best friends from childhood, John Sullivan (Will Rothhaar). Bobby begins to reflect back to the time of his eleventh birthday. He wanted a particular bicycle, that was on display in the window of a store in his town, but he couldn’t afford it. Instead, he spends the majority of his time with John, and his other best friend, the tomboyish, Carol Geber (Mika Boorem). In addition to being Bobby’s good friend, Carol is his first great love.
When the film focuses on Bobby’s youth, the character is played by Anton Yelchin (Star Trek). Bobby is being raised by his widowed, working class mother Liz. The part of Liz is effectively acted by two time Golden Globe nominee, Hope Davis (Succession). She comes across as selfish; as she opts to spend money on an array of new dresses, as opposed to purchasing Bobby the bike for his birthday present. The only gift he receives, is an adult library card, that she picked up for him for free. The reason proffered by Liz for his not getting the bicycle – even though she spends money on herself – is that Bobby’s father was never able to pass up an inside straight, so he didn’t leave them any money. It is a story Bobby has apparently heard on numerous occasions. His attempt to gain further insight into who his father was is in vain. It is a subject which his mother refuses to broach.
Into Bobby’s and Liz’s life comes Ted Brautigan, a mysterious older gentleman. The character is poignantly portrayed by two time Oscar winner, Anthony Hopkins, (Silence of the Lambs). Unbeknownst to Bobby and Liz, Brautigan has extraordinary psychic abilities. He moves his belongings in paper bags, as opposed to luggage; much to the chagrin of Liz. Brautigan has come to rent the room in the upstairs portion of the Garfield home. Ted is friendly, attentive, and he enjoys spending time with Bobby. He imparts no information about who he is, and what he has done, throughout the course of his lifetime. Bobby takes an instant liking to him and during one of their earliest conversations, Ted offers Bobby a job. He will pay him $1 a week. It was a good deal of money to a child back in 1960, the time in which the film takes place. All Bobby needs do to earn the money is read Mr. Brautigan the newspapers, since his eyesight is not what it used to be. Bobby is also to keep watch for any ‘missing’ notices posted by the ‘low men,’ as Ted refers to them. They are a group of people, who are hunting Ted and haunt his thoughts whenever he thinks they are getting too close to capturing him. Bobby doesn’t particularly believe Ted, but when he sees the first strange sign, he rips it down out of fear of losing his new friend.
Liz goes away on a business trip. She views the trip through the eyes of an idealist, who thinks that being asked to accompany the boss and several of her co-workers is a step toward advancing her career. She wants Bobby to stay at the Sullivan’s house, but they’re going out of town for John’s grandmother’s birthday. Ted agrees to watch him. The trip does not go as Liz planned. Making matters worse, Carol’s arm gets dislocated. Bobby takes her to Ted for help. When Liz comes through the door to find Carol lying on her back with her shirt undone, she immediately thinks the worst, which sets the stage for the remainder of the film.
Will Carol be able to persuade Liz that Ted was helping to mend her arm and not molesting her as she assumes? Will she not listen to Carol and decide to get the police involved, or worse yet the ‘low men’? Will the ‘low men’ catch up with Ted, thereby causing Bobby to lose his friend? Those questions and several more will be answered by the conclusion of the film’s runtime.
“Hearts in Atlantis” was directed by two time Oscar nominee, Scott Hicks (Shine). Two time Oscar winner, William Goldman, (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid), wrote the screenplay, based on a book written by Stephen King. While the film is taken from King’s work, the story which it presents to the viewer was called “Low Men in Yellow Coats,” and is the first of five stories contained within the novel; however, the film takes its name from the second of the five stories in King’s book. Oscar nominee, Piotr Sobocinski (Three Colors: Red), cinematography does a more than competent job of showcasing the right look for the world in which the adult Bobby lives, as well as, the nostalgic reminiscing that pertains to his youth. The film premiered on September 7, 2001 at the Toronto International Film Festival. Parts drama and mystery, the movie has a runtime of 101 minutes.
Trivia buffs take note: King’s character of Ted Brautigan appears in the seventh book of the author’s epic series, “The Dark Tower.” In the novel, Ted’s powers are fully realized as he leads several characters into a closet, which transports them to another land. One of the characters compares the closet in “The Dark Tower” to C.S. Lewis’s magical wardrobe in “The Chronicles of Narnia.” Hope Davis and Anton Yelchin would again play mother and son in the 2007 film “Charlie Bartlett,” directed by Jon Poll. Jeremy Sumpter, who played J.D. McCoy on the NBC football themed drama “Friday Night Lights,” was originally in consideration to play the character of Bobby Garfield.
My one issue with the film is that it didn’t go into enough explanation as to who the ‘low men’ were and where they came from. All the viewer does learn, is that Ted is being sought out by these men. They most likely want to exploit his psychic abilities, but for what specific purpose? Do they work for the federal government? Are they members of organized crime? Is Ted wanted by an organization not known to the public at large, or is it something else entirely? I read the book before I saw the movie, but for those who didn’t, and watch the film with no prior knowledge, I could understand the viewers enjoyment being a bit hampered by a lack of explanation.
Overall, I liked the film. The cast was good in their respective roles. I would recommend it for fans of Hopkins, Davis, and those who, like myself, eventually get around to reading or watching anything associated with Stephen King’s fiction. As of the writing of this post, the film can be rented on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, and other platforms.
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