Once again, Stephen King wrote a story about a boy growing up in the late '50s (actually 1960 this time) and it became a movie, 2001's Hearts in Atlantis. It's one of the best ones, too. I'd say it's highly underrated with perfect performances from Anthony Hopkins and the late Anton Yelchin.
The screenplay is by William Goldman, author of The Princess Bride, and the relationship between Ted (Hopkins) and Bobby (Yelchin) somewhat resembles the one between Peter Falk and Fred Savage. Hopkins basically plays himself but that means he has his usual, mesmerising delivery and when he tells Bobby stories it's easy to see how the little boy would get transfixed.
The movie's not subtle about Bobby's issues with an absent father figure. Bobby's mother, played by Hope Davis, is selfish and spiteful. She becomes a victim of assault late in the film which makes her crueller but also somewhat redeems her, a plot turn that many an academic would call "problematic". And, sure, Bobby's love interest, Carol (Mika Boorem) is the only positively portrayed female character and she is portrayed as being totally pure. So it's not the best movie in the world in regards to its depictions of women and girls. It's more successful in its focus on Bobby and Ted.
Yelchin is quite good as he tries to navigate the deceptions spun by his mother and his increasing loyalty to and concern for Ted. Ted turns out to be possessed of psychic powers and he tells Bobby certain "low men" wearing black are looking for him (in King's story, the men wore yellow, which I think would've been more visually interesting). Ted is calm, cool, and odd in a crises and Hopkins always knows just the right amount of distress and calculation to convey to make Ted come across as someone truly wise. Goldman's screenplay is well crafted and King always has a base level of quality but, more than anything else, it's Hopkins and Yelchin who make the movie work.
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