Scott Hicks’ 2001 supernatural drama “Hearts in Atlantis” ought to have been an enormous hit. Primarily based on a novel by Stephen King, the film blended the creator’s bent for Fifties and Sixties nostalgia along with his knack for mysterious fantasy. Instructed in flashback, “Hearts” tells the story of a 12-year-old named Bobby (performed by eventual “Star Trek” actor Anton Yelchin) who is essentially uncared for by his self-absorbed mom (Hope Davis) and who spends his idle summer time days along with his two finest associates, Carol (Meeka Boorem) and Sully (Will Rothhaar). To make ends meet, Bobby’s mother takes on a lodger named Ted Brautigan (Anthony Hopkins) and Bobby quickly learns that Ted has some type of psychic energy. He can learn minds, and make objects float.
Ted explains calmly to Bobby that he has to maintain the powers secret, as he’s being pursued by individuals he calls “Low Males.” Unusually, Ted’s superpowers aren’t the middle of the movie’s plot, because it turns into extra a coming-of-age story for Bobby, and the way Ted turns into one thing of an ersatz father determine. Ted helps Bobby take care of a neighborhood bully (a standard fixture in Stephen King tales) and even makes use of his powers to heal Carol’s shoulder after she injured it in a fall.
The tone of “Hearts in Atlantis” is dreamy and candy, and lacks a whole lot of the grim menace of King’s traditional horror fare. It extra resembles “Stand By Me” than “Firestarter.” The movie was made for a modest $31 million, and made solely $30.9 million on the field workplace. Due to Hollywood accounting, these numbers level to an enormous loss. It additionally did not obtain overwhelmingly optimistic evaluations, incomes a 49% approval score on Rotten Tomatoes (primarily based on 137 evaluations). Some critics felt the movie was too moody.
It wasn’t an auspicious begin for the younger Anton Yelchin.
Anton Yelchin had solely been performing for 2 years when he made Hearts in Atlantis
Yelchin was born within the Soviet Union in 1989, and his household fled to America shortly earlier than the 1991 dissolution of the Republic. Yelchin was raised in Southern California and entered the performing world whereas nonetheless a toddler, first showing in a 2000 comedy movie referred to as “A Man is Largely Water.” His assured display screen presence and pure expertise made Yelchin a notable movie fixture from the beginning.
After showing within the Robert De Niro thriller “15 Minutes” and the serial killer film “Alongside Got here a Spider,” Yelchin starred in “Hearts in Atlantis.” Though solely 12 years previous, his movie profession already had ups and downs.
“Hearts” was launched in late September, indicating that Warner Bros. meant for it to be an awards-season status image. It additionally starred identified Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins and was directed by Scott Hicks, the Oscar nominee behind the 1996 biopic “Shine” and the awards-bait 1999 drama “Snow Falling on Cedars.” Plus, King diversifications had monitor report on the Oscars, as “The Inexperienced Mile” and “The Shawshank Redemption” had been nominated for Greatest Image (in 1999 and 1994, respectively) and Kathy Bates received Greatest Actress for her efficiency in Rob Reiner’s adaptation of King’s “Distress.” The Oscar pedigree was sturdy. Yelchin’s efficiency was additionally, it needs to be famous, fairly highly effective. He held his personal in opposition to heavyweights like Hopkins and Davis, and appeared completely in his factor main a $30 million function movie.
So why did “Hearts in Atlantis” fail? It might have been dangerous timing. It opened solely two weeks after 9/11, and the world might not have been in the suitable headspace for a wistful nostalgia piece about psychic powers. Or possibly it was simply too moody general.
Yelchin bounced again, nevertheless, touchdown lead roles in 2006’s “Alpha Canine” and 2007’s “Charlie Bartlett,” so he in the end stored his profession buzzing. He labored prolifically till his loss of life in 2016. Relaxation in peace, Anton Yelchin (and if you have not seen the wonderful documentary about him referred to as “Love Antosha,” examine that out).
