Hearts in Atlantis is another Stephen King adaptation I wasn't aware of, it stars Anthony Hopkins, David Morse, and the taken before his time Anton Yelchin.It tells the story of a small bullied boy, his father has passed away and his mother isn't fullfilling her duties as a parent. When a mysterious man appears in his life everything changes.I had no idea what to expect but was quickly gripped, it was standard King stuff from small town America to flashbacks of youth to that wonderful charm they all seem to have.The movie immediatly whispers sweet promises in your ear, you know something is coming and you'll expect it to be big! Sadly it doesn't entirely deliver, in fact I found the big "Revelation" very underwhelming. Don't get me wrong it was okay but not on the level I had expected.Hearts in Atlantis is a beautiful quaint little tale, but is not one of those big epic life changing experiences that occasionally cross our paths.The Good:Cast are on pointLooks and sounds wonderfulVery charmingThe Bad:The twist is very weakFeels like it should have been betterThings I Learnt From This Movie:Anthony Hopkins simply can do no wrong can he?

Anthony Hopkins was so great, explained to Bobby about life, it's good & bad sides. He told Bobby how to choose what you need to do in the life. About right & wrong & learning how to deal with your choices. People make mistakes, you learn from them, except the lesson & move on with life. To forgive, love, remember those you have loved & lost in life. Live life the best that you can.Anton Yelchin was great also as a good boy needing someone to Care, and Love him. Someone to look up to & help him to learn how to live, make right decisions, to grow up to be the best that he can be. Growing up with only one parent that has to work to support the both of you, doesn't leave too much time together. Not much money to be able to do things that cost money, unless they work 2 jobs or more overtime. Sometimes trying to do more so you can give or do costly things with your child hurts them more by giving less time of yourself. It's important to be there for your child.This was a truly emotional, moving, & thought provoking story. I Loved it & cried at the ending for everyone's tragic events! As life really is a mix of events we travel thorough.

I remember reading this book by Stephen King and thinking at the time that if they ever make a movie of it, they should leave out other aspects of the story (stories) and concentrate just on the story about the man with psychic powers and the boy he befriends, which is exactly what they did.However, the film suffers from one great miscalculation. The "low-men", who are after Brautigan (Anthony Hopkins)...well, we never quite figure out who they are or why they are after him; it's left very nebulous. Are they actually "bad guys", government agents, or what? Beyond that, it's a rather charming story (and not very Stephen King-ish) about a meaningful relationship between a strange man and a boy who needs a father figure in his life. But that missing information about the "low-men" prevents us from ever understanding exactly who Brautigan is.Anthony Hopkins is perfect here, although there are times he seems to mumble, and you may miss a bit of dialog. The boy -- Anton Yelchin -- has been fairly active in films, although I did not recognize the name. He's superb here. Hope David (the boy's mother) did okay, but I was not particularly impressed, although admittedly her role was not very sympathetic. Mika Boorem, a young actress I have not kept up with, is superb as the boy's "girl friend". David Morse is very good as the boy grown up (the whole movie is a sort of flashback), and he is a busy, but in view underrated actor.Do I recommend this film? Well, yes and no. The story portrays relationships very sensitively, but that missing info about the "low-men" leaves a huge gap. I enjoyed watching it even a third time, but I won't be tempted to buy it for my DVD shelf. I'd give it a sold "7" if we learned who the "low-men" really were; instead, I'll give it a "6" -- a low rating for me.Nevertheless, I do recommend you watch this film.

It's been many years now but every once in a while I go through this story/movie again, bringing up the same emotions and fondness of it. This movie is nothing spectacular, not a major hit by any standards, but personal experience for intelligent and thoughtful people. Behind it is some brilliant work of Mr. King (at his best, when not writing horror stories), which makes him (for me, at least) one of the best writers America ever had. And this story has been told through an excellent movie, with carefully picked up cast, to give probably their best, yet simple, performances. It is a very smooth movie, very well and sensibly directed. I'm highly recommending it but not to everyone - just to the ones who know how to appreciate a little masterpiece. To them it will be timeless. Everyone else – just forget it.