1. Sam

   10

   In my opinion, this is a spectacular, underated motion picture landmark. The acting, especially Mr. Hopkins. I was impressed with how the plot was about tellepathy and real-life happenings. Not some gazer beam trying to fry the world or some terrorist with a nuclear missle that'll alter the moon's orbit making chaos on earth. No, this is real stuff people. Rape, abuse, loss of a family member, loss of a friend, and financial problems. Spectacular overall, this is one of the best movies I have ever seen.… Expand

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2. RonnieW.

   9

   Wonderful movie... great story. i wish there are more movies like this.

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3. JimM.

   1

   SHORT VERSION: Read the book; skip the film. LONG VERSION: I am a recently “revived” fan of Stephen King. As a teen, I loved the Shining, both book and film, and then read 4-5 more books, such as Cujo, Christine, and the Stand. Now in my forties, I’ve recently finished reading King’s Dark Tower series, considered his greatest work by many (including me), and I’ve found a new interest in reading his writings. I’ve started reading all the books which are related in some way to the Dark Tower series, of which Hearts in Atlantis is one. Hearts in Atlantis is a collection of novellas strung together by common characters, all of whom appear as the three childhood friends in the first novella on which the movie is based. This movie is based on that first novella, called Low Men in Yellow Coats. I think Stephen King is a master storyteller. His genre (horror, sci-fi) probably puts serious critics off, but King’s Constant Readers know what snooty critics cannot- the simple joy of chilling or suspenseful stories set in everyday American lives and settings. Having read the Dark Tower magnum opus (the Gunslinger Series of seven novels) before I read Hearts in Atlantis, I was able to even better appreciate the themes and references the two hold in common. It was like meeting old friends again, and catching up on old times. It must be very difficult creating believable screenplays from Stephen King books (or any books, for that matter), since it is so rarely done well. Books CAN make great films, as Stanley Kubrick (dir., The Shining) fans like me know; but it must be very hard to do. The movie versions of King books have, I’ve noticed, rarely survived their translation into film. This is a terrible tragedy, especially to those of us who, like King himself, love scary stories and scary movies. The film version of Hearts in Atlantis was very poorly translated, in my opinion. Within the first act, I realized how loosely based on the novella this movie would be, but still held out hope for a hint of King’s genius for creating believable characters. Instead, the screenplay and performances by everyone, including Hopkins I am sad to say, were stilted, wooden, and felt like a bad school play. Some critics have noted how family friendly this movie is. King books are not for families, as a general rule. This movie felt like a failed attempt at making a great King story into an ABC after school special. Surely there are better sources of material for family-friendly film fare than Stephen King books! For all things creepy, weird, and believably spooky, though, just go to your local bookstore and pick up any King book. Removing from the Atlantis film all references to the Crimson King, the Breakers, and Ted Brautigan’s connections to the Dark Tower epic, lowered the movie to a poor reflection of King’s original story. By acting, art direction, and directing that lacked passion and devotion to its roots in Stephen King’s devotion to believable characters, this film, in my opinion, went all the way down to the level of frustrating waste of time.… Expand

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