Four 12-year-olds are inseparable over the summer: individualistic identical twins Jacob and Rudy (both played by Donovan), chubby Leonard (Camacho) and cheeky Malee (Weizenbaum). When Rudy dies in a terrible incident, the entire community is sent into a tailspin, while the kids react in unexpected ways. Jacob feels deep inadequacy, which his parents (Roache and Atkinson) inadvertently redirect. Leonard becomes obsessed fitness and health--his own and his mother's (DeBonis). And Malee's dawning womanhood takes the friendly Gus (Renner), one of her psychologist mother's (Sciorra) patients, by surprise.

Cuesta's approach is raw and unflinching; many scenes are difficult to watch, simply because he forces us to think about how we would react in the same situations. He accomplishes this by making the kids so bracingly realistic. These aren't sweet, fun-loving movie characters--they're intelligent, rough-talking and dangerous, while also being naive and vulnerable.

These amazing young actors carry the film completely, while the adult characters tend to lurk around the edges, not quite getting the gist of what's going on, but clearly understanding the truth these kids aren't old enough to grasp. It's a delicate balance, and there's not a weak-link performance in the film. The three kids are excellent. And extra credit goes to Renner for taking on such an tricky role with charm and a haunting sincerity.

While Cipriano's script provides a framework, it's Cuesta's direction that makes this film so unforgettable. It's relaxed and almost offhanded, with textured and edgy cinematography heightens the provocative themes. Scenes continually confront us in taboo-breaking ways--Malee's talent show rendition of Blue Oyster Cult's Burn for You, Jacob's creepy friendship with his nemesis (Fuchs), the introduction of a gun into the narrative. Even as the plot gets overwrought, it's still acknowledging kids' realities that most films ignore. So when one of the parents says, "Someday, when you grow up, you'll understand," it sounds both patronising and ignorant.

themes, language, violence

17.Aug.06