Martian Child

This fine, quirky family film, based on an award-winning book, has been sitting on a shelf for about a year, and now is finally being rather quietly released against another kid flick, Bee Movie, which will grab 10 times the audience of Martian Child. And that's too bad, because this is an out-of-this-world movie for anyone with a heart. John Cusack plays a man who has just lost his fiancée and in his grief decides to adopt a troubled young boy in order to create a family. The problem is the kid (Bobby Coleman) thinks he is from Mars. He spends most of his time on the school grounds hiding in a box with two slats for his eyes to peer out at the strange world he perceives is out there. When he finally emerges he is so pale he looks like an albino midget, using 45 sunblock on his face and uttering strange Martian-speak to communicate. Undaunted and urged on by his sister (Joan Cusack), John tries to reach out and create a father-son relationship with this odd duck, who clearly reminds him of the kind of outcast he was at that age. Helping out is Cusack's aging golden retriever named Somewhere, who the kid quickly rechristens as Flomar (Martian for "furry beast"). It's a movie that champions being different, marching to your own drummer, and asking for a little compassionate understanding. This is the rare family entertainment that works for everyone. As always, John Cusack, a consistently good actor, is perfect. But it's Coleman who truly delivers one of the most uniquely original kid performances ever. You actually believe he just might be from Mars!