Thumbsucker

Reviewed by:
Pete Hammond

Yeah, Keanu Reeves and Vince Vaughn are in Thumbsucker, but they're just slumming in Indieville. The big reason to see this film is Lou Pucci. He's the lanky newcomer who plays the title role (a thumbsucking teen) in such a dour, unaffected manner you'll swear he sat behind you in biology. Oral fixations with stubby fingers aside, it’s not like this little thumbsucker's a total freak: he's bright, he's a star debater, and when he's not sucking his thumb he likes sucking face with his wannabe girlfriend. But after he gets medicated for his problem, the film becomes just another interesting take on growing up. Offsetting Pucci's breakout performance is Reeves, who sleepwalks through his orthodontist/guru philosopher role while uttering lines like, "Don’t fool yourself into thinking you’ve got the answer. The trick is living without an answer. I think." (Another trick: succeeding without talent.) With its awkward teenage protagonist and coming-of-age strangeness, it won't be long before someone will breathlessly approach you and hail Thumbsucker as the second coming of Napoleon Dynamite. Look out jocks, cheerleaders, and contact lenses: The nerds aren't done getting their revenge just yet.

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