Screening at 5:30pm Fri, Oct 11 at The Tower Theatre; 5:30pm Sat, Oct 12 at Tin Pan Theater
When Atticus’ mother, a Subaru-driving, back-to-the-land hippie, unexpectedly dies the pensive youngster, who has been raised to be wary of authority, takes to the woods that surround his upstate New York home. At its roots, this is a film about growing up and unexpected relationships—and director Tom Gilroy does a fine job of letting his story slowly unfold. The opening third of the film pulls viewers in, thanks to stunning shots of the Catskills and a tender relationship between a single mother and her son. Moviegoers, however, shouldn’t be dissuaded by the slow, dialogue-sparse, Into-the-Wild-esque middle third of the film. Atticus’ time alone in the shady woods lets us get to know him that much better. The film really pops in its final third as Atticus (Silas Yelich) meets Carter (Peter Scanavino), a charismatic stoner who, apparently, has a soft spot for runaways. Together the two boys find strength in companionship and a new path.
This article appears in Oct 3-9, 2013.
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