The Freak's Rating: A : Whenever a story makes the leap from award-winning, best-selling novel to film, I'm always excited and fearful. Will it fall into the tiny percentage that is successful at such a jump or will it fail like most who have tried before it? The Lovely Bones is a beautifully done transition that should be referenced in future such ventures by filmmakers.
Stepping into his Producer shoes, Peter Jackson has brought amazing stories to life on film via his approval in their construction. His hand is ever felt here as the interweaving of a purgatorial state after death into modern day time is masterfully done. Camera angles are nicely put together to pull the audience into nearly every moment. Most noticably, the disturbing subject matter the film embraces (child abduction) is dealt with tastefully but still puts the audience in a state of terror. This is NOT a film for children and could perhaps pull an R rating for subject matter alone.
Mysteries are always difficult to put onto the screen and The Lovely Bones makes no mistake in revealing the killer immediately. The "mystery" is how to prove he is the killer, specifically how the father of one of his victims can help prove it to the police. This is a beautiful take on what happens to children if they were to die in this manner. It is, of course, something I hope none of us ever experience, but does come off comforting in the end to the family dealing with a loss beyond anything I can imagine.
The only misstep here is the casting of Rachel Weisz, which my wife pointed out immediately after the film. She did seem a little out of place. Stanley Tucci and Mark Wahlberg are perfect in their roles and newcomer Saoirse Ronan is perfect as Susie Salmon. In the wrong hands, this could have quickly made its way to news stations as "Hollywood's attack on morality". As handled, though there are a few writing blunders and the ending may not be perfect for everyone, this is a wonderfully entertaining film.
