Thumbsucker (film)
Thumbsucker | |
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Directed by | Mike Mills |
Screenplay by | Mike Mills |
Based on | Thumbsucker by Walter Kirn |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Joaquin Baca-Asay |
Edited by |
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Music by | |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | Sony Pictures Classics |
Release dates | |
Running time | 95 minutes[2] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $3 million[3] |
Box office | $2.14 million[4] |
Thumbsucker is a 2005 American
The film was shot on location in the
Plot
Justin Cobb is a shy 17-year-old in a family of four in suburban
Justin struggles on his school's
At a regular checkup, Justin's orthodontist, Dr. Perry Lyman, indicates he can tell that Justin is still sucking his thumb, and attempts
Almost immediately after beginning treatment, Justin begins to have elevated energy, confidence and focus. He begins to excel on the debate team, unseating Rebecca from the star position; she quits the team and drifts into the stoners crowd. Justin's newfound aggressiveness nets the debate team repeated awards. Simultaneously, he begins to challenge the neuroses of the adults around him, especially their struggles with aging. With a somewhat deceitful cover letter, he applies to NYU, in spite of his mother's urging that he go to college closer to home.
After rambling incoherently at the state debate championship, Justin quits the debate team, throws away the pills, and seeks out Rebecca to hook him up with pot. During their smoking sessions, Rebecca blindfolds him and engages with him in kissing and other sexual activity, which Justin interprets as a relationship. But when he broaches the subject, Rebecca tells him otherwise, calling their meetings an "experiment." He quits both her and the drugs.
Both Justin and his father suspect that Audrey is having an affair with Schramm after she is transferred to a celebrity rehab facility where Schramm has been committed. Attempting to catch his mother in the act, he instead meets Schramm sneaking a smoke in the bushes, and learns the unromantic truth. The next day, he receives an acceptance letter from NYU.
During a final checkup, Dr. Lyman reveals to Justin his discovery that thumb-sucking is not a medically debilitating problem, and says that everyone has their own flaws and nobody has all the answers—that in fact learning to live without having the answers is (perhaps) the answer. On his flight to New York, Justin dreams of reaching his goal of being a TV anchor, "sharing the truth with the world". He wakes up after
Cast
- Lou Taylor Pucci as Justin Cobb
- Colton Tanner as 10-year-old Justin
- Mason Bromberg as 4-year-old Justin[5]
- Tilda Swinton as Audrey Cobb
- Vincent D'Onofrio as Mike Cobb
- Keanu Reeves as Dr. Perry Lyman
- Kelli Garner as Rebecca
- Benjamin Bratt as Matt Schramm
- Vince Vaughn as Mr. Geary
- Chase Offerle as Joel Cobb
- Kit Koenig as Principal
- Nancy O'Dell as herself
- Walter Kirn (cameo) as Debate judge
Production
Casting
Lou Taylor Pucci was cast in the lead role of Justin after director Mills auditioned around 150 teenaged actors.[3] Swinton was cast as his mother, Audrey, after meeting director Mills eighteen months prior to the production: "I met Mike 18 months ago. We started a conversation, and it kept going."[3] D'Onofrio was cast as Justin's father, Mike, after being impressed by the script, as he felt it "was a tough story to tell."[3] Reeves was cast in the supporting role of Perry Lyman, and completed his work in the film over a four-day period.[3] Initially, Matthew McConaughey was attached to star as Justin's debate team coach, Mr. Geary,[6] but was replaced by Vince Vaughn due to a scheduling conflict.[7]
Filming
The film is set in the fictional town of Beaverwood, Oregon, while the source novel had originally been set in Minnesota.[3] Initially, the producers had planned to shoot the film in Vancouver, British Columbia, but the production was incentivized to shoot in Oregon after Governor Ted Kulongoski promised a rebate matching the filming costs of Canada.[8] Mean Creek (2004), another independent film, was shot in the area at the same time, taking advantage of this rebate.[3]
Filming took place in the summer of 2003 in the
Release
Critical response
Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives Thumbsucker a score of 71% based on 108 reviews, with an average rating of 6.7/10. The site's consensus is: "Though quirky coming-of-age themes are common in indie films, this one boasts a smart script and a great cast."[12]
Soundtrack
The
References
- ^ Scott, A.O. (September 16, 2005). "A Teenager With an Embarrassing Habit Finds Transformation Through Ritalin". The New York Times. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
- ^ "THUMBSUCKER (15)". British Board of Film Classification. July 6, 2005. Retrieved December 4, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Cowan, Ron (August 23, 2003). "'Thumbsucker' wraps filming". Statesman Journal. Salem, Oregon. pp. 1D–2D – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Thumbsucker (2005)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
- ^ Thumbsucker, retrieved 2019-08-17
- ^ Linn, Sarah. "Oregon draws stars for movie". Statesman Journal. Salem, Oregon: Associated Press. pp. 1A, 5A – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Bing, Jonathan (July 20, 2003). "'Thumbsucker' fingers 3 to fill out cast". Variety. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
- ^ The Portland Mercury. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
- ^ a b Levy, Shawn (August 19, 2003). "The stars of "Thumbsucker," on the set in Tualatin, call Oregon burbs "exotic"". The Oregonian. p. 2. Retrieved August 24, 2018 – via Whoa Is Not Me.
- ^ Mohan, Marc (June 4, 2014). "Angelina, Keanu and other big stars came to Portland to film these 5 under-the-radar indie movies". The Oregonian. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
- ^ "Thumbsucker Filming & Production". IMDb. Retrieved 2018-09-28.
- ^ "Thumbsucker". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
- ^ Rea, Steven (February 29, 2008). "A boy and his thumb, the sadness at hand". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (September 22, 2005). "Thumbsucker". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
- ^ Tucker, Ken (2005). "Kid Fears". New York.
- ^ Thomas, Kevin (September 16, 2005). "Insecurity blanket". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
External links
- Official website
- Thumbsucker at IMDb
- Thumbsucker at AllMovie
- Thumbsucker at Box Office Mojo
- Thumbsucker at Rotten Tomatoes
- Thumbsucker at Metacritic
- Movie stills
- Caranicas, Peter (January 6, 2005). "Mike Mills Makes Thumbsucker" (PDF). Park City Digital Report. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-14.