Little Children- A

There is something about a great performance that really sticks with me. This is especially true when actors are required to play the person who could live next door to me, playing the regular guy/girl who is thrust into extraordinary circumstances. In the past few years there are only a few movies that have moved me in this way, one being “In the Bedroom” with Tom Wilkinson and Sissy Spacek. Little Children falls into this same category, presenting a hand-full of characters who remind me of people I know. Based on the novel by Tom Perrotta, it centers on individuals whose lives intersect on the playgrounds, town pools and streets of their small community. These intersections turn dangerous when a convicted child molester is released from prison and goes back to living with his mother. There are a lot of films that attempt to tackle adultery, but this is different. It’s the combination of the status anxiety of raising children in middle-class America and the deep fear that’s associated with protecting your children and community. But what’s truly amazing is that the movie avoids cruelty and judgment and focuses on the troubling reality of life.
Although the acting as a whole is nearly flawless, particularly in Kate Winslet, (which goes without saying) the standout performance comes from Jackie Earle Haley, who plays the sex offender. It’s indescribable what he does with this character. Don’t miss this one. A