The Chumscrubber

Don't let the title throw you. The "Chumscrubber" is the name of a video game that all the kids in the idealic suburban community of Hillside are obsessed with. After the not-too-distant-future annihilation of the world, the "Chumscrubber" wanders around carrying his displaced head, and considers himself to be "one of the lucky ones". He is the narrator. This is a dark, thoughtful peek at teenage angst and the torment of life in suburbia. Really. Think Edward Scissorhands, Heathers and Ben Folds "Rockin' the Suburbs". It's got a lot going on and an amazing cast, including Jamie Bell (Billy Elliott), Glenn Close, Ralph Fiennes, John Heard, Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix), Allison Janney, Lauren Holly, Rita Wilson, William Fichter, Rory Culkin, Justin Chatwin (The Invisible) and Lou Taylor Pucci (Thumbsucker). Jamie Bell is Dean Stiffle, a troubled teenager who finds his one and only friend and next-door neighbor Troy, hanging from the rafters. Troy was the local drug dealer and his absence is soon missed by the high school addicts who proudly sport their DARE backpacks. While Dean is trying to process the death of his friend, his father (William Fichter), author of the popular self-help book "Happy Accidents", pumps him full anti-depressants. His mother (Allison Janney) is oblivious to almost everything around her and spends her time encouraging her friends to buy "VeggiForce - an entirely new life system". Fellow students Billy, Lee and Crystal decide they want Dean to find Troy's drug stash, and kidnap his younger brother Charlie to get Dean's attention. Unfortunately they kidnap the wrong Charlie and end up with the son of the local police officer, Lou Bratley (John Heard). Meanwhile Dean's brother, Charlie (Rory Culkin), sits on the couch, playing "Chumscrubber", as usual. Although Dean can barely get himself out of bed, he now has to step up and save Charlie Bratley, since no one else seems to care that he has gone missing. Charlie's mother (played by Rita Wilson) is completely absorbed in her upcoming wedding to the mayor (Ralph Fiennes in the strangest role I've ever seen him in). Every character in this film is interesting and well-acted. Glenn Close is terrific as Troy's grieving mother. The soundtrack is worth noting - with songs by Rooney, The Like, Snow Patrol and Phantom Planet. I watched this one twice. Kudos to first-time director Arie Posin.

It's great!

Winter Passing

Written and directed by Adam Rapp, this 2006 drama is touching, but somewhat uneven. Zooey Deschanel stars as Reese Holden, a struggling New York City actress searching for love and attention, but numb to real emotion. Her father Don, (played by a nearly unrecognizable Ed Harris) is a

well-known, but reclusive novelist and professor. He hasn't published anything in years, but still has fans stopping by daily, just hoping for a glimpse of the Salinger-esque character. (Is it a coincidence that the family name is Holden? As in Caulfield? Probably not.) Her mother, also a writer, has recently committed suicide. After receiving an offer of $100,000 to sell the publishing rights to her parents' very private love letters, Reese heads back to the UP of Michigan after nearly seven years. She is looking for the box of letters, but what she finds there is a strange new surrogate family. Will Ferrell is Corbit, a sincere, but off-center former Christian rock band guitarist. He was kicked out of the band for beating up the drummer. Don Holden found him asleep on the couch one morning, and inexplicably just let him stay. A former student, Shelly (Amelia Warner), has also been taken in after some serious health issues. It's a motley crew, to be sure, but interesting to watch as they manage to care about each other with an awkward earnestness.

It's good.

(But I kept visualizing Will and Zooey dressed as elves....)