Pg-13
Starring: Thomas Horn, Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock
2 Hours and 9 Minutes
This movie is loosely based on the 2005 novel of the same name by Johnathan Safran Foer.
I knew when I went to see this movie that it was going to be a tough movie to watch. The sensitivities to the 9-11 tragedy and the impact it has had on all of our lives, all of the changes that we have had to endure and just the heartache of it all.
This is the story of a young boy named Oskar (Thomas Horn) who has lost his loving father Thomas (Tom Hanks) whom he idolizes and he is extremely close to in one of The World Trade centers that was decimated on 9-11.
Oskar is haunted by several phone calls that his father leaves on the message machine reassuring his family that he will be okay. His father has always played a huge part in his life and has played with him and challenged him with puzzles and games to entertain him. He is an only child and after his fathers death he is left alone to live with his mother Linda (Sandra Bullock). His paternal grandmother lives in the building across the street from him and he is somewhat close to her as well. She has a man living with her who never speaks and keeps to himself. He later finds out that he is his grandfather with a sad history of his own.
Young Oskar is left heartbroken and devastated after losing his father! He is confused and lost at the prospect of never having his father in his life again. He has rage and anger and he is at a loss of being consoled by anyone because of his extreme heartache!
He has a cold and uncaring relationship with his sweet mother who is dealing with her own heartache.
A year after his death, Oskar finally goes into his fathers closet where everything is just the same as it was when he was still alive. He is hoping, searching for some kind of clue to help him solve the mystery of where his father is now. He reaches up on a high shelf and knocks down a blue vase that breaks, inside of the vase was a small envelope with a key and a paper with the name "Black" on it.
He maps out and devises a plan to go and search every household with the name "Black" in all of New York. He is trying desperately to find the lock that fits "the key" that was left in the envelope that he found.
He is absolutely obsessed with finding the right fit for the key! He takes a lot of risks and it proves to be somewhat scary. He befriends his grandfather who helps him until he can't take it anymore and leaves Oskar. He is saddened again at losing his grandfather but continues his search.
He finally contacts a woman whom he had previously visited and she helps him to find the man who has the lock for his key. He finally has found the acceptance and the peace that he needs to go on with the rest of his young life!
This was a riveting movie! It was especially close to my heart. I literally felt his heartache and his passion, his rage and his anger, I lost my own father when I was just twelve years old so I could totally relate to young Oskars deep pain! The sadness of this movie really is that there are so many young children who have been left fatherless and motherless by our 9-11 tragedy!!!
Parents be advised that it is very emotional and Oskar gets very angry, he yells and screams he also drops the F-bomb. Young Thomas Horn does and amazing job playing Oskar. This deals with real serious heartache so I would recommend this for youth 10 and older.
I am giving "Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close" three and a half bags of popcorn!
