Good Son, the

 

 

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I liked this movie but when I saw the original movie The Bad Seed I realized that this movie does not even compare although it has wonderful performances by the children the adults seemed to be trying a little to hard to be a good actor and it just was not working for them. The story is that this boy Mark (Elijah Wood) his mom just died and so his father sends him from New Mexico to Maine to spend some time with his cousins and family while he is taking care of the work that needs to be done. At first it all seems like harmless fun but after a while Mark realizes that his cousin (Macaulay Culkin) will kill him soon so now he is fighting to save not only his life but his entire family's but nobody believes him. I would recommend this to people ages thirteen and up the only reason it is R rated is because of language and violence but it is not that bad. It is suspensefull however a little predictable but if you like movies like this then you will love the movie The Bad Seed starring Patty McCormick. I hope that this review has helped you in making a decision about this film.

There are times in life when we are forced to come to grips with the inherent evil of humanity. In The Good Son (directed by Joseph Ruben), evil surfaces in Henry (Macaulay Culkin), a 13-year-old boy whose innocent appearance fools his family.
Henry does not hide his actions from his cousin Mark (Elijah Wood), who is staying with Henry's family following the death of his mother. As Mark realizes the terrible truth behind Henry's personality, he must convince Henry's parents of the evil that has caused so much harm.

Macaulay Culkin's role in The Good Son is a departure from his usual role as a good-natured child prankster, notably in Home Alone and Home Alone 2. Rather than being the avenue for harmless slapstick comedy and traditional feel-good values, Culkin's character is involved in dangerous and disturbing schemes intended at taking out his family.

When Mark first arrives at Henry's house, the two spend their days doing typical boy activities, such as climbing into tree houses, playing football, and exploring hideouts. Then, while playing with a homemade crossbow, Henry shoots a dog. Mark is horrified by the canine slaughter, and begins to realize that something is drastically wrong.

As the movie progresses, it is clear Henry is motivated by jealousy. Henry's mother, who devotes much of her attention to Mark, is unaware of her son's disturbing actions or his intense jealousy and hatred of those jockeying for her affection.
Now set on destroying Mark and his family, Henry uses his leverage as the supposed 'good son' to his advantage. In front of his parents, Henry expresses his concern for Mark, who he says is reeling from his mother's death, but in private, he makes his evil intentions fully known and threatens Mark.

Soon after, Henry takes his younger sister Connie (played by Culkin's real-life younger sister Quinn Culkin) ice-skating on a pond, and flings her onto thin ice. After she falls through, Henry watches her begin to down, refusing to extend his hand and pull her up. Connie is rescued, and when Mark tells Henry's parents what really happened, they are appalled. Refusing to believe the truth, they feel Mark is suffering repercussions of his mother's death, and send him to a psychologist.

Eventually, Henry's mother begins to piece together the evidence. Torn between her knowledge of the horrific truth and love for her flesh and blood, she must decide between what she knows is reality and what she wants to believe.

While many psychological dramas play on the thoughts and emotions of viewers through blood, gore, and big-time special effects, The Good Son is small-scale, and uses a relatively simple, developing plot that produces a thought-provoking film. The effect of The Good Son is only strengthened by the fact its resolution is skillfully masked and comes as a shock.
Another strength of The Good Son, and perhaps the reason for its "R" rating, is its realism. The events and characters are not improbable. They are horrifying, but completely believable. The potency of The Good Son comes from the fact that its content is troubling, yet real, so the audience must deal with the film's theme, the nature of humanity.
Watching The Good Son may leave the viewer troubled, but nonetheless fulfilled. Rather than being exploited, one is faced with a series of dark secrets and left in some sort of philosophical bind that must be resolved. The Good Son is a productive watch, and a captivating glimpse into humanity.

It's child-star vs. child star in "The Good Son," a disturbing suspense movie about the brutality that even children can commit. Somehow it's not surprising that Ian McEwan wrote the screenplay -- it's no cheery, cutesy story, but a horror movie in every sense of the word.

As the movie opens, Mark (Elijah Wood) is brought to his mother's bedside as she dies. At the funeral, his father learns that he will have to go on a business trip, which will "set you and Mark up for life." So he drops off Mark at his uncle and aunt's in New England, hoping that the boy will buck up emotionally when he's around other kids. At first, all is well -- Mark immediately becomes pals with his cousin Henry (Macaulay Culkin), and the boys are soon inseparable.

But then Henry enlists Mark in a crazy prank: throwing a dummy onto a crowded highway, causing a massive accident. Mark realizes that his cousin cares nothing about the lives of others -- and discovers that he may have caused his baby's brother's mysterious death. But no one believes Mark -- and now Henry is planning to kill others in his family...

It's a sad fact that children can be as evil as adults, but the myth of childish purity sticks to us. That's why "Good Son" is so disturbing. Rather than treating the two kids as cardboard cutouts, they are as complex as adults -- capable of good or evil, and of terrible thoughts and actions. And, as we see in Mark, they can be heroes as well.

The storyline has a few too many cliches -- for example, the parents are utterly in the dark about Henry's true nature, although the mom does get a clue late in the movie. Ian McEwan did an excellent job with the scripting, however, slowly building up the suspense through little things like Henry pondering, "If I let you fall... do you think you could fly?" as Mark was dangling off a tree's branch. He also gives a sense of despration, as Mark tries to rescue Henry's little sister from an "accident," or destroys all the food when he thinks Henry has poisoned it all.

Wood gave a stellar performance as Mark, though he was the lesser child star at the time. He uses his expressive face and eyes to full advantage, showing all of Mark's horror, indecision, fear and sorrow without a word. Too bad Culkin wasn't nearly as good -- his portrayal of Henry is completely flat. The most emotion he ever shows is a shrug; I almost expected him to yawn.

"The Good Son" is a disturbing suspense movie, and not one that can be forgotten quickly. The main problem with it is Culkin's acting, while Wood did an outstanding job.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Haunting and truly chilling!
Wow! This movie was really chilling. It did an excellent job of a portrayal of a real psychopath as well as the beautiful wintery scenery in a setting of a New England coastal... Read more

Published on April 2 2004

3.0 out of 5 stars GREAT EARLY ELIJAH PERFORMANCE
I saw this movie in the theater when it came out, and never thought it got the recognition it really deserved. Read more

Published on Mar 20 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars A 12 Year Old Sociopath!
This is a great drama/thriller about a young boy, Mark, (Wood) who is struggling after the untimely death of his mother. Read more

Published on Mar 10 2004

3.0 out of 5 stars Child Star Bonanza.
I was a pretty small kid myself when this film first came out. My parents weren't huge on letting me watch violence, but I was a big Macaulay Culkin fan - so they complied... Read more

Published on Jan 15 2004 by Nikki

4.0 out of 5 stars really good
Culkin as a evil son, performance was great. Wood as a relative who comes to live with Culkins family. Read more

Published on Jan 1 2004 by Dance Dance Dance

4.0 out of 5 stars One Strange Movie
I saw this movie one day when there was nothing else to watch. I must admit I was slightly disturbed by Macaulay Culkins character. Read more

Published on Dec 31 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally its on DVD, great movie
I loved this movie. This is Caulkin at his best. Wood also is pretty good. The story is a new spin on the classic good versus evil theme. Read more

Published on Dec 10 2003

2.0 out of 5 stars Yawn!
The deal was Macaulay Culkin would return for another "Home Alone" if he was allowed to be in a movie that would be very un-Kevin (the name of his character from the John Hughes... Read more

Published on Dec 9 2003 by Mark Ebert

3.0 out of 5 stars Scary. Caulkin's breakout role
Caulkin is disturbing as the villian in this film. It's a dark, sly story and Caulkin is every kid you've ever known who got over on all the grown ups.

Published on Nov 17 2003 by Alicia Walker

3.0 out of 5 stars Might as well be called "Kit Culkin's The Good Son"
For those who don't know what I mean by my title, let me do a quick history. Christopher "Kit" Culkin is Macaulay Culkin's father, and he pushed for Mac to play Henry, a child... Read more

Published on Oct 15 2003 by Anthony Rupert

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