"Hearts in Atlantis" focuses on pulling the sentimental heartstrings that are buried within almost all of us. These are the heartstrings that are tied to the memories of our youth, particularly those memories near the end of our childhood. This sense of recollection can be felt consistently throughout the movie, and it provides a nice backdrop for the story. However, even with this canvas laid, the story fails to fulfill its own expectations.

We meet Anthony Hopkins early in the story. His character, Ted Brautigan, seems to be a wayward traveler of sorts. He shows up at the home of Elizabeth Garfield and her son, Bobby, played by Hope Davis and Anton Yelchin. It is implied that he has somehow found out that Elizabeth was renting her second floor. How he has done so is not important. Elizabeth is immediately suspicious of him, and she states to Bobby that "you can’t trust a man who carries his things in paper bags."

Bobby takes the time to get to know Ted, in part because his mother is never around, and the two seem to form a kind of child-mentor bond. Immediately, Bobby begins to notice certain things about Ted that are rather strange. Ted has recurring spells in which he appears to be in a deep trance, talking to himself as if he is reliving unwanted memories. He can also predict the future, and strange men who want to use this gift for military purposes are hunting him. And so begins the mystery of Ted, and it is perhaps here that the problems with the story also begin.

Bobby is not only a boy, he is a survivor. His mother neglects him, his father has passed away, and the mentally disturbed neighborhood bully cruelly torments him. Minus the mysterious old man, these things alone are enough for an interesting story.

Bobby spends most of his time with his two best friends, Carol and Sully (Mika Boorem and Will Rothhaar). He soon discovers, through a rather unnecessary prediction by Ted, of his young love for Carol. It is the classic story of boy and girl coming of age, and realizing that their feelings are something more than friendship. We experience their awkward first kiss, marking Ted’s not so difficult prediction. It is an endearing scene and a delight to watch.

However, the time we get to spend with Bobby, Sully, and Carol is limited. Most of their scenes are filled with them playing to blaring songs of the era. We barely get to know Sully at all, and it would be nice if we could just hang out with the three of them for a while. This was something done very well in "Stand By Me," a previous Stephen King novel adapted for the screen. However, the mysterious Ted Brautigan is still at home, and we must get back to him before the boogiemen come.

Ted is an interesting character that never fully develops. Our interest grows in him throughout the story, but in the end we are left unsatisfied. It is as if we get a glimpse of the magician, but we never get to see the big trick. The boogiemen come, but the climax that they could help spark never really happens. Anthony Hopkins gives an excellent performance, but alone it is not enough to leave us fulfilled.

Possibly the story would have worked better if the kids shared an equal curiosity about Ted, each of them learning of his predicament and gift to read minds. One scene that stuck with me was when the kids were at a carnival, and Bobby continually predicts where the queen will land in a double your money card game. He astonishes and upsets the dealer by beating his best shuffle. The kids seem only slightly surprised. I would be downright amazed and beg him to teach me. This would have been a good time for Sully and Carol to learn of Ted’s gift, and it would help to bring the story together.

Visually the film is very well done. This can likely be attributed to the work of the late cinematographer Piotr Sobocinski (Trois Couleurs: Rouge, Angel Eyes, Ransom) to whom the film is dedicated. Especially watch for the scene where Bobby rescues Carol, and also their final scene among the hanging sheets.

Writers write, adapters adapt, and stories often get lost in the shuffle. Ted is a mystery who comes and goes without having a significant impact on the story, at least not as significant as the filmmaker’s want you to believe. The story of a child bracing for his adult life is begging to be told, but it gets hampered by the mystery living upstairs. Instead we are left with a story always on the verge of something that never seems to materialize. The reminiscent feel of childhood memories long passed leaves us feeling touched, but when we try to take away something from the story our hands are empty. We realize that it is our own childhood that the story has subtly reminded us of, something much more fulfilling and memorable than what we have just seen.