THE LOVELY BONES

Director: Peter Jackson
Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Stanley Tucci, Susan Sarandon, Michael Imperioli, Reece Ritchie, Rose McIver, Carolyn Dando
Year: 2009
Rating: PG-13

Just because of her pitch-perfect performance in Atonement, I had been wanting to see this film for Saoirse Ronan alone. Immensely talented, the girl was a marvel to watch on-screen in the above-mentioned film ... and here works at bringing another character from a popular novel to life - though ironically, the character she vividly brings to life here spends most of the film dead.

The Lovely Bones recounts the story of the short life of suburban Pennsylvania girl Susie Salmon (Ronan), who was murdered at the age of 14, in 1972, by a neighbor from up the street, George Harvey (Stanley Tucci, in an excellent, understated and fairly creepy performance) - a loner of a guy who builds dollhouses in his home, seemingly for a living. Susie knew her killer at the time she died, and after her murder spends the rest of the film watching over her killer and family from a realm that has her stuck somewhere between heaven and earth because she cannot let go of her grieving parents (Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz) and alcoholic grandmother (Susan Sarandon), or the younger sister Lindsey (Rose McIver) she's left behind. Susie even keeps tabs on her killer from this otherworldly plane, watching as, after her disappearance, the years pass and Harvey seemingly gets away with her murder.

But in those years, as Susie watches and narrates the story, her disappearance has a profound effect on those she left behind. Whether the cute boy she'd been crushing on at school, Ray Singh (Reece Ritchie) - who, on the very day of her murder, Susie had finally gotten out on a date by - who cannot let go of the girl he was falling for ... to Susie's parents, and in particular her father (Wahlberg really makes the most of the material, here), whose guilt over not being able to save/protect his child eats him alive to the point where he spends months investigating the case himself ... to the strange loner-girl from Susie's school, Ruth Connors (Carolyn Dando), who actually felt and saw Susie in spirit form at the time of her death - the bulk of the film is about what happens after Susie dies, as well as Susie's experiences in dealing with this after-world she finds herself in, as well as the question of whether she will ever be free to finish her journey to heaven.

All very dramatic, and potentially a poignant and horrifying tale that will keep you glued to the edge of your seat - only in The Lovely Bones, nothing just ever seems to gel together right. There are moments of poignancy, sure, especially in scenes where Susie is attempting to communicate with her grief-stricken father from the beyond. And God knows there are few moments in the film where the suspense alone will have you biting your nails to the elbow, wanting to yell "Get out! Run! MOVE!" at the character on-screen.

But in between these wonderful moments lies a film let down by a weak script and a few ridiculous scenes featuring - among other things - character actions and motivations that don't make a lot of sense. Susan Sarandon's character, Grandma Lynn, is a lush who is seen early on in the film, but then brought back later to care for Jack Salmon (Wahlberg) and the kids when her daughter Abigail (Weisz) can no longer handle Jack's obsession with finding Susie's killer, and has to leave. When this happens, Grandma Lynn's character is actually used as a bit of comic relief in an otherwise very drama-heavy film, and it all comes off not only forced but a bit insulting to the other characters, and Susie's story. Also, the plotline of whether George Harvey's crime will ever be discovered, especially in light of the fact that it seems to not have been the only murder he's committed, is reduced in effectiveness by the constant (though quite beautiful) visits to Susie's world, which as seen through the eyes of a fourteen-year-old is quite beautiful and fun, indeed - though does little, until toward the end, to advance plot or character. Even Lindsey, Susie's sister, does something so incredibly brave toward the end of the film, in her quest to expose Susie's killer ... only to then do something totally stupid immediately after, in light of the information she's learned (sorry, I know that's confusing - but remember, no spoilers here). The film, in fact, has many moments like this, where you will have this amazing build up of suspense or drama ... only to have the scene fall flat, in an unsatisfying or even annoying way.

In short, The Lovely Bones could have been so much more than its end product, which is a bit of an emotionless mess thanks to a weak script with only the rare moment of true inspiration or beauty. The cast does great with what they have to work with, though sadly that's not enough here - and as much as you will be rooting for Susie, wanting her killer to be discovered and her family to be okay so that she can truly be free ... somehow, when a resolution of sorts is reached, it leaves you feeling hollow inside. A real shame, considering the cast, director, and much-loved source material (a novel) the film is based on. **1/2 - Reel Mediocre-Reel Cool