Here is a movie constantly on the verge of taking off, but never quite does. Martian Child is a movie that has all the right ingredients, but can't mix them together to create an engaging experience. A lot of this may have to do that the film was a troubled production that went through numerous release dates this year alone, and has even been reported to have gone through some last minute reshoots under a different director (an uncredited Jerry Zucker). The film's troubled history is not blatantly obvious right there on the screen, like the recent Across the Universe. Actually, it seems like a great movie on the surface with some wonderful performances and a message that will resonate with both adults and kids. The problem lies underneath in the fact that the movie never quite grabs us like it should.

Based on a semi-autobiographical novel by David Gerrold, Martian Child follows a rising sci-fi author named David (John Cusack), who is seeing his career just recently taking off after writing a novel that is set to become a franchise, is already being adapted into a big budget movie, and his agent and publisher pushing him for a sequel. His private life seems to be at a standstill, however, as he's not sure how to fill the personal void he's felt ever since his wife passed away. He decides to take a big chance and adopt a child, despite the warnings of his sister, Liz (Joan Cusack), who has two children of her own, refers to them as "The Omen One and Two", and thinks he's better off being single. At the orphanage, David is drawn to a mysterious and eccentric young boy named Dennis (Bobby Coleman). Dennis believes he hails from Mars, and has come to Earth to study human nature. He initially lives inside a giant cardboard box to protect himself from the sun, will only eat Lucky Charms, and wears a belt around his waist that he believes keeps him grounded, as Earth's gravity is too light for him and he thinks he'd float away without it. David is drawn to the child, half out of fascination and half out of his own traumatic experiences growing up, and how he used to turn to fantasy in order to cover up his pain. With the help of a friend named Harlee (Amanda Peet), David invites Dennis into his life, and tries to teach him how to open up and be human in a way.

Martian Child does a lot of things right, particularly the underlying message of the movie, which deals with isolation and how we cope with personal pain and alienation. It is something almost everyone can relate to. Young Dennis lives inside a world within himself, almost as a way to explain to himself why he is so different from everyone else. In the title role, child actor Bobby Coleman is a real find, as he is able to give the character the right amount of emotional distance, while at the same time, offer subtle hints to the other characters and the audience that he is a normal child who wants to break free of the illusion shell he has created for himself, and be like everyone else. John Cusack is also wonderful as David, a man who seems to be a bit conflicted in how to raise Dennis. He has an understanding with the child, as he himself used to escape into fantasy when the world would hurt him, and he eventually found a way to make a living out of that talent. He wants to embrace Dennis' gift of imagination, while at the same time, helping him understand the child's own true human nature. The way these two are brought together, and the bond that they eventually build is sweet and genuine, and it raises a lot of intriguing questions about what a single parent would do with such a challenge.

Unfortunately, the movie doesn't want to answer a lot of its own questions, and that is its key flaw. While it's always watchable and frequently interesting, it never seems to do enough to hold onto that interest. It's too safe and sanitized, with no real conflict, and problems that seem to be solved in a matter of seconds. One way in which the film has been smoothed over is the highly publicized fact that the real-life author who the lead character is based on is gay. Obviously, we're not going to see a gay character in the lead role of a family film in our lifetimes, so the character of David in the movie has been changed to the cliched single parent grieving over a dead spouse. While I'm certainly not surprised by this change, it does upset me a little, as it could have given the movie some much needed edge that it desperately needs. Disappointingly, the movie eventually relies far too heavily on music montages to represent David and Dennis bonding, instead of having them bond through thoughtful dialogue. There are a couple good scenes, such as when Dennis experiences death for the first time, and must learn what to do with the emotions he is feeling. These sequences, as good as they are, make the film all the more frustrating, ad we can see the potential that the rest of the movie should have had.
Martian Child has been made with great care, has a wonderful and endearing cast, and even has a lot to say about a lot of interesting topics. It's only fault lies in the fact that the filmmakers never seemed to have as much confidence in their own material as they should have. This is certainly not a bad movie, you're just left constantly wondering about the great movie it could have been if it just tried a little bit more. Martian Child is a near miss. I enjoyed parts of it, but the movie kept on losing its nerve and frustrating me. This is a movie that should have been approached with great gusto and passion. Instead, the filmmakers almost seem to be afraid of the questions their material raises, when they should be attacking them head on. With the right attitude, this movie would have truly been something to see.

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