John Cusack keeps 'Martian' aloft

Men are apparently not the only ones from Mars. Small boys hail from the Red Planet, too, according to Martian Child, an occasionally schmaltzy but likable story of healing and redemption.

Though Bobby Coleman, the young actor who plays Dennis, a troubled boy who insists he's from Mars, is quite good, John Cusack is the main reason to see the film. If not for his charm and quick wit, this film could easily lapse into slick sentimentality and maudlin predictability.

Cusack plays David Gordon, a widowed sci-fi/fantasy novelist who adopts the unstable and emotionally wounded Dennis, despite the advice of his sister, a practical suburban mom (his real-life sibling, Joan Cusack). David is still reeling from the death of his wife, with whom he had planned to adopt a child.

When a group home director (Sophie Okonedo) contacts him about adopting Dennis, David demurs. Then after a tentative encounter, he decides that the boy needs him and he needs the boy.

In addition to coping with the loss of his wife, David has plenty of drama to contend with on the professional front. His agent (Oliver Platt) is on his case to finish a novel that his demanding publisher (Anjelica Huston) is awaiting. He also is growing increasingly attracted to Harlee (a likable Amanda Peet).
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Mars Martian Dennis New Line Cinema John Cusack Anjelica Huston David Gordon Joan Cusack

But mostly he's consumed with the repercussions of Dennis' strange behavior (he avoids the sun and pilfers objects at school) and the boy's difficulties in forging a connection. Given Dennis' spacey oddities, the viewer (and his new dad) can't help but wonder if the boy might actually be an alien who fell to Earth.

Cusack keeps the sickly sweetness at bay with his sharp asides and dry sense of humor. The role was written with Cusack in mind, and it shows. His usual keen intelligence, innate decency and quirky appeal is a potent mix.

If you can get past the occasional treacle, Martian Child, based on a short story by David Gerrold, works as a gently moving and offbeat tale about a boy who doesn't fit in and the transformative power of love between parent and child.


By Claudia Puig, USA TODAY.