Lost in Translation

Tonight, we went to the movies. We thought we were seeing Children of Men - a futuristic tale starring Clive Owen and Julianne Moore where women no longer can conceive. What we ended up watching was Little Children - a penetrating look at suburbia starring Kate Winslet and Patrick Wilson. Somehow, we got the two confused. We assumed Little Children was a translation of Children of Men - even the dark movie posters for both supported our thought process.

As we sat watching the dysfunctional drama, I kept waiting for it to flash forward 30 years. I tried anticipating how the story set in the present would impact the future. When a dark haired boy talked of his father who died in Iraq, I thought, "That must be Clive Owen" as a child. One hour into the movie, I turned to Chris and said, "This is the longest first act in cinematic history!"

After we realized our mistake, the movie took on new meaning. I could now assess the characters and the storyline without having to second guess their direction. Fortunately Little Children wasn't a bad movie (especially because of Patrick Wilson's good looks) - just not what we had in mind. I was seeking action and adventure not lonely care givers and pedophiles - two genres that aren't really interchangeable. Where's Moviefone when you need it?