Elements Of The Novel in Little Children

Todd Field's latest film feels like reading a good novel. It's the kind of movie that makes you want to find a comfy chair and batten down all the hatches. The character driven plot, pervasive, omniscient narration, and subtle cinematography all work to create the film's  book-like aura.


Telling the story in this manner is an interesting decision for Field. Placing such emphasis on the characters puts a large amount of pressure on the actors to convincingly carry the plot. Luckily, Field's choices prevailed, and played the parts with stunning realism. They do an excellent job of pulling the story along and, never once does Little Children drag or idle.

Also interesting is Field's choice for narration. At first it feels very odd, a booming, god-like omniscient voice. But I believe this is simply because it is not a favored custom in contemporary mainstream cinema. The narration eventually proves to be very helpful in revealing nuances of the characters, Field leaves as buried treasure. In addition, his choice of narration comes across as very literary. This definately ads to the novel-like essence.