Lovely Bones (2009)

AKA: –
Directed by: Peter Jackson
Starring: Saoirse Ronan (Susie Salmon), Stanley Tucci (George Harvey), Mark Wahlberg (Dad), Rachel Weisz (Mom), Rose McIver (Sister), Susan Sarandon (Grandma), Michael Imperioli (Detective)
Country: USA
Language: English (Eng Subs)
Runtime: 2:15:26
Genres: Teen-Childhood, Serial Killers, Family, Detective, Surreal-Fantasy, Old-Young

Plot – Spoilers:
Set in the ’70s, the Salmon family are a relatively happy family who tick all the boxes of the Happy American Family: Two girls, a boy, Dad and Mom. They sit around the dinner table. The parents are always checking on their kids and even involve the kids in their personal hobbies.

Some of the family’s happiness comes of as awkward, even cringy. What isn’t awkward though, is the happiness of 14 year-old Susie, the eldest of the Salmon kids. She is excited about her crush and things like movie club at school or hanging out with Grandma at the mall. The whole film essentially laments how one man can snatch away all this happiness.

At over 2 hours, The Lovely Bones at times seems like it can’t decide whether it wants to be a movie about a serial killer or a Hollywoodised family flick. What keeps it together though, is the very watchable, earnest face of Saoirse Ronan, a great performance by Stanley Tucci and the expected visual mastery of Peter Jackson.