Thumbsucker

Mills’ gentle film is a creeper-upper, starting out a little wooden in its pasted-shaded credits but evening out into an unexpectedly endearing study of odd-duck syndrome.

I have focused on Justin, but really the movie is equally about the adult characters, who all seem to have lacked adequate parenting themselves.

...when Justin is medicated for his attention-deficit disorder, the numbnut becomes a narcissist who leads the debating team to victory.

Tilda Swinton continues to amaze with her chameleon-like ability to fill any role - is there a more accomplished female character actor working today?

...Thumbsucker is a beautifully acted examination of the longing for fulfillment and the emptiness that often occurs when one puts too much faith in a pacifying source.