The Lovely Bones Directed by: Peter Jackson Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Mark Wahlberg, Racehl Weisz, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Stucci Running Time: 2 hrs 10 mins Rating: PG-13 Release Date: Dec. 25, 2009

PLOT: In a quiet town in 1973, a young girl (Ronan) is killed and then watches over her family (and her killer) in the afterlife. Her family must try to come to grips both with what has happened, as well as the issue of whether her killer will ever be found.

WHO'S IT FOR? This is a tough call. Clearly, fans of the novel will want to see this tale come to life. Others will want to see what Mr. Lord of the Rings has done next. It's not your typical mystery, but I'm not saying that's a compliment.

EXPECTATIONS: None. I heard some Oscar buzz, and saw a little of the trailer, but the only thing I knew was a girl dies ... and narrates.

SCORECARD (0-10)

ACTORS:

Saoirse Ronan as Susie Salmon: It's a big task to play this role, and Ronan is almost up to it. There are just so many moments where she is stuck whispering a voice-over, or stuck in a dream-like world, staring at things that aren't really there. Ronan does capture the innocence of a kid in the 70s. She's got the look, and her nervousness over a first kiss with Ray (Reece Ritchie) is quite authentic. Score: 6

Mark Wahlberg as Jack: Wahlberg can nail "awestruck and innocent." As Susie Q's father, he never wants to give up hope that he might either find his daughter, or her killer. We get one montage where he becomes obsessed with his neighbors, but he just never looks in the right place. We know he loves his daughter, but we don't feel his loss, mainly because we are still hanging out with Susie in the sort-of after-world. Score: 6

Rachel Weisz as Abigail: She gets in the way. For most of the film you actually wonder what purpose she is serving. Clearly, she is closed off toward what has happened to Susie, but because of that it's an odd sort of mourning we are stuck watching when she is on screen (which doesn't seem frequent). Score: 4

Susan Sarandon as Grandma Lynn: Really? A funny montage? That's what the movie needed? Sarandon is the comic relief, as the crazy, drunk grandma. I guess her presence allows Abigail to slip away more easily, but it doesn't seem Grandma Lynn has any sort of connection to the death, or the pursuit of the truth about Susie. Score: 5

Stanley Tucci as George Harvey: Here's how I like to describe Tucci ...  For all those who like wine, but don't like talking about it, you don't really care for Tucci. But for those who love to talk about where the grapes are from, or if that's a hint of vanilla ... you're a Tucci fan. Here though, he's knee-deep in being creepy. George is the neighbor who needs to kill, or live in the kill. He's content, while we are waiting to see what will happen to him, and if he'll get away with it. Score: 7

TALKING: The story-telling is really the shortfall of this film. It's not a who-dun-it, because we know the killer's identity early on. It's not a true mourning story, because we are still with Susie. Plus, there's about an hour in the middle of this film that is simply treading water. Nothing really happens. Score: 3

SIGHTS: Jackson has a knack for the visual. He's exactly who you want creating an "almost heaven." However, the film is simply overwhelmed with style though. Every camera angle is explored, plus on some close-ups, it seems like a HD-handheld camera is being used. We don't really know the rules of the almost-heaven, and therefore we don't know what purpose it serves, except for the fact that it looks cool. Score: 7

SOUNDS: Really mixed results here. There are two times during the film where I was convinced it was a serious moment, yet, there's some upbeat rock-and-roll playing, like when Susie is frantically driving her dying brother to the hospital. Is this supposed to be funny? The sound effects are great, like when George and Susie are walking in the corn field. It's creepy effective. The soundtrack features "I Hear You Knockin'" but, again, it feels out of place. Score: 6

PLOT SPOILERS

BEST SCENE: There's great tension when Lindsey (Rose McIver), Susie's older sister, goes exploring in George's house. There's relief, because even though it seems sudden, someone is finally doing something. George is like a hunter.

ENDING: Which one? There are about four different endings, and none of them are satisfying. I haven't read the book; maybe it's the same, but it works ... or maybe it's completely different. But the ending makes me believe that it doesn't matter how Susie died, just that she did.

QUESTIONS: If George eventually dies in a slightly tragic (albeit quick) way, is that good enough for us? And he's aged right? So why is Abigail still young in the very next scene? It's the only moment told changing the timeline. Also, does it matter that George killed those other women and girls? Yes, that makes him evil, but it doesn't serve a purpose in Susie's trip to heaven, except that the other victims are happy to see her. Why is it OK that Susie's bones are in the bottom of the sinkhole? If you show us evil in the beginning of the film, it's reasonable that we would want some justice, especially since you tease us with it throughout the film.

REWATCHABILITY: It's a little too long and a little too pointless (especially in the middle) to watch some of the highlights over again.

OVERALL

Susie dies. Then we wait. We wait to see if her killer will be brought to justice. We wait to see how her family will react, and what kind of world Susie is stuck in. The problem is we wait, but hardly any questions get answered. Is this a movie about a first kiss? A father who loves his daughter too much? A serial killer? A mother who must learn to accept what happened? In little pieces, these questions are all raised, but the film never leads us in a clear direction. It's like they tried to accomplish everything, but ended up forgetting to have a purpose.

FINAL SCORE: 5/10