Hearts in Atlantis

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Hearts in Atlantis

PG-13

2001

1h 41m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Popcornmeter

49%

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136 Reviews

64%

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10,000+ Ratings

Hearts In Atlantis is a drama based on Stephen King's best seller of the same name. It is the story of a mysterious man (Anthony Hopkins) who enlists the aid of a brilliant young boy (Anton Yelchin) to save his life. This friendship with a mysterious stranger forever changes the way he sees the world.

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Critics Consensus

Hearts in Atlantis is well-acted and beautiful to look at, but the movie is nothing more than a mood piece.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Above average coming of age story.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 24, 2010

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Peter Travers

Rolling Stone

Hicks ... coats the film in a bogus idyllic mist that substitutes cheap sentiment for blunt truth.

Rated: 2.5/5

Oct 3, 2001

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Michael Atkinson

Village Voice

The unblinking sympathy for kids struggling with evil and with the strange frequencies of prepubescent passion can, if your defenses are down, lay you out.

Oct 2, 2001

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Inspiring without sinking into sentimentality or cliché, Hearts in Atlantis is a coming of age story that has nothing to do with sexual rites of passage or mystical quests and everything to do with the gaining of wisdom and self-esteem ...

Nov 18, 2023

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Brian D. Johnson

Maclean's Magazine

Anthony Hopkins uses his casual intelligence to deflect a dung-storm of sentimental hocus-pocus.

Oct 15, 2019

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Kit Bowen

Hollywood.com

Rated: 3/5

Nov 20, 2008

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Eric J

It's 2025 and an old Steven King fan like me just read this book, so I watched the movie. I loved it! If you're like me and read the book yesterday, this movie really is a must-see. It's great to see faithful adaptations of King's books! If you haven't read the book, it might fall a bit flat for you - just being honest. So, go read the book cover-to-cover first, then come back here.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/02/25

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Jerod S

A King novel that adapts better than most of his stuff to film. Hopkins comes to town and befriends Bobby, a young boy that shares his psychic powers.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/24/25

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sparky T

This movie came out almost 24 years ago. I kept that in mind whilst watching. I was happy not to remember that this was a story written by King. I find him too chatty. For the critics to call this a 'mood' piece, or whatever dirt they threw back then, they are disingenuous. The characters were flawed, innocent, crazy and somehow beautiful. This is a different kind of movie. It's not a typical trope through boy meets girl, boy has a flawed mother, there's a bully that the boy finds his strength to beat back, all tied together with Anthony Hopkins doing what he does best, playing a crazy, misunderstood, psychic, yes, psychic. Somehow, with the instincts of a moth, they all face the flames, and manage to be better or manage to die. We too, end up staring at the pain holding on to our last breath with hope. Loved this movie.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

09/01/25

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Chief B

This is such beautiful coming of age movie. Haven't read the book so I don't know if that's the reason why it gets such poor ratings but I love this movie. The blending of different genres like horror or scifi in a way works good for me. Highly recommended!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/06/25

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Horror fan 4

What a great movie and a great recommendation by my Dad ( Bill Treakle) . Excellent performances and story. Tim Treakle

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/17/25

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Phillip D

I enjoyed it. Neat movie.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/21/25

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Scott Hicks

Director

Anthony Hopkins

Ted Brautigan

Anton Yelchin

Bobby Garfield

Hope Davis

Liz Garfield

Mika Boorem

Carol Gerber

David Morse

Adult Bobby Garfield

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Synopsis

Hearts In Atlantis is a drama based on Stephen King's best seller of the same name. It is the story of a mysterious man (Anthony Hopkins) who enlists the aid of a brilliant young boy (Anton Yelchin) to save his life. This friendship with a mysterious stranger forever changes the way he sees the world.

Director: Scott Hicks
Producer: Kerry Heysen
Screenwriter: William Goldman, Stephen King
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: NPV Entertainment, Castle Rock Entertainment, Village Roadshow Prod.
Rating: PG-13 (Violence|Thematic Elements)
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 28, 2001, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 14, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $24.2M
Runtime: 1h 41m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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