Martian Child
Martian Child ★½ 2007 (PG)
Who better to adopt orphan Dennis (Coleman), who believes he is from Mars, than a successful science fiction writer? A two-year widower, David (Cusack) lives a relatively lonely life with his dog, a frenetic agent who's on his back to write the sequel to his successful novel, the cute friend (Peet) of his dead wife, and his harried sister (real-life sibling Joan Cusack). David and his wife were about to adopt a child when she died; although David's now certain that the timing is wrong, he's drawn to Dennis, the kid at the orphanage who lives in a cardboard box. The mild tale of love and patience and identity never packs much of a punch, but this suitable-for-the-entire-family film is relatively charming and generally unoffending. 106m/C DVD . US John Cusack, Bobby Coleman, Amanda Peet, Sophie Okonedo, Oliver Platt, Joan Cusack, Anjelica Huston; D: Menno Meyjes; W: Seth Bass, Jonathan Tolins; C: Robert Yeoman; M: Aaron Zigman.