The film opens with the drone of ticking clocks, accompanied by shots of shelves lined with figurines of children. As the ticking intensifies, the pent-up restlessness that describes Sarah Pierce's (Winslet) life becomes increasingly apparent. Winslet plays a housewife married to a consultant whose addiction to internet porn attests to his indifference toward his marital obligations.
Like the other mothers in her quiet, well-to-do neighborhood, Sarah takes her daughter Lucy on daily visits to the local park. Sarah is different from the other mothers who gossip girlishly about Brad Adamson (Wilson), an unemployed stay-at-home dad, who has the nickname "Prom King" because of his model-like looks. Brad visits the park occasionally with his little son. He meets Sarah when one of the housewives offers Sarah five dollars to get his phone number. In jest, they hug and kiss deliberately, provoking indignant gasps from the other housewives. Their moment of innocent irreverence becomes a revelation of their romantic longing. The film's voiceover narration tells us, "[Sarah] walked into his arms, as if she fulfilled a wish."
Estranged from their spouses, Sarah and Brad's initial acquaintance develops into an adulterous love affair that allows them to escape from their lonely and ordinary lives. They take their children to the park and spend time together at the public pool. They have sex in the attic and the laundry room while their children nap in the bedroom. In one scene, while Sarah discusses "Madame Bovary" with other members of a book club, she begins to see that her own behavior parallels that of the book's protagonist.
Sarah reads erotic poetry and keeps a picture of Brad between the pages of her sonnets, with lines like "My love is a fever" underlined. She leaves Lucy with her babysitter and persuades Brad to skip his bar exam (which he has failed twice) and meet her at a motel. Surprisingly, the audience seems to sympathize with, instead of condemn, their love affair.
The voiceover narration, used effectively by the film, reveals Brad and Sarah's innermost thoughts, making us privy to their affair. The dramatic irony pulls us into the story, almost as if we were part of it. We are like engrossed readers of a thrilling drama as the narration lures us in. We are absorbed in each scene as we become increasingly anxious to learn what happens next to Sarah and Brad.
The appeal of "Little Children" is strengthened by the performances of a cast that realizes the script's intelligence, humor and heartbreaking drama. Winslet is wonderfully likeable as Sarah. Her performance captures Sarah's coy romanticism and tomboyish charm, reminiscent of her character, Rose, in "Titanic."
Wilson is strong in his supporting role, as is Jennifer Connelly, who plays Brad's wife, Kathy Adamson. Jackie Earle Haley is outstanding in his portrayal of Ronnie J. McGorvey, a rehabilitated pedophile who has recently moved into the neighborhood. Ronnie lives with his elderly mother and is bullied and harassed by a retired cop named Larry (also terrifically played by Noah Emmerich). Haley and Emmerich's characters reflect the film's theme of suburban isolation. Haley, a former criminal trying to resume a normal life in the community, exemplifies the pain of stigma and ostracism. His house is spray-painted with the word "EVIL" and in one scene, he is forced out of the public pool, even though he was "just trying to cool off" from the summer heat.
In contrast, Larry's frustation after being abandoned by his wife is clear in his obsessive patrolling of Ronnie's house. He becomes jealous of Brad, who is younger and more popular with the guys on their football team. Larry's emotional immaturity and displacement and Ronnie's dependence on his mother point to the significance of the film's title. The film is titled "Little Children" because it refers to the juvenile ways in which its adult characters handle their need for affection, friendship, social acceptance and approval. Sarah and Brad resemble a pair of mischievous children relishing the thrill of adultery and the rejection of society's moral expectations. Similarly, the importance Larry attaches to the camaraderie of his teammates suggests a puerile desire to belong.
Directed by Todd Field and nominated for three Academy Awards (Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay), Little Children is exquisitely entertaining and thoughtfully engaging in the delicate ways it addresses adultery and pedophilia.