Thumbsucker is a coming of age story about Justin Cobb (Pucci), an awkward, introverted, restless teenager with a thumbsucking problem. As the growing pains theme has reared its head is so many movies over the years, dressed in all different colors and flavors, one may ask if there are any more stories to growing up than haven't already been told. I went into Thumbsucker with that very mentality, and came out satisfied with what I had just seen. This movie offers a perspective into a young man's struggle to walk the tightrope of life: drugs, sex, success, disgrace, personal insecurities, etc. I can't say that I could relate much to Justin Cobb, as I have been able to do with characters from other movies in this genre, but I believe my ultimate struggle throughout my high school years was very similar. Thumbsucker has many Freudian parallels, the largest being the compensation of the thumb for a lack of security from the parents, namely the mother (Swinton), however, none of these parallels are over done. The humor maintains a level of existentialistic cynicism but remains an overall uplifter. Good movie, and strengthens my opinion of high school: no matter how much you liked high school, it still sucked.
Review of Thumbsucker
