Wow! Such a good movie.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

The story centers around Jude (Asa Butterfield) a teen boy growing up in Lintonburg, Vermont. He hangs out with his best friend Teddy (Avan Jogia) who is also adopted. His dad Les (Ethan Hawke) is with a different family in NYC. In an odd plot point Eliza (Hailee Steinfeld) stops in Vermont, meets the guys and this suddenly becomes a pregnant teen film (not funny like Juno) with an absentee father and a bunch of people, all well meaning, pulling in different directions.This is an indy style film with the pseudo-deep soundtrack with beginning and ending platitudes. "Life is like a river and we are all minnows..." The time frame in the 1980s and uses the Tompkins Square Park Riots in New York's East Village as a background.Guide: F-bomb. No sex or nudity.

Reviewers keep complaining about the drug use, sex, and irresponsible parents. Umm, that HAPPENS. In real life. More than you realize. I found the acting very well done, yet, the characters, or writing, was... uneven. On one hand, neither the characters nor the plot goes in any direction you think it is going, which most viewers tend to love. However, the setups, swerves and everything we learn is all for nothing, since.. neither the characters nor the plot goes in any direction even hinted at. Characters can spend the first 2/3 of the film complaining about the same thing (adults pushing what they want instead of what the teen wants), make multiple huge dramatic deals about it, then inexplicably change mind to agree with them, from no motivation whatsoever. There are also a couple subtle hints concerning one particular relationship, but everything else heard and done contradicts what happens or what we assume is happening. I really liked most of this film, and WANTED to like the rest but maybe it tried too hard to defy our expectations without earning it or trying. {It would be like watching a film about an interesting Christian Kansas farmer who takes classes in law school then decides to become an Atheist surfer with no reason for any of those out of nowhere decisions other than "just because the character decides to out of the blue".} Instead of "surprising" by being different, it was confusingly frustrating to watch this pointless journey. Still not sure if that's a good thing or bad thing in this mostly unoriginal Hollywood blockbuster era.

Based on the novel from Eleanor Henderson, 10,000 SAINTS is a classic styled drama set in New York where we follow some young and confused teenagers growing up and their crazed dysfunctional parents during the sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll era of the eighties. The first part of the film is really explosive and gripping but the further on the story goes it seems to get a bit stuck but keeps it curiosity until the end. This nostalgic trip through life gives you both smiles and tears while touching your heart and is a reminder of how fragile and short life is. A well-directed and written story by Sundance winners Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini (American Splendor) with impressive performances from this odd mixed but great cast featuring Ethan Hawke, Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfield, Avan Jogia, Emilie Kirsch and Emily Mortimer.

This film tells the story of three parents, and their four teenage children who live chaotic lives in New York.I didn't think I would like "Ten Thousand Saints" at first because their world is so different from mine. The father, played by Ethan Hawke, is an irresponsible parent beyond imagination. He even shares illegal drugs with his son, which is really beyond me. Yet, soon afterwards the characters grow on me and I care much about their well-being and happiness. Hailee Steinfeld's character as a pregnant teenager really stands out, the things she has to go through is tough even for an adult. The scene that she confides that she does not remember what Teddy looks like is quite breathtaking."Ten Thousand Saints" has great character development, and an captivating story to go with it. I certainly hope there will be a happy ending for the children in the untold future.