Misunderstood (1984)

What makes it different from others?

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

I have not seen the film 'Incompreso' which covers the same storyline as Misunderstood, but I have read Florence Montgomery's original book and I can say that this film is fairly faithful to the original although set in modern times as opposed to Victorian England. It is basically a story about two boys and their relationship with father following mothers death. Father very much takes the older boy,Andrew,here played by Henry Thomas, for granted, whilst obsessing over his younger 'delicate' son. Then tragedy strikes and predictably,father lives to regret his neglect. Very much a tear jerker, I never the less have it mind that two endings were intended, one where Andrew survives and one where he does not. In the book he dies and this is the correct ending in my view. Very much an object lesson for parents, it is virtually impossible to take in the ending without crying.Gene Hackman would not have been my choice as father mainly because he seems incapable of closely relating to Andrew at the climax of the story. He's hard enough throughout the film but cannot come round sufficiently at the very end.Father, in the Montgomery story, is clearly heartbroken,as I would be if it were my son, but Hackman doesn't seem able to show this degree of emotional release. There is,to a degree,an element of poor direction here, the closing scenes are somehow remote.The film really belongs to Henry Thomas as Andrew. It is impossible not to warm to him and empathize with the double sadness of loosing mother and coping with a distant and cold father.He cannot seem to do anything right. He cries out for love and understanding but he doesn't get it,yet he is courageous in the manner of boys that age(12). The ending here is vague but I believe the storyline calls for Andrews to pass away, without this the film looses some integrity.I feel we should not always expect to leave the theatre whistling a happy tune. This is a film that teaches a valuable lesson and not all lessons are particularly easy.

Two young brothers, motherless and now relying on their workaholic father, try becoming closer to their only surviving parent while stationed in Tunisia. Director Jerry Schatzberg, working from an incredibly dull screenplay by Barra Grant, via Florence Montgomery's novel, never shakes the lead out, and the picture seems stillborn as a result. Henry Thomas, one of the most intuitive child actors of this era, doesn't match up well with Gene Hackman; the two are supposed to be estranged, but there's no connection between them at the finale, either. A depressing experience, with the curious location not helping matters. * from ****

'Misunderstood' is an adaptation of a novel by Florence Montgomery but most of all a remake of Luigi Comencini's masterpiece 'Incompreso'.This review is destined to evaluate 'Misunderstood', so here it goes. It's certainly not a bad movie if judged without comparing to the original. However, when compared to the original, it seems artificial in many aspects. The gorgeous Italy is replaced by Tunisia (in North Africa), the settings look unnatural and unrefined, the house looks crude, the scenes seem forced and lack authenticity, the actors lack emotion in their roles (including Henry Thomas, who was brilliant in 'E.T.'), many detailed scenes were removed or modified and there are additional scenes that don't quite fit in the plot. Not even the uncle saves the movie. Here the uncle is a very serious man who rarely laughs, he has nothing to do with the playful uncle from the original.The ending feels somewhat vague comparing to the original and far less emotional too but also leaves you wondering if Andrew survives or not. It ends suddenly and we never really get to know the answer to this question. Gene Hackman is okay but nowhere near as good as Anthony Quayle. Huckleberry Fox is adorable but not in the same league as the kid of the original. Same for Henry Thomas in comparison to the boy of the original.

Contrived and sappy story, which is also difficult to understand. Mom dies. Dad can't fill her shoes... and nothing else after that. Hackman fills the father role with as much strength as he can muster with the lifeless script provided for him. Youngsters Thomas and Fox are engaging in the film through the poignant relationship they create.