I'd read the book awhile ago and wasn't terribly impressed... but after watching the movie, I want to re-read it, because the movie is quite, quite good. I was especially impressed with Laura Linney as the self-centered mother whose world is falling apart around her. The child actor is neither too intelligent nor too stupid - he seems like a genuine kid. The movie builds convincingly and ends satisfyingly, without being either bleak or sappy. It didn't blow me away, but it was pretty satisfying, and definitely worth seeing.