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.
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.