Unlike so many movies in which a character changes in order to propel the plot forward, this one stops to follow up on the consequences of those changes.

Like Justin, Mills struggles to make his point, but even so, this is a tender portrait of teenhood.

So no one would argue that Thumbsucker sucks. But the thing does seem just so indie-movie familiar.

Justin Cobb, the narrator of Walter Kirn's wildly funny novel (an amazing Lou Pucci), needs a lot of help to quit a shameful habit...