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Those of you out there, like me, who didn’t get a chance to catch Little Children in a theater, take heed. Here’s your chance to see one of the best films of 2006. Todd Field (In the Bedroom) has returned to the director’s chair after a five year hiatus, and he delivers one of the bravest and most honest films of recent years. He has made a film that seems to go against everything that Hollywood usually offers us. This is a strong film with provocative subject matter, made for mature audiences that want to be challenged.

At the beginning of the film, we meet Sarah Pierce (Kate Winslet), a former English Lit grad who now spends her days reading poetry and spending time with her daughter. At the park, she has a hard time identifying with the other snobby, gossipy mothers who sit on a bench looking like a gaggle of withered geese. One day, Brad Adamson (Patrick Wilson) brings his son to the park, and the geese won’t shut up about it. They call him The Prom King, and they bet Sarah that she can’t get his phone number; Sarah takes the bet, and strikes up a conversation with Brad. They have a pleasant enough talk, and eventually Sarah tells Brad about the bet that she’s trying to win. Brad is intrigued, and the two of them decide to take the bet further, just to freak out the other mothers. At first they share a hug, then they decide on a kiss. After witnessing said kiss, the other women, shocked and appalled, grab their kids and make for the exit, while Sarah and Brad part ways and go on about their daily lives.

At home, Brad is miserable. He genuinely loves his son, but his wife Kathy (Jennifer Connelly), a documentary filmmaker, is cold and distant. She’s too consumed by her work to notice Brad and his sexual longings. It’s obvious that she wears the pants in the family, and she rags on Brad all the time about studying for the bar exam (he’s failed twice already). Brad heads to the library every night to study, but somehow he always ends up sitting on a bench, fixated by the local skateboarders. The kiss between he and Sarah lingers in his mind. Sarah’s home life is much the same, her one high point is her weekly fitness walk. She’s been thinking of that kiss as well, and when she catches her husband jerking off to a porno site, it’s the straw that broke the camel’s back. She orders a swimsuit, fixes herself up a little, and decides to start taking her daughter to the city pool, where Brad and his son frequently visit. Brad and Sarah soon start a friendship that quickly results in a daily adulterous affair.

As if all this weren’t enough to get things going, a convicted pedophile named Ronald McGorvey (Jackie Earle Haley) has just moved into the neighborhood to live with his mother (Phyllis Somerville). This, of course, shakes up the town’s inhabitants, especially an ex-cop named Larry (Noah Emmerich) who becomes obsessed with keeping an eye on McGorvey. Larry spends his time distributing fliers across town and spray painting the word EVIL on McGorvey’s sidewalk. He even tries to enlist the help of Brad, who plays in a football night league with Larry. There’s much more to Larry than what there appears to be. He has a shady past, and his new obsession has driven a wedge between he and his wife. It doesn’t take too long for her to leave him, but Larry doesn’t seem to mind. He has more important things to occupy his time.

This film follows multiple storylines, giving each and every character their moments of poignancy and devastation. These aren’t just one dimensional sketches, these are immensely detailed versions of people that you and I could very easily know. From the creepy child molester to the All American High School jock who now has no motivation in life to even attempt to study for a career as a lawyer, Field treats each and every character as equals. The screenplay, co-written by Field and Tom Perotta (from his novel), is attuned to even the smallest of details. The voice over narration by Will Lyman (from PBS’ Frontline) is invaluable to the film’s success. In a dry but sharply ironic tone, Lyman varies from pointing out the obvious, to letting us know the innermost thoughts of the characters, a highly effective tool that only the rarest of filmmakers could pull off without seeming pretentious.

Adding to all of this is a seemingly perfect ensemble cast. All of the actors are working at full potential, none more so than Winslet. This is an actress who has been putting out solid work for a decade now, and her turn here rivals the best of her career. It’s a brave, risky performance that should be remembered for years to come. Wilson excels in what may be the film’s toughest role. His character leads a very comfortable life, yet we are asked to sympathize with him when he threatens to toss it all aside for the love of a woman he’s just met. Wilson has had a tendency to be ingratiating in the past (Phantom of the Opera), and there aren’t too many heterosexual men who would be disappointed in sharing a bed with Jennifer Connelly, but Wilson sells it. With roles in Hard Candy and now this, Wilson may be poised to become a very important actor, showing a maturity and growth that is quite rare today. Among the entire cast, though, it’s Haley and Emmerich who cut the deepest. Emmerich, a notable character actor, brings a lot of heart and nuance to a difficult role that could easily be flattened in the hands of a lesser actor. Haley, a former child star, was nominated for his role here, and it’s easy to see why. The scenes between him and his mother are equal parts awkward, disturbing, and even touching, resulting in some of the most dynamic interaction between two actors that I’ve seen in years. Haley may have once been a totally inconsequential actor, but here he is given a dark, complex role that even more accomplished actors wouldn’t go near. He is convincing, frightening, and flat out great.

I feel that I must say how important this type of film is to actresses. Too often in American cinema, good roles for women are nonexistent. This is a film that gives us females that are intelligent, strong, and not just there to please the men in their lives. Connelly, whose role was probably a bit one note on page, uses her small amount of screen time effectively. She portrays a good mother that is smart, sexy, and determined. Phyllis Somerville is incredibly haunting as Ronald’s mother. She is a devoted parent, possibly the best parent of the bunch, who loves her child no matter how sick he may be, and no matter how much others may hate him. These female roles are uncommonly strong for Hollywood, and it’s great to see a domestic film that actually cares about the plight of it’s women characters.

This film has another distinct trait missing from many modern films, and that is the feeling of a sure hand behind the wheel. We aren’t simply watching the film for the good performances; we are witnessing a great director coming into his own. Field has been absent for a few years, but he’s back, and he’s proven that In the Bedroom was no fluke. This guy is able to work inside the studio system without ever conforming to it’s low level standards. He maintains his own unique vision that, while a bit bleak, is utterly compelling to watch. He has estblished himself as one of the most interesting American filmmakers working today. He slips up a little, and the film has a few flaws holding it back. The third act tends to get a tad predictable, and I can’t quite figure out why someone would cast Connelly, one of the world’s great talents, without letting her burn up the screen like usual, but Field has a firm grip on all of the threads. He ties them all together at the end to give us a finale that may not redeem the characters, but it at least shows us that they are trying to change for the better. This is an important, multi-dimensional piece of work that deserves to find an audience on DVD. Here’s hoping that it does.