The Stone Boy (1984)

After A Family Thing, the next film starring Robert Duvall. A somewhat clumsily handled family drama set in the countryside, in which a farmer's son accidentally kills his brother. The focus here is on the fact that the 12-year-old boy does not cry or show emotions after the death, hence the film's title. The boy becomes estranged from his parents and subsequently goes to live temporarily with his grandfather because he believes his parents no longer want him. Guilt and coming to terms with the unacceptable run throughout the film. However, the subplot involving the boy's adulterous uncle drags on a bit. Stone Boy is therefore primarily made for lovers of slow-paced dramas. It is a shame that it fails to truly move the viewer and that the acting doesn't really leap off the screen. Duvall is one of the reasons I watched that film, but he remains fairly unremarkable in his role. The only scene that stood out was when he goes to pick up his son from the grandfather. Much more could be extracted from a story like this than what is shown here. Very small 3*

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