At the Box Office: Martian Child (2007)

Released on November 2, Martian Child (PG), a
new comedy-drama film starring John Cusack, has grossed an estimated $7.1 million after three weeks in the theaters.

While the film is not really a piece of science fiction, it has an interesting story line: Cusack’s character is a science fiction writer -- most notably of a book on Mars that is in production as a big-time film -- who wants to adopt a boy who claims he is a Martian. The film is based on “The Martian Child,” an autobiographical Nebula and Hugo Award-winning novelette by science fiction writer David Gerrold, who is perhaps most well-known for writing several Star Trek television scripts and novels.

Martian Child has been reviewed widely by film critics, including Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times, who gave it two stars. In light of that, Cusack fans may consider staying home and popping Sixteen Candles into the VCR.