Morally challenging story in 'About Adam'

Joko E. H. Anwar, Contributor, Jakarta

Do not be mistaken into thinking that About Adam is just another puffball. This interesting little number comes across as a morally challenging film guaranteed to prompt discussion among audiences right after they step out of the theater.

The film opens as twenty-something Lucy, the character played by Kate Hudson, narrates how the diner where she works as a waitress is full of her ex-boyfriends.

She needs some new faces to liven up the place a little. That is where a man who later tells her that his name is simply Adam (Stuart Townsend) comes in.

At first sight, you may get the impression the film is heading toward being a teenage romantic flick but it won't take you too long to take it seriously.

Adam is boyish, cute and seemingly innocent. Lucy is quickly smitten. But there is something about Adam that Lucy does not know.

For Lucy, the most important thing is that he seems fun and does not rush into having sex like all of her ex-boyfriends did. She thinks he is the one.

Townsend is perfect for the character who is adorable but not as naive as he looks.

Hudson is undeniably an excellent actress. Her role may not be as big and as complex as in Almost Famous where she plays a rock band groupie named Penny Lane, but she still manages to shine.

Half way through its running time, the film provokes audience curiosity as surprise after surprise is revealed about the characters, and not just Adam's.

After the film presents its story from Lucy's viewpoint, it changes to Lucy's middle sister named Laura (Frances O'Connor) who develops a crush on Adam right after he comes to meet the family.

Nerdy Laura finds Adam perfect since while he humbly admits he is not a scholar, he also likes books and can quote poetry and stories she likes. Furthermore, Laura thinks he is sensitive and vulnerable, qualities in a man she finds attractive.

Here, O'Connor whom we can also see in A.I. Artificial Intelligence plays her character with great accuracy. She seems hard to reach, but once a man knows what buttons to press, she will devote herself to him, sacrificing everything to be with her man.

Another character who is also attracted to Adam is Lucy's oldest sister Karen.

While her marriage is going through a rough period, she finds Adam a tempting little number and definitely more attractive than her seemingly boring husband who falls asleep and snores during a family gathering.

Although it sounds like a standard man-seduces-the-whole- family story, there is something thought-provoking about it.

As the film progresses, the audience will try to figure out the motive behind Adam's relationships with women.

Does he have a secret past which makes him committed to destroying women's lives as we have seen in many movies, or, has he been sent by someone who has something against the family or Lucy's habit of breaking men's hearts?

In the last 30 minutes, the movie seems to be running out of gas and the filmmakers seem to lose direction.

However, the film quickly recovers and reaches an unexpected conclusion. I am not sure if writer/director Stembridge had figured it out from the very beginning or it is simply the result of drastic rewriting.

The result is a challenging ending that opens discussion for anyone who is interested in values in a relationship.

This is an impressive, funny little gem that should not be missed.

About Adam, *** out of four stars; Drama/Comedy, 105 minutes; Starring Stuart Townsend, Frances O'Connor, Kate Hudson.; Written and Directed by Gerard Stembridge; A Miramax Films Presentation