The movie is about Jacob, a thirteen-year-old boy. Jacob appears to be living a different life and his illegal behavior is very dangerous, while the Society for the Protection of Children is trying to send his younger brother - Wes - to his aunt. Jacob and his passionate father must take responsibility for their actions everywhere they go.
Not that inarticulate characters can't be compelling if they are written with subtlety, acted with insight and, most of all, framed by a directorial vision, but "Hellion," despite a promising debut from Wiggins, falls short in at least two of the above.
"Hellion" has nothing if not empathy for every one of its characters. But without a more original story or a distinctive visual presence, it's hard for it to rise above a crowded field.
"Hellion" pads its slender, commonplace, but potentially rewarding premise with contrivances, clichés, repetitiousness, and, when all else fails, implausible, arbitrary melodrama.
