Little Children

Little Children is a 2006 American romantic psychological drama film directed by Todd Field. It is based on the 2004 novel of the same name by Tom Perrotta, who co-wrote the screenplay with Field. It follows Sarah Pierce (Kate Winslet), an unhappy housewife who has an affair with a married neighbor (Patrick Wilson). Also starring are Jennifer Connelly, Jackie Earle Haley, Noah Emmerich, Gregg Edelman, Phyllis Somerville and Will Lyman. Little Children premiered at the 44th New York Film Festival, and was released October 6, 2006, on 5 screens, earning $145,946, with a $29,189 per-screen average. However, during its 64 weeks in theaters, 32 screens were the most on which New Line Cinema ever exhibited the film, only briefly increasing that count to 109 in the few weeks leading up to the 79th Academy Awards. Consequently, few cinema-goers had access to it, significantly limiting its earnings. Despite this, it won numerous critics' group prizes and received Oscar nominations for Best Actress for Winslet, Best Supporting Actor for Haley, and Best Adapted Screenplay for Field and Perrotta. Plot Sarah Pierce lives with her husband Richard and daughter Lucy. Their marriage falls apart when she discovers his addiction to Internet pornography. One day, she meets Brad Adamson, a married law student who brings his 4-year-old son, Aaron, to the park. Brad and Sarah become friendly and, on a dare, kiss in the park, but resolve not to act on their mutual attraction. One day, several parents panic when they see recently paroled sex offender Ronnie J. McGorvey swimming in the pool with the children. After he is escorted away by the police, Sarah and Brad take Lucy and Aaron back to her house and put the kids to bed. While Sarah is drying towels in her basement, Brad comes down and they have sex.