Can't act his way out of a paper bag

I agree. He seemed to be alright when he was a small child but sometime around the age of 11 or 12 he dropped the ball.

Nobody seems to get that this movie bucked the traditional acting norms and was more akin to a fly on the wall type thing . Candid, regular, interactions between the cast. Yes they were acting, but emotions were kept more realistic to the average joes behavior. I found all of them to be spot on except Patricia Arquette. She has never been very ranged and doesnt do subtle very well. Coltrane gets so much flak but he acts virtually identical to 99% of the teens I have been around and very similarto myself at his age and my son now. Same with his sister and Ethan Hawkes character. Were so used to seeing highly produced, directed drama on tv and film that this seems odd but I find it pretty close in realism.

Agreed

What don't people like you get? This wasn't meant to be an edge-of- your-seat drama film. It was meant to be a slice of life, a study of one kid's childhood/adolescence. How didn't he act to your satisfaction? I watch a ton of indie films meant to be slice of life types, and thought he was very believable. Nothing about him ever gave me the impression he was acting. And THAT was the point. He was somewhat introverted, and a bit in his thoughts. Which is why he wasn't the type to be tap-dancing in a top hat with a tuna sandwhich. He wasn't MEANT to be an extremely over-the-top character. Stick to mainstream films. Wouldn't want you to hurt your thinker.