‘Sleepwalking’ Has Exactly That Potential Effect on Moviegoers

CHICAGO – When done improperly, there’s nothing more embarrassing than actors playing against their type or social class. There is a subtlety to channeling the lower middle or the working class beyond dressing down or developing a bad hairstyle. “Sleepwalking” is the type of film that gets it wrong and just gets worse as it tries harder.

Charlize Theron is cast as Oscar bait in her role as Joleen: a down-on-her-luck mother who has just been busted for growing marijuana.

She is also in trouble with social services and then threaten to take away her 11-year-old daughter, Tara, who’s played by the trying-too-hard AnnaSophia Robb. Desperate, she abandons the girl with her brother, James, who’s played by Nick Stahl.

Charlize Theron in “Sleepwalking”. Photo credit: IMDb

AnnaSophia Robb in “Sleepwalking”. Photo credit: IMDb