Special Agent Matti
Anthony is himself as you've seen him a dozen times before, Hope is a mother with too much stress and not enough happy memories but it's Anton who creates the most magnetic characterisation of the three: he's smart, he's vulnerable and he's funny. He's also "not quite cute enough" in that way that the Macaulay Caulkins of the world can never match, giving Bobby an added layer of realism.
Something that really grates on my nerves is the revelation that the town homophobe and bully is actually a closeted homosexual. While it's true that the worst perpetrators of anti-gay violence are often trying to compensate for fear of discovery and an excess of self-loathing, the homosexual-as-villain is a stereotype that has ruled Hollywood for far too long. There was a time when just being gay meant that the character was automatically a baddie, no questions asked. It used to be the same for the physically challenged, African-Americans, migrants, communists, divorcées, draft dodgers, unwed mothers, sexually active teenagers, reefer addicts, atheists and all those other evil perverts. In some cases, time has moved attitudes along; in others, it's as if time has stood still.
As for Ted's gift, well, it's enough of a reason to run away from the G-men, caught in the middle of "reds under the bed" fever but not enough of a reason to make a serious attempt to hide. Having access to all sorts of inside information, he didn't think to use an alias or make up a detailed fake history? Sure, there'd be no film, but it would've made things a tad more believable.
M (Adult themes, low level violence)
101 minutes (1:41 hours)
Film: 31 January 2002
VHS rental: 17 July 2002