Tom & Thomas
Tom & Thomas is a 2002 English-language Dutch family film directed by Esmé Lammers and starring Aaron Johnson in his film debut and Sean Bean. The film was released on 24 January 2002 in the Netherlands.
Plot
Sean Bean stars as the caring single adoptive father of one of a set of identical twins — played by Aaron Johnson — separated years earlier. The film follows the two boys as they meet, and having come to the attention of a corrupt orphanage manager are instrumental in smashing a child smuggling ring. After the two boys meet they have fun until Thomas is kidnapped by the child smugglers. They keep him bound with belts in a warehouse and use drugs to keep him asleep. The smugglers plan to transport Thomas to another country in a plane by smuggling him off as an animal in a box where he is kept bound and gagged. Tom learns of this however and comes to Thomas' rescue.Production
Casting
Tom & Thomas gained initial media interest through its illusive casting auditions. The auditions took place across the UK and the Netherlands, and resulted in a final casting session held in London, UK. The eventual winners were Tom and Alex Dawes, twins from the Midlands who are more generally known for their guest appearance in Nickelodeon's TV adaptation of Jacqueline Wilson's Double Act. However, after being accepted for the roles, the pair were rejected in favour of Johnson as loss of funding cut the cast in half. After a brief conflict between the Dawes twins and Lammers, which resulted in the pair gaining UK rights to the title "Tom & Thomas", the matter was settled with an undisclosed settlement. The Dawes twins have not been involved in any acting since, and now both hold positions at the University of Oxford.Filming
Filming took place in London, Amsterdam, and Haarlem from December 2000 to July 20, 2001. In London, despite high costs and strict local regulations, street scenes were shot to give the film an international flavor. In Haarlem, at the Kenau Park, a winter atmosphere was recreated at the end of May using artificial snow and set decorations to convey a Christmas mood.The main filming took place in the following locations:
- London Southbank, scene where the two boys mock about throwing snowballs.
- Notting Hill, where Sean Bean and Aaron Johnson get in the car.
- Haarlem, is where the Thomas' school scenes were shot.
- Amstelveen, is where Tom and Thomas obtain their corduroy denim jacket with orange hooded sweaters. Amsterdam RAI, was turned into Heathrow departures.
- Noordwijk, was where the museum scenes were shot.
- Ghent, that's where the orphanage scenes were shot.
- Schiphol airport, where Transavia allowed the crew to use their hangar.
Reviews
The film received mixed reviews from critics. The strengths of the picture were cited as the acting of young Aaron Johnson, who brilliantly handled the role of two different characters, and Sean Bean, who brought emotional depth to the film. Technical aspects, including filming in the mirror maze and the chase scenes, also received positive feedback. However, critics also noted the film's weaknesses. The plot was criticized for its predictability and use of clichés standard for family films, such as orphans in a snowy night and villains threatening children. The dark tone of some scenes raised questions about their appropriateness for a younger audience.Release
Initially, the film was planned for release in February 2002 to avoid competition with major Christmas releases such as Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Miss Minoes.The film premiered on 20 January 2002 in Scheveningen at the Pathé cinema. The premiere was attended by Aaron Johnson, Sean Harris, Bill Stewart, and Derek de Lint.
The North American premiere took place at the Sprockets children's film festival in April 2002.
Home media
On 20 November 2002, the film was released on DVD and VHS in the Netherlands by Buena Vista Home Entertainment through the Hollywood Pictures Home Video label.Awards
- 2002 — the best international film on Chicago International Children's Film Festival.