'Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close'

In 2005, when Jonathan Safran Foer published his post-9/11 novel "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," the subject was still so raw that some accused him of exploiting the tragedy. Even today, might it be too soon for a film adaptation that opens with a man in a business suit plummeting through the sky?

Time and ticket sales will tell, but "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" could be the first film in years to successfully tackle 9/11, an event that typically switches audiences into denial mode. It's a decidedly Hollywood approach, with an Oscar-burnished cast and slightly mawkish direction by Stephen Daldry ("The Reader"). But it's a start.

"The worst day" is what young Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn) calls Sept. 11, 2001, when he lost his father, Thomas (Tom Hanks, heartbreaking even via answering machine). They shared a love for puzzles and games, and Oskar -- an obsessive kid with a touch of Asperger's -- wants to keep playing. A year later, he discovers a key in his dad's belongings and resolves to find its lock.

Scouring New York City, Oskar befriends hundreds of strangers, including the newly divorced Abby Black (Viola Davis) and a sad, mysterious man called The Renter (Max von Sydow, in the film's loveliest performance). Meanwhile, Oskar vents his rage against the nearest person: his mother (Sandra Bullock, weepy but affecting).

Horn delivers a star turn as Oskar, a child trying to make sense of a tragedy that still baffles us all. The overarching story is an elaborate contrivance, but many of the scenes -- especially of 9/11 itself -- are genuinely moving. That palatable mix may be exactly what makes "Extremely Loud" worth seeing.

PLOT In the wake of 9/11, a young boy searches for clues about his defather. RATING PG-13 (language, adult themes)

CAST Thomas Horn, Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Max von Sydow.

LENGTH 2:09.

PLAYING AT AMC Lincoln Square and Regal Union Square in Manhattan, starting Sunday; opens locally Jan. 20.

BOTTOM LINE A Hollywood version of events, but Horn is terrific as a boy grappling with a tragedy that still baffles us all.