Birthmarked

(out of four) Starring Toni Collette, Matthew Goode. Directed by Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais. 90 minutes. Opens Friday at Cineplex YongeDundas. 88 minutes. 14A The debate over nature versus nurture is an age-old question and a highly relevant one. So

Birthmarked’s story about two scientists who do real-life social experimentation on their own children seems like fertile ground for cinema.

It’s 1977, and Ben (Matthew Goode) and Catherine (Toni Collette) turn to a loopy philanthropist named Gertz (Michael Smiley) to fund their study. They adopt Maya, whose parents were none too bright, and train her to be a genius. They also adopt Maurice, whose parents were notably angry, and shape him into a pacifist. And they take their own son, Luke, whose parents are supposedly brilliant scientists, and turn him into an artist.

The usually wonderful Collette underwhelms here — in fact, she just seems tired. Goode is fitfully amusing as the ineffectual father and the kids are pretty engaging. But Fionnula Flanagan, a very fine character actor, is wretchedly miscast as Gertz’s assistant, given nothing useful to do. Smiley, whose dweebish looks suggest a promising comedy, is not at all funny.

Directed by Quebec’s Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais, who also co-writes, the movie feels longer than it actually is — and that’s always a bad sign.