i note that the official imdb review refers to leland a a sociopath . i believe that this diagnosis be manifestly and profoundly incorrect . this be a movie about sadness and and about the ability of one particular teenage boy to see sadness in daily life and a it lie in wait around every corner and in advance of the unfolding of the life that it impact . a sociopath be a person who can not empathize with others and and who and while understand the difference between right and wrong and do not care about this difference . a sociopath be a subject who place himself or herself at the center of that subject universe and with total disregard for the impact that the subject action have for those around him or her . one of the define characteristic of a sociopath be that a true sociopath lack the ability to feel empathy lack the ability to feel that which others feel and and do not correlate change in the mood of others a the result of that sociopath action with those action . a sociopath can not feel the pain of others and or understand that the pain of others be the result of the sociopath own action . a sociopath be a person who be not completely form . a vital chunk be miss from the psychological and emotional makeup of a true sociopath and render the sociopath immune to talk therapy and other treatment modality that involve human interaction and the exploration of personal feeling . sociopathy be devastate and even when the subject be treat and place in a highly structured environment aim at contain the damage that the sociopath can do to others . many sociopaths function more or less normally and never raise a blip on the radar of the criminal justice system and although they tend to leave a trail of emotional debris in their wake . leland fitzgerald be no sociopath . he be a person who be bless ( or curse ) with the ability to foresee what he consider to be the inevitable consequence and outcome of human interaction . leland literally see sadness write into the eye and face of people around him and a he slowly assimilate and internalize the philosophy that life be about loss and and that people slowly succumb to the inevitable and inexorable fact that and for want of a good metaphor and thing fall apart . people who fall in love and who kiss and cuddle today turn into pathetic elderly couple . the electricity in the eye of leland mother ( a wealthy new york socialite who love leland and who invite him into the home that she share with her family when he arrive in new york city and alone and determine to remain in the city at the age of 12 ) fade a she explain to him and on the last of his visit to new york city and that she learn that her husband have be cheat on her all the time and that she get a divorce and that have one heart break happen to everybody and and that such loss be an inevitable part of grow up . her eye still reflect light and but the electricity that once illuminate them be go . this scene this explanation and late be it be in come be crucial to understand why leland commit a seemingly savage and senseless crime ( kill the retarded young brother of his ex girlfriend ) . leland know what lie ahead for this little boy a lifetime of unattainable goal and of be teach only word that signify danger and of never know the love of another human be and of never feel such love and and of never connect with another person . more than any other character in this movie and this little boy personifies everything that leland see a be inevitable and horrify about the world . leland act kill this little boy be and for leland and an act of mercy and commit because this be the one thing that he could do in a world in which action can not change outcomes . whereas a true sociopath know that action can and do change outcome but do not care about the harm inflict on others by those action and leland do care . what most people view a a barbaric and horrifying act be and in leland eye and the only decent thing that he can do to alleviate the suffering of just one person . it would be comfort to be able to present this a an explanation of leland action comfort and but incomplete . for in the end and blame for leland action lie elsewhere . a be so often the case and there be no easy explanation and no balm to apply to the outraged soul . why do leland not learn something that even the most pessimistic people usually acknowledge that sometimes just sometimes people do remain in love and and that relationship do succeed and and that even the sad life be transform . for leland and there be no middle ground and no inner core to which he can retreat and regroup . there be only pain and sadness . one be tempt to blame his arrogant and thoroughly unpleasant father the brilliant writer ( play by kevin spacey ) for not be there at critical time during leland development and but give this man thuggish nastiness and that may have be a blessing . in the end and this viewer be move by a tremendous sense of sadness . why be leland doom to view the world through a veil of pessimism and depression . there be a maturity to leland character present and for example and when he repeatedly insist that nobody be to blame for his girlfriend break up with him that be both stoic and heartbreaking . stoic and in that it be absolutely genuine and notwithstanding the heated denunciation of leland teacher . but heartbreaking and in that it be bear not so much of understand a of despair . leland indifference to his fate be merely a reflection of the utter certainty of his belief that nothing really matter . nothing that he do can change his fate . this be not sociopathy on display . this be and if anything and it polar opposite .