What a load of rubbish.

I understand (and respectfully disagree with) your response, but I'd like to point out that there were clues that pointed at, but avoided beating us over the head with, the possibility of mystical intervention. Perhaps it wasn't all in his head: how could he have known his mother would die at 12:07? Why did her sketchbook contain images from the three stories, and one of his mother as a little girl on the shoulders of the monster? And for those willing to step outside into production notes, did you notice that a picture of Conor's grandfather was an image of Liam Neeson, who voiced the monster? Was he speaking to Conor from beyond the grave, conveying the lessons he had given once to his daughter?

Again this is less than overt, allowing us multiple interpretations, but if you look closely, you can find some amazing detail addressing the issues you have with the film. As far as the overly sentimental complaint, I was delighted by how the story danced away from cliches at every turn: there were no easy answers for Conor. Another movie would have reveled in the ultimate outburst of violence to bullying; Conor received censuring (in a scene where--more intervention?--the school principal used the same words as his father when asked about punishment: "What would be the point of that?")

Perhaps I'm responding to my personal experience. On the passing of my father and then my mother, I has always envisioned the occasions as one more catcher in the rye being removed between me and the abyss. So the image of Conor's nightmare, in which he desperately attempts to pull his mother back from that brink, was profoundly moving for me.

I hope you give the movie a second chance--you obviously give a lot of thought to your analyses.