Young Terrence Stamp is a marvel in this movie, a character whose innocence is completely misunderstood when he somehow gets out into the world, having been in a coma since entering life. With the help of the psychiatrists sent to help him when he comes out of his stupor, he learns enough in a short period of time to advance to the mentality of a young boy, and curious to see the world, escapes with the help of his adult sized strength, knocking out a guard. Stamp makes his way around society, obviously perplexed why people treat him coldly or with fear. His doctors (which includes Robert Vaughan) try to find him, and hopefully before it is too late as he is labeled a dangerous psychotic pervert by the law enforcement searching for him, a belief far from the truth.

Stamp's performance goes from the basic grunts and cries of someone with the mentality and fear of an infant to the curiosity and friendliness of a grade school boy. It is easy to see why he is feared yet you can't help but lose your sympathy for him because he is in a situation that he is in no way responsible for. This is a very unique film that takes the character past Cliff Robertson's Oscar-Winning performance in "Charly" (which dealt with mental retardation and arrested development) and is closer to the more recent classic "Benjamin Button", and that makes the story all the more heartbreaking. This is something that even the science of psychiatry couldn't figure out, and thanks to Stamp's brilliant performance, wins over the audience with adoration for this loving adult with a six year old brain.

Sadly he wasn't nominated.

This is a very thought provoking film, I read the book before they made the film, it deviated a bit but still a good rendition with great performances from Stamp and Robert Vaughn, always a great actor sad to see him go at a fine old age.

If you want intelligent Sci Fi then is for you, however if Sci Fi means CGI, non stop action with space ships and aliens then don't bother, it's not.

"The Mind of Mr. Soames" is a very unusual film and about the only movie that I can think of that is similar is Truffaut's "The Wild Child". Both are about someone who basically goes from zero socialization to being forced to interact with the world...whether they want to or not.

When the film begins, you learn that a Mr. Soames (Terrence Stamp) has been in a coma since birth...30 years ago! However, a group of doctors think they can operate on him and bring him out of it. So suddenly they have what is, in essence, a 30 year-old baby. A person who looks like a man but needs to be given an accelerated childhood in order to bring him up to speed for lost time. The problem is that instead of treating him with love and compassion, he's more like a science project and no one wants to listen to Dr. Bergen (Robert Vaughn) who urges them to reconsider their methods.

Not surprisingly, Soames is depressed and angry. After all, folks won't give him clear answers and he's living in an emotionally deprived world. So he escapes from the hospital and goes on an adventure. But not knowing any of the rules of society, he is about as lost as King Kong in New York or the Frankenstein monster! You really have to feel sorry for the guy and you have a strong feeling that nothing good will come of it.

Overall, this is a good film with a bit of a flaw. Terrence Stamp is wonderful as Soames. But I also had a hard time believing that all but one of the doctors could be THAT clueless in how to properly care for this patient...it did seem a tiny bit far- fetched...although treating him like a science experiment, I could believe as this has happened before with feral children brought back to civilization (the famous case of Genie is a sad example). Still, despite this, the film is thought provoking and interesting...and worth seeing.