The Cider House Rules (2011)

Just when thoughtful adults despair that Hollywood will never again make movies for them to enjoy, Cider House Rules comes along and gives everybody reason to hope. From its wide, opening shot to its literary ending, this film delivers to its audience an old-fashioned, satisfying, movie-going experience while at the same time focusing on quite a surprising topic: abortion. Framed with Dickensian sympathy for all its characters, Cider House weaves its way in and out of the lives of half a dozen startlingly original people, many of them quite unusual for mainstream cinema. Michael Caine picked up the Oscar (he's a great actor but he's become a kind of beloved pet for middle-aged movie fans) as a drug-addicted humanitarian, yet Delroy Lindo gives the most haunting and complex performance as the black foreman of an apple-picking crew who loves his daughter too much. Tobey Maguire and Charlize Theron make this long film continuously watchable and even warmly sunny despite its repeated turns into dark material, and a gaggle of adorable moppet orphans keep tugging at the heart strings, but not so much you feel abused. A rare modern day classic.

A sensitive and intelligent character-driven film, adapted from John Irving's novel by the author himself, which features truly breathtaking cinematography, a lush musical score, and uniformly excellent performances by a formidable cast which includes Tobey Maguire, Charlize Theron, Delroy Lindo, Paul Rudd, Kathy Baker, Jane Alexander, and supporting Oscar-winner Michael Caine. The main plot line centers around a young man (Maguire), raised in an orphanage headed by a charismatic doctor (Caine), who decides to venture out into the world and learns the hard way that life is not merely black and white, but many subtle variations of gray. While this is hardly a unique theme, the characters in "Cider House Rules" are so exquisitely drawn, and the movie so masterfully produced, that everything which might in lesser hands seem overly familiar appears fresh, new, and distinctive.

The DVD offers a perfect sound and video transfer, and includes a nice selection of "extras", including a documentary on the making of the film, the original Theatrical Trailer, and highlights of the television ad campaign. Overall, the DVD is an exemplary presentation of a bona fide modern classic, and one that's well worth multiple viewings.

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Director Lasse Hallström joins his formidable talent with novelist/screenwriter John Irving and the results are so pleasantly literate and dramatically satisfying. I haven't read the novel so I can't compare the two but films vs. their novels' comparisions are almost impossible anyway since each media of expression is so unlike the other. For one, film is a collaborative medium whereas fiction writing is a solitary pursuit. Judged on its own, the film works perfectly. It revolves around a young man, Homer (Tobey Maguire), raised in an orphanage by its doctor (Michael Caine) who loves him like his own son. Homer eventually needs to go out into the larger world and experience what it has to offer. He has had problems with the doctor's inability to see the black and white of right and wrong. In his exposure to the outside world, by working in a Cider House in Maine, Homer too is forced to confront the gray areas inbetween right and wrong. Delroy Lindo, as the crew boss of the Cider House, does a formidable job playing the pivotal character from whom Homer will learn the inexact rules for living his life. Caine and Irving deservedly won Oscars for their work.

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This Review refers to the Miramax Collector's Series DVD edition of "The Cider House Rules"

Sixty years before the release of "The Cider House Rules", we learned in a heartwarming story, from a girl named Dorothy, that if we are ever looking for our heart's content we shouldn't look past our own back yards. In 1999 in a more adult tale, one that is also heartwarming, but no fantasy, a young man named Homer, sets his cap to see the world and discovers also, that home is where he belongs. Naturally, this film is nothing like "The Wizard of Oz", and I am not, and would never presume to compare the two, only the idea of youth looking for something more out there. But "The Cider House Rules" is a fine film in it's own right.

All that Homer Wells knows of life is the orphanage in Maine where he has grown up.The orphanage is run by Dr. Larch who has been like a father to Homer and has passed on all his medical knowledge to him, in hopes that someday Homer will take his place.The orphanage by the way also doubles as place where unwed mothers come to have their babies...or not...as abortion is also one of the choices. The time is the early fourties, and not only was abortion as controversial as it still is today, but also, illegal.

Homer feels, it is his time now, and decides to strike out on his own. Not knowing where he will go or what he will do, doesn't really matter. What matters is that he experiences life.And so he does.Love, happiness, sadness and loss are all part of life's experiences that Homer gains on his journey.

Lasse Hallstrom("Chocolat"/"What's Eating Gilbert Grape")has masterfully directed this wonderful film that captivates from start to finish.The cast is a brillant mix of seasoned veterans and outstanding young performers.Michael Caine took home a Best Supporting Oscar for his touching portrayal of the ether addicted, but caring Dr.Larch. Tobey Maguire, is perfect as the young and intuitive Homer. Charlize Theron, Delroy Lindo, Jane Alexander, and Kathy Baker all add their wonderful talents as well. The film also garnered an Oscar for Best Screenplay by John Irving and was nominated for several others including, Best Picture, Director,and Music.

It's not only a beautiful story, but beautifully filmed as well, and the DVD is an excellent quality that shows off all the great cinematography. It's the reason we love our DVDs so much. The picture in widescreen(2.35:1) is crystal clear, with wonderful colors and the 5.0 surround sound is marvelous.Lots of extras are included too. Commentary, deleted scenes, a "making of" feature, and more. It may be viewed in French and has subtitles in Spanish. And although it doesn't say it on the tech info here or the back of the case, there ARE captions in English for hearing impaired viewers.

I highly recommend this to anyone who loves touching tales of life....enjoy...Laurie

also recommended for more of life's touching moments:

Empire Falls (Every Small Town Has a Big Story) Vol. 1and Empire Falls (Every Small Town Has a Big Story) Vol. 2

The Ice Storm(also with Tobey Maguire)

The Color Purple

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I watched "The Cider House Rules" last night and so thoroughly enjoyed it. I never moved once during the entire movie. It held your attention the entire time. It made me laugh out loud, cry, think about my own life, and the fact that this kind of simple love and caring should exist more today in our fast paced, complicated world that fails to remember the little things that really count. I. too, agree, with some of the other viewers comments that this movie was a far better motion picture than "American Beauty." Kudos to John Irving for writing such a beautiful novel. I also that that the acting was suberb, with all cast members working together to produce this wonderful movie.

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