Rating: 
Summary: An American Tragedy
Review: ...A tragic tale of a murdered son and the disintegration of a happy marriage. Directed by Todd Field, he also wrote the script with Robert Festinger, IN THE BEDROOM is based on a short story by Andre Dubus. It looks to be the frontrunner for Miramax at the Oscars. Within the cast are comeback kids, newcomers, and familiar faces. Sissy Spacek, nominated for Best Actress this year and was last nominated in 1984 for THE RIVER, is Ruth Fowler - the music teacher at the local high school who deals with the loss of her son Frank, played by the blank-faced Nick Stahl, who is shot (very graphic!) and killed by a jealous ex-husband Richard Strout (William Mapother, real-life cousin to Tom Cruise) of Frank's older girlfriend and single mother Natalie, played by Best Supporting Actress nominee and past winner Marisa Tomei. Tom Wilkinson, a distinguished British actor who got a Best Actor nod, is Dr. Matt Fowler, who does his best to cope with the loss of his son. What starts as a bright and cheery film about young boy and older woman in love soon becomes a nightmarish world of darkness, silence, and ultimately retribution. Matt and Ruth's 25-year marriage falls apart when Frank is killed by Richard, who wants to reconcile with Natalie. It does sound like a soap opera at first, but once the killing happens - it's a different story. Little by little, Matt and Ruth try to move on, but the void is so great and since they have no other children or will never have grandchildren for that matter, it makes it all the more sadder and heartbreaking when they realize that they have nothing left. They continue their lives in their work, neglecting the other, arguing about who was harder on Frank and who was always on his side, protecting him from the other's advice (a wonderful confrontation scene in the kitchen). And then there is that moment where Natalie comes to the high school and begs for Ruth's forgiveness. Her response - a slap in the face! Later, Natalie meets Matt at the convenient store, but there confrontation is more understanding and forgiving. Frankly speaking, both scenes contrast and are so wonderfully different that we know who is the patient one (Matt) and who is the most grieved (Ruth). William Mapother didn't strike me as a psychopath which, I guess, served its purpose well. I never expected the murder, though I knew it would happen. And so graphic! Well, whoever said murder was pretty? I think this was a good performance to break out, especially if you are Tom Cruise's cousin. (He claims he struggled just like the rest of us did.) Marisa Tomei, who disappeared after winning an Oscar in 1992 for MY COUSIN VINNY but returned in recent films like THE WATCHER and WHAT WOMEN WANT, is still a beautiful and very fragile person. (I still remember her early years on TV's "It's A Different World.") But it's Spacek and Wilkinson who are the heart and soul of the film. It isn't until the end when Matt has properly disposed of Richard that I realize what they, and I'm sure millions of other parents, are capable of. It's terrible to see a happy couple and pillars of the community be forced into committing such a heinous act of revenge - yet it was necessary, and that's the brutal aspect of life. ...
Rating: 
Summary: Horrible. Told me nothing.
Review: The movie poster outside my theater had so many good comments about In The Bedroom, which is why I went to go see it. Were they seeing the same movie I saw? While the events and the characters were realistic, the flat plot didn't make for a good movie. (And I don't think the trailer portrayed the film accurately.) I wished I got my money and time back! Yes, a murder tears the loved ones apart. Yes, it's not a typical subject. Yes, I saw the subtext (what was not said supposedly spoke volumes) and it STILL did not carry the movie. No, the film wasn't particularly dark. Also, other movies that showed degradation of the character(s) were more interesting than this one. In the end, I was left thinking, "So what?" Again, this movie said nothing to me. All I can probably suggest if you're still interested in seeing it is to wait until it comes out in the movie channels or somebody rents it and you'll end up seeing it for free.
Rating: 
Summary: A great film that a lot of people are going to dislike
Review: Actor Todd Field (whose off-key presence can best be seen in Eyes Wide Shut) makes his directorial debut with this low-key but, in the end, tragically devastating examination of love, family, and murder in a small town Maine fishing village. Tom Wilkinson and Sissy Spacek play a married couple (and are totally believable as a loving couple who have started to get a little too used to each other) who are concerned when their intelligent but niave (and, at times, rather narcisstic) son Nick Stahl gets involved with an older woman (Marisa Tomei, still as cute as in My Cousin Vinny but now with a heart-breakingly inner sadness) with two children and an abusive husband. Set against the beautiful landscape of New England, the film tells how these five personalities come together in a storm of exploding emotions that, in the end, will leave two of them dead and will force everyone to confront that lies that they've spent their lives leading. Nonflashy but haunting, the film draws much of its power from its actors. Stahl and Tomei are affecting and Sissy Spacek proves herself to be one of our best character actresses (gone from this chilling performance are any signs of the Carrie or the Coal Miner's Daughter). However, the film belongs to English actor Wilkinson who is thoroughly convincing as an archetypical American everyman; a middle-aged, blandly friendly man who has spent years holding back his emotions and finally, in the twilight of his life, is forced into actions that will make it impossible for all of the film's characters to ever go back to their previous existences. All-in-all, a devastatingly sublte film where the power is to be found in the heart-rendering subtexts that flow through the film. This is a film where its often important to pay attention to what the character's don't say. As such, it's a challenging film and as such, there's a lot of people who can't stand it. It's truly humorous how worked up people get about disliking this film. I was recently at a party where I mentioned that "In the Bedroom" was one of the few movies I'd seen last year that actually didn't disappear from my mind mind the minute I left the theater. Certainly, it was the only film whose characters I still thought about (as if they were members of my own family) and whose often haunting images (curtesy of director Todd Field whose low budget is apparent in the grainy but strangely beautiful and moody images of the Maine countryside) could still be pictured almost crystal clear. The other guests were scandalized to hear that I had loved this film. "It was too dark!" they complained. "It was too long! And anyone could have seen what was going to happen!" (Which is true but still misses the point of the film. The tragedies, yes, can be predicted by a halfway intelligent viewer because the film is so carefully constructed and realistically presented that the actions become unavoidable. That doesn't rob them of their haunting power and when one hears that "predictable" cannard, remember there is a difference between the reality of In the Bedroom and the "plot-by-the-numbers" approach of more crowd pleasing films like Pearl Harbor or Titanic.) Anyway, I soon pointed out that, for a film that apparently wasn't any good, it had somehow managed to stick in everyone else's mind as well. If a film was still capable of drawing that strong of an outraged reaction, could it really be called a "failure?" Perhaps, I went on, the real problem you have with this film is that it didn't hold your hand and gently explain all the subtext inherent in the story. Maybe if it had made all of its themes explicitly obvious while still pretending to make the audience "look closer" (as in the similar but far more obvious American Beauty), you wouldn't feel so insulted. At this point, I got a quick lesson is avoiding empty beer bottles but that's another story. The story here is "In the Bedroom," one of the most powerful films in recent years, even if its going to take another couple of years for that to become apparent.
Rating:
Summary: Horrible
Review: When i first saw the previews for this movie i was really excited... well after i saw the movie i realized the preview for this movie was the best part of this movie. First of all this movie is boring. There are two action scenes, one near the middle of the movie and one at the end. Im not one who just loves action movies but the rest of the movie was so boring. i cannot undersatnd how people can give this movie anytthing above a 1 (note this only got a 1 because there is no choice for 0 stars) Sissy spacek was boring, she did not do anything special for her to receive oscar buzz or to receive the awards she did. And after praying for this torture to be over, i was sickened by the unrealistic ending. This is the worst movie i've seen in years. if u want to be bored to death and watch 2 hours of nothing, then go see it...but be warned..you would have more fun sitting in a dark room by yourself.
Rating:
Summary: Emotionally wrenching drama about a family in turmoil.
Review: Matt Fowler is a doctor and his wife, Ruth, is a high school choir leader in the town of Camden, Maine. Matt and Ruth adore their only child, Frank, who is a handsome and charming college student with plans to study architecture. Everyone's life changes when Frank starts an affair with Natalie Strout. She is a thirtyish woman who is separated from her loutish husband, Richard, and who has two children. Although Ruth would like Frank to end the affair, Matt indulges his beloved son and the affair continues with unfortunate consequences. "In the Bedroom" is a character study of people on the edge and of a marriage that is reaching the breaking point. Tom Wilkinson and Sissy Spacek are wonderful as doting parents who need to face some horrible truths that they would prefer to ignore. Although Spacek is getting most of the acting kudos, Wilkinson, in his own quiet way, delivers a knockout performance as a man who has always kept his feelings under wraps, but who is now ready to explode. His facial expressions and his body language are as eloquent as his words. The director of this film, Todd Field, favors long pauses, close-ups of the characters' expressions, and a pace that is slower than most movies that you will see nowadays. These techniques, although effective, can occasionally be irritating. However, Field does enable the viewer to get into the skin of the characters and to effectively feel their anguish. "In the Bedroom" is not a "feel-good" movie. However, it is a powerful examination of how people's intimate relationships and their sense of morality are tested during periods of intense emotional stress. How would any of us stand up under such pressure? This is just one of the questions that you will be pondering long after you have left the theater.
Rating: 
Summary: A dark vision from director Field
Review: "In the Bedroom," directed by Todd Field, is a real downer of a film. It tells the story of Frank Fowler, a young man who has a romance with Natalie, an older woman who is separated from her abusive husband. This relationship leads Frank to conflict with his mother Ruth, and ultimately the story spirals into a tragedy that impacts the lives of every character. "In the Bedroom" is graced by fine performances from a superb ensemble cast. Sissy Spacek is a raw nerve ending as Ruth, and Marisa Tomei is heartbreaking as Natalie. Nick Stahl is a compelling presence as young Frank. But I found the most impressive performance to be that of Tom Wilkinson as Frank's father, Matt. Wilkinson gives a rich, multifaceted, and ultimately very powerful and haunting performance as a man facing horrible circumstances. This film presents a very bleak, depressing view of human frailty and suffering, and of human beings' capacity for violence (both emotional and physical) against each other. I found the film's ending rather unsatisfying; it left me saying to myself, "That's it?!" Still, if you're a fan of fine ensemble acting and serious adult drama, check out this movie.
Rating:
Summary: DON'T GO!! SAVE YOURSELF THE TIME & MONEY
Review: What a waste of time. I should have left, many people did. I actually thought something might happen. The actors were all so ugly and especially with all the hideous close up shots. It was so boring. When I left, in the line of people leaving, people were saying what a waste it was. I don't know why all the hype for this monstrosity. It could have been better.
Rating:
Summary: Murder Turns an Ordinary Family Life Upside Down
Review: Matt and Ruth Fowler (Tom Wilkinson and Sissy Spacek) chose to live an ordinary existence in the beautiful small city of Camden, Maine. They were willing to make the sacrifices necessary for Matt to build up his medical practice, but not to live a truly challenging life. The marriage is not dysfunctional, but also does not seem passionate. The Fowlers are comfortable with their blandness and desire for nothing more. Their one child Frank (Nick Stahl) aspires to become an architect, but is currently involved with Natalie (Marisa Tomei), a not yet divorce older woman, and mother of two young boys. The husband Richard (William Mapother) is impulsively prone to outbreaks of violence. Wild and uninhibited sex binds the couple together in a relationship that is doomed to end. A young man may find a woman about twelve years older as seductively alluring at age 19, but this is usually not the case when he is 29 and she is 41. The educational differences between the college bound Frank and the blue collar Natalie will also only increase as the years go by. Dr. Matt Fowler vicariously enjoys the sex his son has with Natalie. Matt's warnings therefore to Frank are not blunt and unambiguous. Furthermore, Matt and Ruth don't know how to say no to Frank and even put together a swing set for Natalie's boys in their own backyard. This act of enabling inevitably does little to
help Frank confront the reality of his predicament. Richard ultimately shoot and kills Frank. The former, however, comes from a well to do family and has access to very good legal assistance. The events that take place from here on end build up to a climax where Matt must decide whether to take the law into his own hands. We also wonder if the tragedy will either bring the Fowlers closer to together or destroy the marriage. Both Spacek and Wilkinson are almost certain to earn an Academy Award nomination. The selection of actors for "In the Bedroom" is near perfect. There isn't a weak cast member in the film. The Director Todd Fuller admirably puts together a story that is both riveting and disturbing. This adult movie deserves five stars. "In the Bedroom" should be on everyone's must see list.
Rating:
Summary: Like watching paint dry
Review: In the Bedroom is one of the most boring and predictable films I've seen in recent history. No suspense, no action, no reason to spend $6.50. A Hallmark Hall of Fame made for TV movie drawn out for the big screen. This type story has been told hundreds of times and in most cases in a more entertaining or thought provoking way. I stayed hoping that there would be some dramatic turn of events or twist in plot, however neither occurred. Disappointing on any level.
Rating:
Summary: Spectacular movie
Review: In the Bedroom is one of the top 5 movies of the year. I can't wait for it to come out on DVD.
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