The Cider House Rules

Rating:
Summary: The most poignant film of 1999
Review: In 1985, John Irving penned an American classic about a young man's quest for belonging in the world besieged by World War II and self-doubt. The first script adaptations of the novel would have made for a nine-hour movie but being a daring writer, Irving trimmed it down to two hours of human heart and true nature. The result was one of 1999's biggest hits and a Best Picture Oscar nominee. Tobey Maguire stars as Homer Wells, the central character, who has been reared in an orphanage in rural Maine from infancy by a caring doctor named Wilbur Larch (Michael Caine in his superb Oscar-winning performance). For years, Homer has watched and studied the practices of Dr. Larch on pregnant women who either wanted an abortion or refused their babies. When he sees a chance to leave and explore the world on his own, he takes it and begins a self-quest for his true place in the world. Where he finds it is in the last place one would think, but it makes perfect sense once he discovers the true nature behind it. This touching film made me cry in the theater and it's a shame that not more people were willing to see this picture. It only stayed in theaters for about two weeks at a time. The children will steal your hearts and it is the loving performance from Caine that drives the film to its tearful and redeeming finale. Kathy Baker and Jane Alexander are well-cast as the nurses at the orphanage who stand by Dr. Larch no matter how hard things can get for him and his illegal practices. The film does not promote or demote the act of abortion but rather treats it as just a part of the story...and as a fact of life, that it is a woman's choice. Rachel Portman's beautiful and touching music score will move you to tears. Even though it was nominated for an Oscar, it still should have won. The heart of a film can be in its music and that applies here in every way possible. Caine received a standing ovation at the Oscar show when he won for Best Supporting Actor and spent over half his speech time acknowledging the work of his fellow nominees. John Irving also won for his screenplay adaptation of his own novel, the first time a novelist had ever won for adapting his own work for the silver screen since "Dances With Wolves" won for 1990. Outstanding on every level, this film is the pinnacle of the moviemaking industry for the 20th century, as if to offer hope on life and love and the lessons we need for the future, which would start with the 21st century. Don't pass up on this film. It is one of the greatest achievements from Hollywood in recent years.

Rating:
Summary: THE CIDER HOUSE ROTS
Review: This movie has so many bad messages that I don't know where to start. So I guess I'll start at it's worst one. Abortion. This movie was the perfect chance to show how bad it is. But it is glorified instead. And it doesn't end there. Premarital sex, lies, and incest also ruin this film. It should have been rated R for a scene of sexuality. The only reason it has three stars is because of the quality of the film.

Rating:
Summary: A Shadow of the Book
Review: A good attempt, decidedly so, but no comparison to the depth and enjoyment the book gave. Even though John Irving wrote both the movie script and the book from which the script was adapted, it has once again been proven that "Hollywood" can't begin to compare to the written work. Even though many of the relationships of the written story were missing from the movie, the main story was told. Casting was well done, closely adhering to the characters in the book.

If you want to enjoy an adventure that will leave you wanting more, read the book.

Rating:
Summary: They Don't Make 'Em Like This Any More
Review: THE CIDER HOUSE RULES is a movie that could have been made in the 1940s, starring Gene Tierney and Montgomery Clift. I found it fascinating that Hollywood would turn out a movie like this these days--an absorbing character study of several complex personalities in an unusual setting. Unlike the reviewers who have written their reviews before me, I think the "abortion" issue was extremely well done because it was not used for preachiness but for character development. Except for a few moments when the movie lagged a bit, it was certainly one of the most "absorbing" movies lately released, and that's why it has that relentless drive of the better movies of the 1940s. I bought this DVD because Leonard Maltin gave it four stars, and whenever he gives four stars to any movie, I've never ever been disappointed when I viewed it. I don't really agree with Maltin that this is one of the greatest movies ever made (which is the category I keep for my own five star reviews on Amazon), but it is certainly a beautiful blend of story, cinematography, setting, character development, superb ensemble acting, a sure hand at the directorial chair, a good score, wonderful story development through the titles (a sure sign of a careful film!), and almost, but not quite, superb editing. And welcome back, Michael Caine and Kate Nelligan--two of the greatest actors of our era, still going strong in roles that are wonderful for them! Bottom line: you will like it and maybe even treasure it.

Rating:
Summary: Very Good
Review: The cider house rules is a very well done movie! It has romance, comedic performance, and a little scary{The part about Rose Rose}Toby Macguire has improved so much since his wonderful performance in 'Pleasentville".

The Cider house rules is a very touching a romantic movie.

The cider house rules:B+

Rating:
Summary: Heart-Wrenching, but Heart-Warming
Review: "The Cider House Rules" is definitely one of the best movies that I have ever seen. This is the only movie that has ever brought tears to my eyes while watching it. There are some parts that really tugged at my heart, but there are also parts that brought a smile to my face. Many movies adapted from books are just not very good. But this movie, adapted from a book, is excellent. There are a lot of good messages in it, despite it's controversial subject matter. It's not just about abortion. There are so many other elements in this movie. Any person could benefeit from watching this movie or reading the book. It's a definite "must-see."

Rating:
Summary: abortion aside, a good flick
Review: The trailors, the Oscars, and any other advertising will not tell you that abortion is a primary issue in the movie. That is not to condemn or praise it being in the film, but people should be aware of that fact. It is a Hollywood-liberal flick. So Homer will only fulfill his destiny once he sets aside his pro-life, pro-adoption feelings and starts performing abortions. It is indeed a propaganda piece, and Irving himself would concurr. If you are pro-life, I would not let this deter you from watching the film. It has many good qualities. I just the movie companies should actually be upfront about it.

Abortion aside, it is not quite as good as the amount of Oscar nominations would make you think. Michael Kane gives an ok performance, but an Oscar win is a joke. Toby MacGuire does a fine job and is very likeable. It is an engaging film with many fine qualities, I just don't see it being excellent enough to merit four stars. 3 and a half is posibility though.

Rating:
Summary: Irving has an off day
Review: Lasse Halstrom's adaptation of John Irving's "The Cider House Rules" is the first example of the author completing a screenplay of his work. He has clearly seen such travesties as "The Hotel New Hampshire" and "Simon Birch" (based on "A Prayer for Owen Meaney") and decided that enough is enough - time to get it right. However on this occasion, while certainly improving on the aforementioned two films, he still loses some of the skewed humour and tragedy of the original novel.

Irving, the author, has produced works of Dickensian genius so it is sad to see this watered down version. It does contain some brilliant acting with Michael Caine proving he can do more than the smart alec Cockney's that are his trademark and Delroy Lindo, whose Mr Rose has a horrifying secret, still has the audience empathising with his fate. However Tobey Maguire does not engage sufficiently as the young hero Homer Wells - just a little too clean cut.

If you want to see a great Irving adaptation, then Robin Williams in "The World According To Garp" is still the best out there. One hopes that Mr Irving will have another look and perhaps be involved with a film that really does justice to his superb oeuvre.

Rating:
Summary: Poignant and powerful
Review: Nineteen ninety-nine was an outstanding year for adaptations of major literary works, but of all the great books that came to the screen last year, this is my favorite. John Irving's novel and adaptation is one of the most complete stories I can remember in many years. It is poignant, exhilarating, and astutely human in its scope, presenting a myriad of human emotions and experiences.

Often, when a story attempts to cross genres so broadly, it fails from lack of depth or insufficiency of the writer or director to meet the variable demands of such a wide-ranging treatment. This film was a comedy, a tragedy, a romance, a human-interest story, a character study, and a period piece, and each element was excellently done.

This was all accomplished without sacrificing the philosophical and emotional depth Irving imbues in all his works. Irving weaves a strong moral into this story; that rules need to be questioned and that being human is not so easily codified. He revisits this theme repeatedly, with each character facing dilemmas regarding societal and personal rules that are difficult to reconcile in the given situations.

If there is one thing that stands out about this story, it is its human realism. These are ordinary people struggling with problems we all face. We come to have affection for almost all of them, and can identify with their tribulations. Although the story is excessively sentimental and fatalistic, it reminds us that life is complicated and doesn't always turn out the way we plan or hope.

From a filmmaking perspective, we could not have asked more from Lasse Hallstrom. Known most in the U.S. for his direction of 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape', Hallstrom has been making wonderful films in Europe for almost twenty years. However, this film will certainly go down as his finest work. In the featurette on the DVD, he said that when he goes to Blockbuster with his daughter and sees it on the shelf, he will have a feeling of pride; and well he should.

This motion picture was beautifully filmed with rich cinematography, breathtaking locations, and precise period props and costumes. However, the greatest achievement for Hallstrom, working in concert with Irving, was to orchestrate a large cast in such a way that no character seemed insignificant. Hallstrom took great care to do enough development of each character (often just visually without any dialogue) that he made us care for each of them. He gave the film an emotional depth and breadth that is difficult to achieve in two hours. His work with the children in the orphanage was superb, bringing forth their innocence and enthusiasm without minimizing their plight.

The acting was uniformly outstanding. Tobey Maguire infused Homer with the right combination of idealism, naiveté and inner strength to make him an unassuming but powerful lead. Charlize Theron continues to impress me with her acting ability. Besides her enchanting girl-next-door attractiveness, she showed terrific range in a character that at first seemed shallow, but later proved to be quite complex.

Michael Caine has had a legendary career spanning close to half a century. He has long been one of my favorite actors. His performance here was powerful and well deserving of the acclaim he received. Dr. Larch was an extremely complex character; egotistical, self-abusive, manipulative and recalcitrant, yet a saintly, self-sacrificing and loving crusader for the good of the children. Caine's ability to span that range was remarkable.

Finally, I have the highest praise for Delroy Lindo as Mr. Rose, the orchard foreman. Lindo's bright smile and enthusiasm created a rock solid character with charm, strength and simple wisdom. He captures our admiration immediately, and despite his despicable act, we cannot help but pity him in the end.

After having seen all the films that were nominated by the Academy for best picture last year, I have to say that this was my personal favorite. It wasn't as flashy as the rest; in fact, this was downright old fashioned in its approach. They just don't write stories like this anymore, and that's a shame. I rated it a 10/10. In its quiet way, it captured my heart.

Rating:
Summary: Great, heart-warming, inspiring!
Review: This is one of the few movies that consider the audience as human and able to think and feel. I would not say that the movie do spouse abortion. Abortion is part of the story but which serves as a jumping board for further reflection or discussion. Watch it, and then, let's discuss after seeing the movie.