Rating: 
Summary: More of a Snifflejerker Than an All-Out Tearjerker
Review: I went into this movie with high expections as I'm a fan of the director, Lasse Hallstrom, and the writer, John Irving (who also adapted the screenplay from his novel). I loved the movie, but it wasn't quite as good as I'd hoped. Certainly not as engaging or sentimental as The World According to Garp, which is still the best movie based on an Irving novel. (Speaking of which, why the hell hasn't Garp been released on DVD? It's a classic!) Anyway, I had a couple of Kleenex at the ready as I was expecting a tearjerker; alas, I only had to use them once. The characters are developed nicely and while the story is a bit saccharine, you can't help but feel affectionate toward them. I mean, come on, you have a bunch of cute orphans being shepherded by saint-like caretakers. How can you resist its charms? Its pro-choice theme is coveyed in a non-preachy or self-righteous way, which is nice to see. Tobey Maguire turns in his best performance to date as a young man searching for his role in life on his way to adulthood who ventures out on his own only to find his destiny belongs back where he came from; Michael Caine, as the selfless caretaker of the orphanage with an addiction to ether, demonstrates his Oscar win for his supporting role was certainly justified. Definitely worth renting, but perhaps not a keeper.
Rating:
Summary: Good movie doesn't live up to the Oscar hype
Review: I enjoyed "Cider House Rules." The high point of thismovie was the main character. Caine gives a good performance, but his character doesn't grab me like a "best supporting actor" ought to. There are parts of the story line that are sketchy in the movie which is why the four instead of five stars. A better title would have been "From St. Cloud" because the image of the cider house rules, while powerful, is not completely played out. As far as viewing pleasure goes--this one will provide a nice two-hours' get-away on a cool fall evening. END
Rating: 
Summary: read the book instead
Review: The book was wonderful. The movie is average, and in several important aspects, does not follow the book at all - neither in the charcters nor the events. On the other hand, The World According to Garp was a terrific book - the movie followed it more faithfully, and it was an average movie. So, the moral is - read the book. John Irving is a terrific storyteller.
Rating: 
Summary: Old Fashioned Classic With Modern Frankness
Review: This film with a brilliant multi-layered script like a modern day East Of Eden has everything Natural Beauty( female beauty Charlize Theron in a natural environment) Wonder, pathos, the importance of honesty and how one affects others, dreams,unpredictability, it is truly a classic.Michael Caine was just wonderful..I've never seen him give a finer performance. So many films even if they are done well...you just don't really care about the characters...and here you care about all of them.
Rating:
Summary: Good and entertaining movie
Review: Good acting by almost the entire cast. I wondered why Tobey Maguire did not get an Oscar nomination for his role. The only incredible part is allowing a kid to perform medicine, regardless whether the setting was pre-war or today. Anyway, that's what made the story entertaining and unique, right?
Rating:
Summary: Just a good film
Review: This film is so good because it is so matter-of-fact yet still so sweet. This film is about living life and learning lessons, and it has a sense of closure so you do not feel like you missed something after watching it. It has a sense of old-time character mixed with sincerity, belonging, passion, love and self-discovery. The acting is superb and maintains a quality lacking in so many modern films. If you are looking for a good film to watch, I recommend this. I would call it the perfect movie.
Rating: 
Summary: .... homer who?
Review: ...Irving must have been in dire straits to accept payment for this adaptation .... cramming over 40-years into a couple of hours can't be easy , BUT completely obliterating two of the most relevant and interesting characters in the novel ( Angel & Melanie .... WHO ? you ask ,if you haven't read it) pretty much makes it a big waste of time & Caine's talent.... I was quite sad after viewing the film, my anticipation of seeing the roles played out as written in the novel & expecting the characters to age & develop as read over years of growth left me feeling totally cheated. IF YOU'VE READ THE NOVEL , DON'T BUY, RENT OR EVEN PEEK=IN ON THIS MOVIE... it will break your heart to witness the butchery ....
Rating:
Summary: A masterpiece!
Review: Many people seem to think that Hollywood's productions are not always as enjoyable as they used to be, and when they are, the most appreciated directors are/were: L. Besson and J.J. Annaud (French), R. Polanski (US but was forced to go abroad), A. Hitchcock (English), or Lasse Hallström (Swedish), the list could be very long, and although John Irving is a very fine writer (as well as maybe one of the last true humanists) America is so plagued with "Politikally Korekt" that it is almost impossible to express anything which doesn't comply with. The adaptation from the book is perfect (since it was done by J. I. himself, could not be otherwise), Michael Caine should have got better than "Best supporting" since his part is the core of the story, but the performance of L. H. as director is outstanding; it is (for now) the only movie I saw by him, but I think he is of the same stuff as Stanley Kubrick: telling a fine story, while getting the best of every performer (they all deserved some award, but especially the orphanage's kids), with a good musical score and shots (camera work is perfect). And, just a short message for Jeff Shannon: I don't think ther was so much vagueness about the issues, but it is just the right level, so to not antagonize the P.K., and to help people understand that the real 'human rights' lie with the 'real' human needs and not with the 'Rules' they would like to impose upon the victims of events they were unable to control. I think I remember Irving put an excerpt from E. Bronte at the begining of his book: "Convention is not morality, religion is not faith".
Rating:
Summary: a good overall movie
Review: I thought this movie was great. The acting was good by everyone, the scenery was beautiful and it had a good story. There were only two parts that I didn't like: 1: "Goodnight, you princes of Maine, you kings of New England." That got annoying VERY quickly. 2: The title. Why would someone name a movie after a list of rules nailed to a doorframe in a cider house?
Rating:
Summary: A Charmer
Review: A charming coming of age tale set in WWII Maine at an idyllic orphanage. Good actors, beautiful scenery mix with abortion, incest, addiction and lust. And leave the viewer with a warm fuzzy feeling. Well done and enjoyable.
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