Rating: 
Summary: I Ditto All The Five Stars
Review: I have to agree with all the reviewers who rated this film with 5 stars on all their points.
Simply put, this is a Two-Thumbs-Up classic worthy of ownership. Great acting, great plot, great direction, great production.
Hats off to the film industry for this one!
Rating:
Summary: It's Not Pleasures That It is All About, Not At All
Review: Some people may find this film too philosophical, and then it is so condensed that some say it is unfocused.
Yes, it talks about rules and laws, about morals. What is the point of laws and alternatively rules, if they are not helping those whom they are trying to help? It talks about sex impulse, about incest and abortion( in a forgiving way ), whether we should legalise abortion or whether we prefer more and more abandoned orphans grown up to be torn apart between the forces of the wish to find and show their biological parents how well they are now doing on the one hand, and "killing them" for abandoning them on the other, that is to say if they are lucky enough to get that far. How are they supposed to find their place in this world? Take note how Dr Larch prepared and launched Homer (and others: i.e. "Kings of New England") into this world.
So, once upon a time in a forlorn small place called Maine, there were some orphans who strived to survive and one of then chanced to intermingle with the folks in the fishing industry and the cider industry not too far away. A perfect fragment of this broken tiny Universe, a perfect elegy for Dr Larch.
Well, this is more like a vivid watercolour painting of this part of the Universe with characters so round and so real; not just Dr Larch or Homer, but also the Lieutenant and his girlfriend (Charlize Theron), and even the two Roses. The watercolour effects are well deployed. The sights of the operation theatre(s) full of apparatus with the pregnant women in bed would otherwise be too stupefying. Furthermore, there are so many scenes of premature deaths of the orphans and then the tragic ending of Mr Rose etc. Have they been depicted in the oil like "My Life as a Dog," the impact would simply be too shocking. Moreover, the way how it is depicted now would suggest some sort of intransience, some kind of timelessness.
All in all, the film is enchanting and thought provoking all at the same time. I will soon come back to it for a second time comparing it in detail with "My Life as a Dog" by the same director.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Movie
Review: Michael Caine is brilliant in this one..and his greatest line by far is "Good night you Kings of New England...." What a MOVING story and great acting. I would highly recommend this film. It is first class all the way!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Impersonal. Not what you'd expect.
Review: Roger Ebert said it best:"A larger question remains: Why is there such a muddle about the movie's subject? I left the theater wondering what the movie thought it was about and was unable to say. It's almost deliberately unfocused; it shows us many events without guiding them to add up to anything definite." I got up from my bed wondering the exact same thing. A movie should never leave you with that big of a question. If it does, it did not accomplish anything, because it is as if it felt it had nothing to accomplish. I was highly disappointed with this film. It just didn't work on so many levels. Lasse Hallstrome is probably my least favorite major director at the moment. It seems he exists solely for Miramax to hire him so they can produce another accessible --no matter how impersonal-- piece of crap such as this in order to garner Oscars and, in the end, more money. Many have said it is an important film because it approaches family and abortion. But the family aspect was so sparse it felt non-existent for about 75% of the running time. And the issue of abortion is left at an unfortunately impersonal level, exploring whether or not Tobey McGuire's character Homer finds it moral to use the medical skills his confident Dr. Larch (Michael Caine) has taught him in order to help women with abortion without bringing the issue past Homer himself. It does not ever leave the television screen. You aren't left thinking about whether it is right or wrong, or whether it should be legal or illegal, the woman or man's choice. I would further my point, but I would risk spoiling the film. I think the only thing I truly enjoyed about the film was Charlize Theron. Otherwise, 'The Cider House Rules' was bland and confused.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent movie, well acted, great story, sad in places.
Review: This adaptation of John Irving's book, features a terrific mix of younger and veteran actors; lead by Michael Caine, Jane Alexander, and Kathy Baker. With Tobey Maguire and Charlize Theron; among others, this movie has a perfect mix of drama, tearjerking emotions, and some very intense moments. While I originally bought the movie for Michael Caine, and to see the lovely Ms. Theron, the story was told well enough and acted well enough to sustain the movie. It is a first rate movie and I'd highly recommend it. I look forward to reading the book (I know it should have been the other way around). The "making of" feature helps to convey what emotions the actors, the director, and others; including Stephen King, of all people, felt in making and seeing the movie. Definitely worth looking at [refers to vhs; but I'm likely to be buying the DVD in future].
Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as the book
Review: Homer Wells has lived in St. Clouds orphanage/ abortion clinic/ hospital all his life. An everlasting orphan with no family except Dr. Larch - who expects Homer to become a doctor just like him - he's never questioned the outside world. Until Candy and Wolly come for an abortion, and end up taking him back to their town with them, changing his world forever. He comes across Mr. Rose and his daughter - Rose Rose and the rest of the apple picking crew. Within time, Homer can see that the innocent world he thought exsisted is anything but, filled with insest, abortions, and love. As Candy and Homer fall in love, Dr. Larch tries to reach Homer and make him come home, until he realizes that Homer has been "lost to the world". A beautiful movie, filled with lessons of what is right and wrong, love and hate, and an overall feeling of family at the end of the day. Maguire is excellent as young Homer, and Micheal Caine gives one of his best performances. Chalize Theron also shines as the insecure Candy, who must decide between Homer and Wolly. Definetly worth seeing over and over again, a true American Classic.
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