Cider House Rules (A or 4/4 stars)
"Good night you Princes of Maine, you Kings of New England". If there's one thing you'll remember from Lasse Hallstrom's 'The Cider House Rules' as you leave the theater, it will be Michael Caine's soothing voice uttering this phrase to the children at his orphanage before they slumber for the night. The plot: a sickly & sensitive young man, Homer (Tobey Maguire), is raised in an orphanage & trained to be a doctor there. He has shared (for many years) the same sour experience of loneliness & dejection as his fellow orphans have ... will they ever be adopted? But as an adult, Homer figures it's time to leave the safe walls of the orphanage, spread his wings, & see the world around him. This is a beautifully rendered, well written, well acted & emotionally resonant drama.
St. Clouds, Maine, 1940's: Homer Wells cannot join the military because of a heart condition. Never adopted, he's spent his whole life at the orphanage as a sort of special project of Dr. Wilbur Larch's (Caine). Dr. Larch loves Homer, sees great potential in the boy, & passes on valuable medical knowledge to him. By his late teens, Homer is as good a doctor as Larch; but with no degree, of course. There IS a moral difference btwn. the 2 men, however: Dr. Larch performs abortions (though they're illegal), while Homer refuses to. Life changes drastically for Homer one day with the arrival of Officer Wally Worthington (Paul Rudd) & his girlfriend, Candy (Charlize Theron). They come to the orphanage for an abortion. And after a brief recovery period, she is ready to go home.
Desperate to leave the bird's nest, he chooses this moment to hitch a ride with them out of the remote countryside so he can see the world & make something of his life. In time, he winds up picking apples on an orchard, & falls madly in love with Candy while Wally is off flying missions against Japan in WWII. Mr. Rose (Delroy Lindo) runs the orchard/cider house. And Rose (Erykah Badu), his young daughter, winds up pregnant. Due to circumstances which I won't divulge, Homer is forced to contemplate his principles; & possibly perform his 1st abortion. All this time, back at the orphanage, Dr. Larch peers out his window, waiting, hoping for the day that his prized Homer would one day return. What will Homer have learned about life from the cider house? What's his destiny?
Most of this film is about Homer's search to find himself. At the orphanage, he'd always been the fun, dependable big brother to the orphans. He was Dr. Larch's up & coming prodigy. But only after he falls in love with Candy & learns some hard knocks at the house does he discover the path of his choice. And still, 'The Cider House Rules' is about so many other things. Concerning orphans/abortions/doctors/students, it's a film about relationships btwn. parents & children. Dr. Larch is a father (of sorts) to his orphans; as they are his children. Mr. Rose IS Rose's father; if only he would have remembered that. And then you've got Homer, the eternal son, but also a symbolic father to a host of people who need that kind of guidance.
It's hard to find faults with the film. The story is old-fashioned, yet different enough for distinction. The tone/mood of the film is gentile; a Hallstrom trademark. Character developments are rich. The pacing is a bit on the slow side; but it's acceptable because the film is so immersive. The cinematography is gorgeous. The script is well-written. The ending is poignant without going overly sentimental. The musical score is memorable. And the acting is perfectly pitched from everyone. Tobey Maguire impresses as the sheltered young lad who grows up fairly quickly; being thrust into some unexpected situations. His Homer is an admirable & sympathetic protagonist. Charlize Theron is not only beautiful, but shows that she has the acting chops to match that beauty.
Delroy Lindo & Erykah Badu bring incredible realism to 2 very well-sketched characters as Mr. Rose & Rose. And Michael Caine is at the top of his game as the authoritative, inwardly troubled, but outwardly warm Dr. Larch -- just fantastic. 'The Cider House Rules' has a few tedious moments, and it may grow tiresome for those who are not swept away by the story. But overall, this is just a great movie about making & following your own rules in life. There are no good guys & bad guys, here. Everyone exhibits nobility, & everyone has flaws. I like this film's spirit. And in closing, I just have to repeat Dr. Larch's wonderful fatherly refrain ... "Good night you Princes of Maine, you Kings of New England". What lovely & lasting words to hear before you close your eyes for bed.
St. Clouds, Maine, 1940's: Homer Wells cannot join the military because of a heart condition. Never adopted, he's spent his whole life at the orphanage as a sort of special project of Dr. Wilbur Larch's (Caine). Dr. Larch loves Homer, sees great potential in the boy, & passes on valuable medical knowledge to him. By his late teens, Homer is as good a doctor as Larch; but with no degree, of course. There IS a moral difference btwn. the 2 men, however: Dr. Larch performs abortions (though they're illegal), while Homer refuses to. Life changes drastically for Homer one day with the arrival of Officer Wally Worthington (Paul Rudd) & his girlfriend, Candy (Charlize Theron). They come to the orphanage for an abortion. And after a brief recovery period, she is ready to go home.
Desperate to leave the bird's nest, he chooses this moment to hitch a ride with them out of the remote countryside so he can see the world & make something of his life. In time, he winds up picking apples on an orchard, & falls madly in love with Candy while Wally is off flying missions against Japan in WWII. Mr. Rose (Delroy Lindo) runs the orchard/cider house. And Rose (Erykah Badu), his young daughter, winds up pregnant. Due to circumstances which I won't divulge, Homer is forced to contemplate his principles; & possibly perform his 1st abortion. All this time, back at the orphanage, Dr. Larch peers out his window, waiting, hoping for the day that his prized Homer would one day return. What will Homer have learned about life from the cider house? What's his destiny?
Most of this film is about Homer's search to find himself. At the orphanage, he'd always been the fun, dependable big brother to the orphans. He was Dr. Larch's up & coming prodigy. But only after he falls in love with Candy & learns some hard knocks at the house does he discover the path of his choice. And still, 'The Cider House Rules' is about so many other things. Concerning orphans/abortions/doctors/students, it's a film about relationships btwn. parents & children. Dr. Larch is a father (of sorts) to his orphans; as they are his children. Mr. Rose IS Rose's father; if only he would have remembered that. And then you've got Homer, the eternal son, but also a symbolic father to a host of people who need that kind of guidance.
It's hard to find faults with the film. The story is old-fashioned, yet different enough for distinction. The tone/mood of the film is gentile; a Hallstrom trademark. Character developments are rich. The pacing is a bit on the slow side; but it's acceptable because the film is so immersive. The cinematography is gorgeous. The script is well-written. The ending is poignant without going overly sentimental. The musical score is memorable. And the acting is perfectly pitched from everyone. Tobey Maguire impresses as the sheltered young lad who grows up fairly quickly; being thrust into some unexpected situations. His Homer is an admirable & sympathetic protagonist. Charlize Theron is not only beautiful, but shows that she has the acting chops to match that beauty.
Delroy Lindo & Erykah Badu bring incredible realism to 2 very well-sketched characters as Mr. Rose & Rose. And Michael Caine is at the top of his game as the authoritative, inwardly troubled, but outwardly warm Dr. Larch -- just fantastic. 'The Cider House Rules' has a few tedious moments, and it may grow tiresome for those who are not swept away by the story. But overall, this is just a great movie about making & following your own rules in life. There are no good guys & bad guys, here. Everyone exhibits nobility, & everyone has flaws. I like this film's spirit. And in closing, I just have to repeat Dr. Larch's wonderful fatherly refrain ... "Good night you Princes of Maine, you Kings of New England". What lovely & lasting words to hear before you close your eyes for bed.