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The Cider House Rules
$6.89
Hot factor: 7
Homer Wells: Tobey Maguire
Candy Kendall: Charlize Theron
Mr. Rose: Delroy Lindo
Rose Rose: Erykah Badu
Wally Worthington: Paul Rudd
Dr. Wilbur Larch: Michael Caine
Miramax presents a film directed by Lasse Hallstrom. Written by John Irving, based on his novel. Running time: 129 minutes. Rated R (for mature themes, sexuality, nudity, substance abuse and some violence).
Cider House Rules is about an orphan, Homer Wells, who is taken on by the head doctor in the orphanage that he grows up in, Dr. Wilber Larch. The doctor mentors Homer and trains him in the medical profession, and Homer becomes an expert on deliveries and abortions even though he believes abortion to be wrong. The doctor gives abortions to young women that come to orphanage to protect them from the other men performing illegal abortions in the 40s. Homer goes out to see the world, but eventually comes back to the orphanage to be a doctor there.
Although I did not read the book that this movie was based on, by watching the movie, I can tell that the book must have done a much better job of presenting the complicated stories in Cider House Rules. One of the things that bothered me in this movie was the abortion issue. The movie cannot seem to decide whether or not it is about abortion or just following the events of Homer's short retreat into the world. Homer gives no reasons to be opposed to the procedure, and sometimes the doctor lectures him on why he ought to give abortions. However, when Homer goes to work at an apple picking orchard, one of his coworkers is pregnant as a result of incest. He hardly hesitates to give her an abortion. His decision is not discussed or explained, he just does it. Other than a few isolated incidents, abortion is not a very big part of the movie.
While away from the orphanage, Homer also falls in love with a women whom he met when she came to the orphanage for an abortion, played very well by Charlize Theron. Throughout the relationship, Homer doesn't take much control, and one of the best scenes in the movie is when he finally stands up to her and her indifference to their difficult situation. However, after this scene, Homer goes back to his usual, boring, passive self.
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