Milton Keynes dweller who likes his movies and likes to voice his opinion about them. Hopefully my ...
Milton Keynes dweller who likes his movies and likes to voice his opinion about them. Hopefully my reviews will help you all avoid some really bad movies!
Member since:13.03.2001
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I’m not really a fan of films set before the 1980’s but I though I would pick this up based on the strenght of reviews and the fact that Tobey Maguire is in it. I was ppleasantly surprised!
Set partly in St Clouds orphanage in Maine, New England, Tobey Maguire is an orphan who grows up in the orphanage without being adopted. The head of the orphanage, Michael Caine (in an Oscar winning performance) takes him under his wing and trains him to be a doctor, more specifically to peform the dlivery of babies and abortions. The orphanage is also a place where mothers can go to have their children and then leave them to be adopted, they can also have abortions there despite it being illegal. When Tobey (sorry, I cannot remember the character’s name) has grown up he decides to leave the orphanage to see what else there is as he does npt feel fullfiled and is not happy about the abortions that occur at St Clouds. Michael Caine is not very happy about this, he loves Tobey as a son, but reluctanly lets him go.
Tobey heads off with a young married couple and works for the husbands mother in her Orchard as an Apple picker. While the husband is away in the forces, Tobey falls for his wofe (Charlize Theron).
Stayoing in the Cider House with a group of immigrants Tobey enjoys his new life until things take a turn for the worse…
A nice little Drama hat isn’t too heavy on the abortion front (as it could have been) or the other contraversial element that occurs nearer the end (I won’t spoil it for you). The acting is superb all round especially form Caine and Maguire, the Oscar being well deserved for Mr Caine, the young children actors in the orphanage are also rather excellent.
Perhaps boring in places and a little predicatable as a whole (it doesn’t take long to realise at least five events that will occur later) it still manages to entertain and is probably the only Drama of this type I have enjoyed for a long time. I must have enjoyed it enough as I plan to read the book it was based on (By J Irving, the book having the same name) and I recommend it to you all.
The DVD is OK. A directors commentary takes us through the various aspects of making thefilm etc, some nice deleted scenes fill in some gaps but are otherwise nothing special. Then there is the usual Trailers and Biographies and featurettes (There seem to be about 20 TV spots which is a tad extreme…).
Overall not a bad film and it’s good to see that Tobey Maguire is shaping up to be a rather fine actor indeed. If you’re a fan of Caione or Maguire you on’t be dissapointed.
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Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: John Duigan - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Charlize Theron, Stuart Townsend, Penelope Cruz
In adapting his own novelThe Cider House Rulesfor the screen, John Irving sacrificed at ... more
least some of the depth and detail that made his humanitarian themes resonate, while the film--directed with Scandinavian sobriety by Lasse Hallström--is often vagu...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Honored with two Academy Awards... Best Supporting Actor for Michael Caine and Best ... more
Adapted Screenplay for John Irving...The Cider House Rules tells a compelling and heartwarming story about how far a young man must travel to find the place where he tr...
In adapting his own novelThe Cider House Rulesfor the screen, John Irving sacrificed at ... more
least some of the depth and detail that made his humanitarian themes resonate, while the film--directed with Scandinavian sobriety by Lasse Hallström--is often vagu...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Honored with two Academy Awards - Best Supporting Actor for Michael Caine and Best Adapted ... more
Screenplay for John Irving - The Cider House Rules tells a compelling and heartwarming story about how far a young man must travel to find the place where he tru...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Advantages: Michael Caine, Tobey Maguire Disadvantages: None
christianfilmcritic 22.02.2006 (22.02.2006)
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Review of The Cider House Rules (DVD)