Description: Honored with two Academy Awards(R) -- Best Supporting Actor, Michael Caine, and Best Adapted Screenplay, 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 truly belongs! Homer Wells (Tobey Macguire -- PLEASANTVILLE, THE ICE STORM, WONDER BOYS) has lived nearly his entire life within the walls of St. Cloud's Orphanage in rural Maine. Though groomed by its proprietor, Dr. Larch (Caine), to be his successor, Homer nonetheless feels the need to strike out on his own and experience the world outside. Then, while working at an apple orchard, Homer falls for the beautiful Candy (Charlize Theron -- REINDEER GAMES, THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE) and learns some powerfully indelible lessons about life, love, and home! Based on John Irving's best-selling American classic and featuring a sensational all-star cast including Delroy Lindo and newcomer Erykah Badu, this entertaining motion picture earned raves from critics and moviegoers everywhere!
Amazon.com essential video: In adapting his own novel The Cider House Rules for the screen, John Irving sacrificed at 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 vague about the complex issues (abortion, incest, responsibility) that lie at its core. Allowing for this ambiguity (which is arguably intentional), the film retains much of what made Irving's novel so admired, and like Hallström's earlier feature What's Eating Gilbert Grape?, it's blessed with a generous, forgiving spirit toward the mistakes, foibles, and desires of its many engaging characters.
Central to the story (set during World War II) is Homer (Tobey Maguire), a young man raised in a Maine orphanage, where the ether-sniffing Dr. Larch (Michael Caine) rules with benevolent grace while performing safe but illegal abortions. To expand his horizons, Homer follows a young couple (Charlize Theron, Paul Rudd) to do fieldwork on an apple farm, where his innocent eyes are opened to the good and evil of the world--and to the realization that not all rules are steadfast in all situations. By the time Homer returns to the orphanage, The Cider House Rules--which features one of Caine's finest performances--is memorable more for its many charming and insightful moments than for any lasting dramatic impact. Is Homer fated to come full circle in his kindhearted journey? It's left to the viewer to decide. --Jeff Shannon
What do rules mean? Homer Wells (Maguire) was born and raised in a New England orphanage under the care and tutelage of Dr. Wilber Larch (Caine), who came to the orphanage to be a hero.
Homer was considered one of the 'unadoptables'. The first couple who took him was disapointed because he didn't cry (orphan babies don't cry). The second couple made Homer cry by abusing him.
Homer became Dr. Larch's apprentice, tending the sick children, delivering women of babies they're surrendering, but Homer drew the line at aborting babies. It was against the law.
Larch advises Homer when he leaves that he will find harsher conditions out in the world, but will be unable to do as much as the orphanage could.
When a young couple Wally and Candy (Rudd and Theron) come to get an abortion, Homer leaves with them. While Wally is off to fly in World War II, Homer works in Wally's family orchard, picking apples.
There he learns about the Cider House Rules. There's a whole wall of them posted on the migrant workers' bunkhouse. Only thing is, Wally is the only one who can read them. The rest of the itinerant laborers cannot read. He learns just how germane those rules are to the people who have to live out in the world.
The movie is nowhere as strong as John Irving's book upon which it was based. Scenery and score are lovely. The highlight, for me, was Michael Caine's acting as Larch, which won him an Oscar. It's a harsh film, but a real and beautiful one.
cider house This is an excellent movie which highlights Michael Cane, Toby Mcguire, Charlize Theron, Delroy Lindo and Erykah Badu's acting skills. The cast is multicultured, colorful and seasoned. It highlights the question of abortion and adoption and what is missing in the lives of orphans: LOVE. I read the novel and bought the movie. All the book can't be in the movie, but the director did a great job of merging 2 minor characters to keep the main story flowing along. This move is one that you will add to your collection. I recommend it strongly.
the cider house rules very good movie shame on you delroy lindo incest is a mess one of my favorite movies I have recommended it to several friends
RULES that are made to be broken: a glorious film and suberb adaptation of the novel If ever a film has maintained it's staying power, it is the John Irving adapted-Lasse Halstrom directed THE CIDER HOUSE RULES.IMO this is the finest adaptation of any of John Irving's many many-paged novels,(THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP,THE HOTEL NEW HAMPSHIRE,DOOR IN THE FLOOR and loosely SIMON BIRCH) because Irving,himself,finally adapted his own work to the screen, and because director Lasse Hallstrom (CASANOVA,CHOCOLATE,GILBERT GRAPE,SHIPPING NEWS) has the sensitivity and sensibility to rise to the occasion of such a daunting task.The complex issues that Irving presents in his novel are so effectively and beautifully rendered to the screen and Rachel Portman's soundtrack undergirds all of this with the grace and panache that the material asks.
The story of Homer Wells,orphan,(Tobey Maguire) is taken right from the pages of Dickens' "David Copperfield". Life is full of choices.There are no right and wrong choices-just choices that have consequences and learned wisdom.Irving's work is always about moral ambiguities, and this is the finest example of his work to date.Rules are made every day! One of the most glorious films ever made!
Outstanding Movie This movie probably won't change your mind about your particular beliefs but it likely will give you pause to consider your conscience with respect to such things as loyalty, drug abuse, abortion, commitment, and even difficult topics to address such as finding redemption at death, and quite a series of morally imprecise character interactions. If you're looking for the mean terrible Bad Guy to get put in his place by the helpless innocent Good Guy, you won't want to watch this movie. If you want a movie to inspire you to examine our at-best imperfect world, and your understanding of your place in it, give this a view.
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