User reviews

I didn't think it was possible, but one of John Irving's most difficult books was condensed by the author himself (the last third of the book is gone) into a very very good movie. All the acting is great (especially the nice low key performances by Macguire and Caine), BEAUTIFULLY shot (in Vermont, Maine and Massachusetts), a score that fits the movie like a glove and fully realized three-dimensional characters. Plot-wise there's nothing new (young man goes out to see the world, discovers himself, etc etc) but the cast makes it seem new. They all find depth in roles that have been done before--especially Caine who speaks with a very convincing Maine accent! Bring lots of tissues with you--the movie is sad and disturbing at points (all kept in the PG-13 rating however), but it has a happy ending. Well worth seeing. See it on a BIG screen--all the beautiful shoots won't work on TV.

Despite the various good reviews of the movie, I was a bit skeptical about the movie due to the fact that it was based on a John Irving novel. What I found was a warm, sweet film, that was well cast and proved to be unpredictable just when it appeared you had it figured out. Tobey Maguire gives an excellent performance as a man/boy seeking his place in the world. He is supported by an excellent cast, particularly Michael Caine, despite a number of "accent" lapses. Even though they were relegated to small roles, it was great to see Jane Alexander and Kate Nelligan on the big screen once again. Charlize Theron continues to show that she is not only beautiful, but can act in a wide range of roles as well. Interesting casting as well in using Hip-Hop/R&B artists, Erykah Badu and Heavy D in small, but important parts.

The movie was a wonderful mix of laughter, tears, and human emotion, and magnificently directed by Halle Lasström. Kudos to all those involved.

This movie will be looked at from many different views. I forgot about race and religion and watched a very good movie about the human condition. John Irving did the screenplay of his own novel. A young boy, played by Tobey Maguire, is born and raised in an orphanage. He is taught the ways of childbirth and abortion by the headmaster, Dr. Larch, played by Michael Caine. The young boy wants to be more useful in life and goes on his own way to end up working in an apple orchard and learning about lobster fishing.

The Maguire boy/man character fights with his own morals and lack of worldliness as the movie progresses. The predictable ending probably couldn't have been any better. Life happens. Bad things often happen to good people. This movie does question your thoughts of humanity.

I found raw emotion, humor and tenderness in this movie. The story is set in Maine; but actually filmed in Vermont and Connecticut too. Scenery is awesome. Maguire's timid, monotone character does take some getting used to. Caine was very good. Charlize Theron proved that not only is she beautiful, but she can act as well. Erykah Badu did extremely well in a small, but important role. This movie is worthy of its many Oscar nominations.

Nineteen ninety-nine was an outstanding year for adaptations of major literary works, but of all the great books that came to the screen last year, this is my favorite. John Irving's novel and adaptation is one of the most complete stories I can remember in many years. It is poignant, exhilarating, and astutely human in its scope, presenting a myriad of human emotions and experiences.

Often, when a story attempts to cross genres so broadly, it fails from lack of depth or insufficiency of the writer or director to meet the variable demands of such a wide-ranging treatment. This film was a comedy, a tragedy, a romance, a human-interest story, a character study, and a period piece, and each element was excellently done.

This was all accomplished without sacrificing the philosophical and emotional depth Irving imbues in all his works. Irving weaves a strong moral into this story; that rules need to be questioned and that being human is not so easily codified. He revisits this theme repeatedly, with each character facing dilemmas regarding societal and personal rules that are difficult to reconcile in the given situations.

If there is one thing that stands out about this story, it is its human realism. These are ordinary people struggling with problems we all face. We come to have affection for almost all of them, and can identify with their tribulations. Although the story is excessively sentimental and fatalistic, it reminds us that life is complicated and doesn't always turn out the way we plan or hope.

From a filmmaking perspective, we could not have asked more from Lasse Hallstrom. Known most in the U.S. for his direction of ‘What's Eating Gilbert Grape', Hallstrom has been making wonderful films in Europe for almost twenty years. However, this film will certainly go down as his finest work. In the featurette on the DVD, he said that when he goes to Blockbuster with his daughter and sees it on the shelf, he will have a feeling of pride; and well he should.

This motion picture was beautifully filmed with rich cinematography, breathtaking locations, and precise period props and costumes. However, the greatest achievement for Hallstrom, working in concert with Irving, was to orchestrate a large cast in such a way that no character seemed insignificant. Hallstrom took great care to do enough development of each character (often just visually without any dialogue) that he made us care for each of them. He gave the film an emotional depth and breadth that is difficult to achieve in two hours. His work with the children in the orphanage was superb, bringing forth their innocence and enthusiasm without minimizing their plight.

The acting was uniformly outstanding. Tobey Maguire infused Homer with the right combination of idealism, naiveté and inner strength to make him an unassuming but powerful lead. Charlize Theron continues to impress me with her acting ability. Besides her enchanting girl-next-door attractiveness, she showed terrific range in a character that at first seemed shallow, but later proved to be quite complex.

Michael Caine has had a legendary career spanning close to half a century. He has long been one of my favorite actors. His performance here was powerful and well deserving of the acclaim he received. Dr. Larch was an extremely complex character; egotistical, self-abusive, manipulative and recalcitrant, yet a saintly, self-sacrificing and loving crusader for the good of the children. Caine's ability to span that range was remarkable.

Finally, I have the highest praise for Delroy Lindo as Mr. Rose, the orchard foreman. Lindo's bright smile and enthusiasm created a rock solid character with charm, strength and simple wisdom. He captures our admiration immediately, and despite his despicable act, we cannot help but pity him in the end.

After having seen all the films that were nominated by the Academy for best picture last year, I have to say that this was my personal favorite. It wasn't as flashy as the rest; in fact, this was downright old fashioned in its approach. They just don't write stories like this anymore, and that's a shame. I rated it a 10/10. In its quiet way, it captured my heart.

I was getting agitated while reading these reviews because I found it hard to believe that so many people missed the point of this movie. John Irving's main focus was not "pro-choice" in terms of abortion, but pro-choice in terms of each and every one of us making important and responsible decisions for ourselves. The fact that the title is "The Cider House Rules" reveals that the author thinks this idea sums up the whole narrative. Those rules posted in the cider house represent a more powerful, outside force attempting to control those that live within that cider house. It was also rhetorically inquired earlier at the isolated orphanage: What have their [the outside's] laws ever done for you? The intent of the film was profound in its simplicity: There are no absolute rules (in a cider house or anyplace else) which govern our lives other than those which we out of necessity construct for ourselves. One needs to "know their business," and caring human beings have the responsibility to develop rules that are appropriate to the unique circumstances in which they find themselves. The only time where imposing across the board rules that automatically prescribe responses to every situation is in a robot. We are not robots. Irving's views on abortion follow directly from this mentality, and this story is an attempt to explain the rational reasons behind them. But please realize that it is merely an example. If you were to get hung up about your own staunch views, be it pro-choice or pro-life, then you are missing out on a bigger picture that transcends both. If you can't see the forest for the trees, then you're better off watching Saturday morning cartoons.

Outstanding Features: Story, Acting

IMDb rating: 8

Part of the charm of "Cider House Rules", a coming-of-age movie with Tobey Maguire at the center, is the finesse with which it presents itself as a "feel good" movie when most of the characters have precious little to feel good about. The film could easily have had a harder edge to it. However, the makers of this carefully crafted film tiptoe so adroitly around such issues as abortion, murder, infidelity, and incest as to leave the audience with an ample helping of the warm and fuzzies. The film deserves high marks for enjoyability and for bringing back the charm of Hollywood's golden years.

Sentimental but well-told, visually beautiful and enjoyable story of an orphanage and the moral dilemmas of abortion, exploring emotional issues from leaving home and fatherhood, to first love, self-discovery and the burdens of responsibility. "Sometimes you have to break the rules to make things right."

Dr. Wilbur Larch (Michael Caine) runs an orphanage located at the isolated train stop St. Cloud's, Maine. Homer Wells (Tobey Maguire) was twice rejected in adoptions and grows up to be Larch's apprentice. Larch teaches him everything including performing abortions but he disagrees on abortions. Everybody loves him. In 1943, Wally Worthington (Paul Rudd) and girlfriend Candy Kendall (Charlize Theron) come for an abortion. Homer decides to leave the orphanage with them to everyone's chagrin including Dr. Larch. He works at their apple farm staying in their Cider House with the seasonal workers. Wally goes off to war. Candy and Homer start an affair together. Dr. Larch is setting up for Homer to return as the new doctor in the orphanage as Larch fakes all the medical credentials even without Homer's approval.

The movie floats through many points and many themes in this story. The movie opens with a slow but interesting orphanage story. When Homer leaves the orphanage, the movie diffuses the attention between him and back at the orphanage. It is still interesting but the movie loses some of the little intensity. The romance lacks a certain heat. I don't think Tobey Maguire is a particularly good romantic lead. The story does have a nice slow burn. It's a fascinating dark poetic feel that keeps pulling back the audience. It takes some dark turns. The movie is based on a novel. Like many of these adaptations, it's a tough thing to squeeze a large book into a much shorter form.

Some movies you enjoy at the theater once and then forget them. This film is one that you do not soon forget. Tobey Maguire has got to be one of the most gifted actors I have ever seen. His portrayal of Homer Wells is compelling. This movie will take you in during the very first scenes and won't let you go. When it's over you don't want to leave them all behind. Have you ever been so engrossed in a movie you don't realize what's going on around you. Cider House Rules is one of those rare films to come along and totally involve you in their lives. Maguire and Theron are wonderful along with the whole cast. Can't wait to see what other gifts Maguire gives us on the screen in the future.

Lasse Hallstrom's (1999) film is based on John Irving's semi-autobiographical novel.

Set in Maine, USA during World War II, it tells the story of a most unusual orphanage and the truly remarkable people who run it.

Joining pragmatic and single-minded obstetrician Wilbur Larch (Michael Caine), ably assisted by Nurse Edna (Jane Alexander) and Nurse Angela (Kathy Baker) – all in ward uniform – it soon becomes obvious that this is no ordinary orphanage.

As we follow Dr Larch into the maternity unit we first meet his young apprentice Homer Wells (Tobey McGuire) and quickly learn that not everything is as we might expect in this department either.

But as our understanding of what counts for 'normal procedure' widens we soon come to feel a genuine sense of involvement in the lives of the children who live there and the unconventional adults who care for them.

Dr Larch, as well as a great humanitarian and fan of Charles Dickens, is a drug addict and although Homer is well ahead of his years in female anatomy and physiology, he is overdue for a visit to the outside world.

An opportunity comes in the person of Flight Lieutenant Wally Worthington (Paul Rudd) and his prematurely pregnant fiancé Candy Kendall (Charlize Theron). Like impromptu parents arriving to take under their wing the eldest orphan in the establishment, Homer takes his chance to explore the world beyond the railway station - much to the distress of his surrogate father, Wilbur.

Initially lost in the foreign environment of the fruit farm run by Wally's mother Olive (Kate Nelligan), Homer soon finds himself well looked after by Arthur Rose (Delroy Lindo) who is the gang boss of the illiterate, migrant fruit-pickers. Accompanied by his unpromisingly named daughter Rose Rose (Erykah Badhu), the small group in the bunk house provide a rich learning environment for the perceptive, but naive Homer.

Homer's adventures are many and as the story twists and turns, he finds love and best of all he finds himself through his experience of the wider community he now inhabits.

There is so much more in this film that space permits to even hint at. It is comic, tragic, touching and moving. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Cider House Rules has long been one of my favorite novels, one of the few I have read twice, and one I frequently recommend to close friends. I think this colored my impression of the movie. I was hoping for the depth of the written work, but didn't see it. Compared with the character development in the novel (which is probably an unfair comparison) the film's characters seemed more two-dimensional. This said, I think the film's casting is true to the novel.

This started out not that bad, with a light and enjoyable first act, but by the time it was over I was just sitting with my head hung low wondering what the hell went wrong. Lasse Hallstrom has a real pension for this brand of gooey, saccharine weepies (basically anything Miramax financed in the late '90s/early '00s) and it fills itself up with so much "bring your tissues" sentimentality that it made me want to vomit in the final act. It wouldn't be so bad if it was actually saying anything important, but it's not at all.

The film is the most basic coming-of-age story of a young man experiencing life for the rest time and it doesn't strive to do...anything, really. It's further proof that Tobey Maguire has no charisma at all and can't lead a film if his life depended on it. Honestly, I'm having trouble thinking of someone with less screen presence in his age group and I am so glad that that late '90s surge of people constantly trying to make him the next big thing died out as quick as it did. Michael Caine and Delroy Lindo do fine supporting work, but Caine disappears after the first act and Lindo's character goes down a narrative path that is probably the worst thing about the film -- it's so absurd and out of absolutely nowhere, I'm honestly still trying to wrap my head around what that was even doing here.

The whole thing sets up so many strands for the plot but doesn't center itself well enough and when it tries to tie all of those strands together it comes apart completely. It's so miserably paced, the final act drags on for eternity. It felt like it's probably a decent novel but in adapting it to the screen they tried to condense it so much and as a result it falls flat and entirely worthless. Along with all of that it's got one of those classic Rachel Portman "I'm going to make you cry if I have to blast this music straight down your throat" scores that makes me sick. The whole thing leaves a really bad taste.

This is one of my favourite films (if not my favourite), so I cannot be altogether objective, but I must say I find it an eye-opener. It's a lesson on tolerance carried out by a really talented cast and crew.

Everyone fits in his/her role, although the movie is more Maguire's than anyone else's. He's definitely a natural, and while other actors in the business try to impress the audience and make the most to show their talent, Maguire acts with subtlety and thoughtfulness.

The film might seem a bit slow for some people accustomed to more pacey and epic films. However, those who have read the novel will realize just how fast everything goes.

Rachel Portman's score is truly beautiful: probably one of her best.

I found this movie not only well written, screen-played, played and edited, but I also found it had a true message of goodness in it, which goes beyond the nice story that you might want to dive into from time to time. It is definitely a very rich story. I think it is difficult to separate both notions presented by the movie: morality (is abortion a good or a bad thing, and from which point of view as both are present), and equality between Men, in terms of the racial issue. The movie takes place in the 40's, just before the US declared war to Japan. The work on how Afro-Americans should be treated had not yet really started, and they were still not very much considered as real "equals" to the whites. The "rules" which are part of the movie title in the first place, are imposed on the Afro-Americans who work in the Cider House, assuming they are stupid and unable to behave responsibly and with common sense. It is about the laws imposed on Men by other Men who do not necessarily understand the implications and the situations of those who have to comply with those rules. That leads naturally to the question of the Law : is the Law only a list of rules that we must obey without questioning at any time, or might it sometimes be a more blurry notion that sensible individuals might have to work out for themselves according to the circumstances? Or can we take into account that Life itself , and "chance", sometimes lead to another form of Justice, as it eventually happens at the end? To me, it is a real "must see". I would recommend parents to offer it to their teenagers as a means to let them build their own vision of the world.... Yes! it goes that far!!

I had the distinct pleasure of working on this film, portraying Big Dot. Lasse Hallstrom was a dream to work with, a director with whom all actors should look forward to working. The cast and crew made this experience so enjoyable, despite the arrival of cold weather and plenty of rain.

I urge all John Irving fans to see the film, and to understand that Irving was responsible for the screen adaptation, compressing a huge novel into the standard time format allowable.

Cider House Rules was made with love on location in Vermont and the Scott Farm brought to this film absolute realism. Enjoy.

As someone raised in New England, I was thrilled to find a film that faithfully celebrates the sly, ironic humor we grow back there. The cast was brilliant, and like many people, I wish Michael Caine's role could have been extended. Also, socially, it's wonderful to see a complex, tragic subject like abortion dealt with so intelligently, and like the tremendously difficult issue that it is.

"The Cider House Rules" is a very well-crafted film. The acting is generally quite good, the music terrific and the story interesting...though also depressing as can be and a bit repellent. The story is set in two places--at a god-awful orphanage and at an orchard nearby.

When the story begins, you learn from the Doctor (Michael Caine) that little Homer was adopted and returned twice...and so the Doctor has raised him himself and taught this teen to be a doctor. And so, in this world of "makin' your own rules", he has the young man deliver babies and even observe abortions...though Homer thinks abortions are wrong. Of course, you KNOW that this will come back to haunt him later...after he leaves the orphanage to inexplicably become an apple-picker.

Dying kids who cannot breathe, abortions, abandoned babies, incest and murder---this film is the ultimate in awfulness. Enjoyable it clearly is not...though the film did win two Oscars. One, oddly, was for Michael Caine. While I love Caine, in this film his accent was just bizarre...yet he got the award. I assume it was like John Wayne's win for "True Grit"...not one of his best performances but given more for his body of work than anything else. I could see the film's technical merits but found it about as enjoyable as chewing on glass.

After going thru all the comments, the least I can do is to agree with all of them. The movie, due to its subject matter, could have easily turned into a cheesy movie of the week, but it avoids this marvelously thanks to some great performances, great character direction and a beautiful photography. This is indeed a standard "coming-of-age" story. Not having read the book, I still felt the story condensed, and some of its other threads not fully realized, like the subject of abortion which starts very strongly, but then fades for a while only to come back later at the end. Much better and subtle is the depiction of race in the early part of the 20th century, although some African-Americans might find it a little offensive to them. Delroy Lindo gives an astounding performance with so very little. Erykah Badu is a revelation. Michael Caine is at his best, and shows the younger cast what acting is all about. Tobey Maguire is likeable as usual, but gives a performance similar to his role in Pleasantville -with little or no emotion and seeming to have more insight into other character's lives than John Irving, the author, himself. This worked great in Pleasantville, but it was wrong for this movie. While sometimes melodramatic and predictable, the story does deliver its punches well and you shouldn't be ashamed to let a tear wash your cheeks. Come Oscar time, you won't see The Cider House Rules in any big category, but still it is a movie that will play well and be enjoyed by many.

Not surprising, since John Irving did it himself. I'm biased, since I loved the book so much, but it has all the poetry and beauty of the book. I cried in the same places. Tobey Maguire is the perfect Homer Wells. The casting, overall, is perfect. I was so glad to see the wondrous Paul Rudd playing something other than a gay man too. I'm devastated that one of the choices Irving made was to drop the character of Melony (she was my favorite), but I suppose you can't have everything.

As a movie, there were a few too many extreme close-ups for me, but overall, it flowed beautifully. And I know it's going to get a lot of flack for being this "abortion movie" (as the book did for tackling the subject), but the movie, if anything puts the whole subject in relief. Like "Dead Man Walking" did with capital punishment, this movie shows that there are no easy answers to the whole abortion question. But every once in awhile, under the right circumstances, you just gotta...break the rules.

One of the best movies of the year.

On the surface "The Cider House Rules" (1999) is a quality period piece about life at an apple orchard and orphanage in Maine during WWII. Tobey Maguire stars as Homer Wells, who was raised at a remote orphanage and favored by caretaker Dr. Larch (Michael Caine), who imparts his vast medical knowledge & skills to the young man. At the age of 21 Homer decides to leave the orphanage with a couple that stopped by for an illegal abortion and ends up working at an apple orchard. Will he ever return?

It's the subtext where the film soars for those interested in ruminations on the complexities of morality and the place that outward or inward rules play.

Here's a taste: The movie contrasts outer rules with innate moral rules. The former can be broken as it suits the individual without any ill-effects, like the cider house rules in the film or stepping over the wall at Niagara Falls to get a better picture; innate moral rules, however, cannot be broken without severe consequences. To illustrate, the apple workers rightly mock the cider house rules made by people who don't know what it's like to live & work there, but one laborer breaks a universal spiritual law and so loses a close relationship and something worse, which conveys the idea that "the wages of sin is death."

Another example involves the rules of society demanding that a person have proper credentials in order to do the work Dr. Larch performs, and understandably so, but official credentials on a wall are irrelevant in regards to some people, like Homer, who's thoroughly expert at his craft, credentials or no credentials. And so Larch creates fake "proper" credentials to appease officials and patients.

Also, Wally & Candy (Paul Rudd & Charlize Theron) impulsively have an illegal abortion at the beginning of the movie but, by the end, it doesn't look like they're going to have very wild sex anymore (which is different than saying they won't have any sexual relations). They no doubt strongly regret deciding to break the rules and have an abortion, which was illegal at the time.

Obviously the movie's not far Left or far Right; it's somewhere in the middle in its realistic reflections on moral complexities and ambiguities. Both sides of the abortion debate, for instance, are presented. And, while it could be argued that the movie somewhat supports the pro-choice position, it doesn't neglect to convey the conservative view and effectively shows how the debate is more complex than black or white. For example, if a man forces his self on a woman and she gets pregnant, the life within her is not there by her choice and therefore she arguably has the right to abort that life with the blood of the child being on the head of the impregnating male.

Elsewhere, Homer argues the conservative position, suggesting that people should be responsible enough to control themselves BEFORE a woman is impregnated and the ugly issue of abortion rears its head. Dr. Larch later remarks that he wishes the world were as idealistic as Homer sees it, but instead we're stuck with an intricately phukked up planet where people make wrong choices all the time, which have a negative domino effect.

The film runs 2 hours, 6 minutes and was shot in Northampton, Massachusetts (orphanage); Dummerston, Vermont (orchard); Bernard, Corea and Sand Beach, Maine; as well as surrounding New England locations.

GRADE: B+