ReviewsThe reviews of Lasse Hallstrom's The Cider House Rules are quite varied, to say the very least. While there is little argument concerning the aesthetic quality of the film, there are an overwhelming number of arguments concerning the political stance of the picture. Some critics believe the film is blatantly pro-choice and promotes abortion as the only option given an unintended pregnancy. Others believe that given some thematic aspects of the movie (like Homer's belief that he is "happy to be alive, under any circumstances"), it maintains a pro-life bias. While John Irving (screenwriter) probably wanted to advocate an implicit message for reproductive freedom, a tremendous amount of debate has surrounded the film because of the controversial issue it addresses. Oftentimes, reviewers of The Cider House Rules seem to lose or forget the greater thematic element of charting one's own destiny among the political rhetoric. Regardless of the political leanings of the film, there is little question that according to critics, Michael Caine has performed one of the best roles of his lifetime as Dr. Larch. Responses to Tobey Maguire's portrayal as Homer Wells are varied; some consider it lukewarm while others believe his steady, calm demeanor is perfect for the characterization Irving sought for Homer. Nearly all of the reviews regard some select qualities of the film with merit, distinguishing The Cider House Rules as a film that will certainly raise eyebrows in some way, shape, or form for many years to come.
Bruce, David. Rev. of The Cider House Rules, dir. Lasse Hallstrom. HollywoodJesus.com 22 February 2000:
http://www.hollywoodjesus.com/cider_house.htm
HollywoodJesus conducts movie reviews with the intention of providing "Pop Culture from a Spiritual Point of View." Bruce's sub-heading calls Cider House, "An amazingly beautiful film about the incredible ugliness of abortion." Spirituality and calling abortion ugly might lead one to believe that Bruce's review is overwhelmingly pro-life, but, instead, it offers a perception of the movie that values the symbolism of character names and different events that occur throughout the movie. Bruce even opens his review with the statement, "thank you John Irving for giving the world so much food for thought. You have brought forth a motion picture that every high schooler and college student should see and discuss," because of these perceptions.
Fisch, Audrey. "Abortion at the Movies: 'Cider House' Fails Where 'High Fidelity' Rules." Rev. of The Cider House Rules, dir. Lasse Hallstrom. Salon.com 15 May 2000: http://archive.salon.com/mwt/feature/2000/05/15/abortion/
An article with pro-choice leanings, Fisch declares that Cider House "certainly works hard to remind us about the agonies our society endured when abortion was a crime." Fisch's review is unique because she offers a comparison of Cider House to High Fidelity, a movie which she claims includes only a three-minute plot line about abortion but still treats the topic more appropriately because it speaks of abortion "in a context free of dogma and high drama." Fisch claims that Cider House, though officially declared the pro-choice film of the year, actually condemns the women who receive abortions (and even those who perform abortions) in this film for one reason or another. For example, Candy's abortion undergoes no immediate consequences. When Wally returns from the service, however, he is paralyzed from the waist down -- she will probably never be able to have children with him now. In the end, Fisch believes that Cider House "doesn't deviate from the basic script that says women who exercise the right to choose are inexorably stained and deserving of punishment."
Greene, Ray. Rev. of The Cider House Rules, dir. Lasse Hallstrom. Reel.com 1999: http://www.reel.com/movie.asp?MID=128195&buy=open&Tab=reviews&CID=13
Greene places a heavy emphasis on abortion rights as the theme of Cider House. The first two paragraphs of the review accuse the entertainment industry of treating this particular issue quite lightly when compared relatively to the liberal agenda the industry is charged with possessing. Therefore, he believes Cider House is a film that deliberately treats abortion as a "good" choice. Nevertheless, he likes the film and claims it portrays both sides of abortion as an issue, especially given Homer's pro-life stance. Generally speaking (and in conclusion), Greene feels that "The Cider House Rules offers a gentle but passionate plea for tolerance and understanding" of both sides of the reproductive freedom argument.
Knowles, Dana. Rev. of The Cider House Rules, dir. Lasse Hallstrom. AboutFilm.com December 1999: http://www.aboutfilm.com/movies/c/ciderhouserules.htm
Knowles multi-faceted review tackles the issues of sorrow, conflict, compromise (or lack thereof), and growth that are ever-so-apparent in The Cider House Rules. She concludes her commentary by stating, "Anyone with a reasonable tolerance for artfully rendered sentiment and philosophical contemplation will find more to like than not," which is an ideal conclusion, especially considering that her review thoughtfully acknowledges the treatment of that sentiment and contemplation as graceful and "experiential." Her comments are objective and regard the film as a work of entertainment/art instead of as a political statement.
Murray, Noel. Rev. of The Cider House Rules, dir. Lasse Hallstrom. Nashville Scene 17 January 2000: http://www.filmvault.com/filmvault/nash/c/ciderhouserulesth1.html
Murray's review is short but sweet, chock-full of important revelations about Cider House. He claims that as a pro-choice film, Cider House does endorse safe and legal abortion; however, Murray makes the other important claim that this is not all that the film endorses. Murray believes "The Cider House Rules could be more rightly described as a film about the pain of choice -- about what we're supposed to do with all our free will." He touches on the themes of morality as well as the biblical symbolism of the apple orchard setting. Murray states that Homer learns "inaction is itself a choice." Ultimately, the review is positive, describing the film as containing "breathtaking demonstrations of how theoretical problems resonate in the real world," and declaring that these demonstrations are "never less than invigorating."
Prizer, John. "An Attractive Cider House Built on Moral Quicksand." Rev. of The Cider House Rules, dir. Lasse Hallstrom. National Catholic Register 9-15 January 2000: http://www.prolife.com/CiderHouseRules.html
Given that this review is republished on the Pro-Life America website, it unmistakenly bashes Cider House for containing overwhelmingly pro-choice political rhetoric. Prizer does state that the presentation of the pro-choice argument is "well thought-out" but still chastises Larch for all of his rule-making and -breaking. Additionally, Prizer believes that while the story attempts to market itself with a "coming-of-age" theme, the "coming-of-age" journey manipulates the audience to view abortion in a positive light. There is sufficient evidence for this argument; however, Prizer never offers a counter-argument to consequently argue against, probably because he presumed it would be too difficult to refute. Surprisingly, Prizer does mention the film's aesthetics and seems to make a legitimate attempt at reviewing the movie from a more traditional standpoint towards the end of the commentary.
Walsh, David. "Quite Obedient Really." Rev. of The Cider House Rules, dir. Lasse Hallstrom. World Socialist Website 22 February 2000: http://wsws.org/articles/2000/feb2000/cide-f22.shtml
A cynical article that addresses generalized themes of rule-making versus rule-breaking and the construction of an individual moral code rather than the specific issue of abortion. Walsh does not, by any means, ignore the issue of abortion in his review. Instead of engaging in a politically-driven rant about whether the film's treatment of abortion is appropriate or inappropriate, Walsh ties the issue into his belief that Hallstrom's work lacks "genuine unconventionality in a film formally advocating the unconventional." Ironically, Walsh's perception of the film is unconventional not only in terms of content but also in terms of aesthetics; he declares that "Any hopes aroused by a certain Scandinavian rawness to the cinematography are largely disappointed." He even criticizes the Academy Award-nominated score, calling it "irritating and obtrusive."
Rev. of The Cider House Rules, dir. Lasse Hallstrom. Childcare Action Project: Christian Analysis of American Culture 2 March 2000: http://www.capalert.com/capreports/ciderhouserules.htm
The Childcare Action Project releases an "Entertainment Media Analysis Report" as "A service to parents and grandparents." In other words, the site offers a short analysis of the film and then categorizes and scores inappropriate elements of the film according to the acronym WISDOM (W=Wanton Violence/Crime, I=Impudence/Hate, S=Sex/Homosexuality, D=Drugs/Alcohol, O=Offense to God, M=Murder/Suicide). The analysis of individual elements offers lengthy lists of specific parts of the movie that are undoubtedly presented subjectively, without regard to the reasons some of these elements were included in the story. Ironically, the reviewer comments on the objectivity of their analysis model, because while the film is supposedly "artless" filth in the reviewers eyes, it still fits nicely into the scoring range for a PG-13 rating. The review itself is filled with quotes and jargon that charges the film as immoral and even sites Bible passages as a mechanism for justifying the argument.
Other Reviews:
Anthony, Ted. "At the Movies: 'The Cider House Rules.'" Rev. of The Cider House Rules, dir. Lasse Hallstrom. The Associated Press 23 December 1999
Clark, Mike. "'Cider House': Slim Pickings John Irving's Novel Makes an Unfruitful Leap to the Screen." Rev. of The Cider House Rules, dir. Lasse Hallstrom. USA Today 10 December 1999: 17E
Graham, Bob. "Dickens' Spirit Guides 'Cider House.'" Rev. of The Cider House Rules, dir. Lasse Hallstrom. San Francisco Chronicle 17 December 1999: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/1999/12/17/DD24871.DTL
Millar, Jeff. "Irving Fans Will Love the Touching but Bland 'Cider House Rules.'" Rev. of The Cider House Rules, dir. Lasse Hallstrom. The Houston Chronicle 7 December 1999: HOUSTON; 6
Thomas, Kevin. Rev. of The Cider House Rules, dir. Lasse Hallstrom. Los Angeles Times 10 December 1999: http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-movie000406-100.story
Zacharek, Stephanie. Rev. of The Cider House Rules, dir. Lasse Hallstrom. Salon.com 25 January 2000: http://archive.salon.com/ent/movies/review/2000/01/25/cider_house/
Eval. of The Cider House Rules, dir. Lasse Hallstrom. FilmValues December 2000: http://www.filmvalues.com/Review.cfm?RecordID=758
Copyright (c) 2003 Kate A. Schartel, Undergraduate at Lehigh University.This text may be used and shared in accordance with the fair-use provisions of the U.S. copyright law, and it may be archived and redistributed in electronic form, provided that the author is notified and no fee is charged for access. Archiving, redistribution, or republication of this text on other terms, in any medium, requires the consent of the author.