You want to hear dedication? I was watching this film when the power went out at the theatre. Most didn't even bother to reschedule, but, I wanted to desperately. Why, you ask--I'll tell you...Sissy Spacek, Marisa Tomei, and Tom Wilkinson were crafting "In The Bedroom" to be, what all the critics had told me, a fantastic film.
The premise was there. An older, recently divorced mother (Marisa Tomei) had fallen for a much younger man...who happened to be the son of two people (Wilkinson and Spacek), that were apposed to the relationship on paper, but, loving their son as they did, they were willing to overlook the disadvantages and support their son's decision as much as they could. They are destroyed when their son is killed by Tomei's disgruntled and abusive ex. When Spacek and Wilkinson find themselves in the lawyers office, finding out that the culprit will not be punished severely enough for them, the power went out...needless to say, I was hooked and wanted to see how this film wound up to a critically lauded finish.
So, two hours later, I return to the theatre.
How do they wrap this film up? By having Spacek and Wilkinson conspire to kill Tomei's ex. The father takes him into the woods and kills him. I suffered through totally short scenes with no dialogue, silent portraits of Spacek moping, and a fade in, fade out still scenes of Wilkinson and Spacek not communicating to have it wind up with an untidy ending that showed not only a lack of creativity, but, a total insult to moviegoers who were expecting more than the writers were able to deliver. It was random. It was inane. It was sloppy.
Lifetime Television does this type of plot on a week in, week out basis. I'd hardly call their results noteworthy, and the same could be said for this film.
To call it disappointing would be an understatement.
The premise was there. An older, recently divorced mother (Marisa Tomei) had fallen for a much younger man...who happened to be the son of two people (Wilkinson and Spacek), that were apposed to the relationship on paper, but, loving their son as they did, they were willing to overlook the disadvantages and support their son's decision as much as they could. They are destroyed when their son is killed by Tomei's disgruntled and abusive ex. When Spacek and Wilkinson find themselves in the lawyers office, finding out that the culprit will not be punished severely enough for them, the power went out...needless to say, I was hooked and wanted to see how this film wound up to a critically lauded finish.
So, two hours later, I return to the theatre.
How do they wrap this film up? By having Spacek and Wilkinson conspire to kill Tomei's ex. The father takes him into the woods and kills him. I suffered through totally short scenes with no dialogue, silent portraits of Spacek moping, and a fade in, fade out still scenes of Wilkinson and Spacek not communicating to have it wind up with an untidy ending that showed not only a lack of creativity, but, a total insult to moviegoers who were expecting more than the writers were able to deliver. It was random. It was inane. It was sloppy.
Lifetime Television does this type of plot on a week in, week out basis. I'd hardly call their results noteworthy, and the same could be said for this film.
To call it disappointing would be an understatement.