The Cider House Rules (1999)

Director:

Lasse Hallström

Writers (WGA):

John Irving (novel)
John Irving (screenplay)

Release Date:

13 January 2000 (Australia)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

A story about how far we must travel to find the place where we belong.

Plot:

A compassionate young man, raised in an orphanage and trained to be a doctor there, decides to leave to see the world.

Plot Keywords:

Female Nudity | Beautiful Woman | Birth | Nudity | Doctor

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 28 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sat. May 17

2:30 PM

CW

Cast

Tobey Maguire	...	Homer Wells
Charlize Theron	...	Candy Kendall
Delroy Lindo	...	Mr. Rose
Paul Rudd	...	Wally Worthington
Michael Caine	...	Dr. Wilbur Larch
Jane Alexander	...	Nurse Edna
Kathy Baker	...	Nurse Angela
Erykah Badu	...	Rose Rose
Kieran Culkin	...	Buster
Kate Nelligan	...	Olive Worthington
Heavy D	...	Peaches
K. Todd Freeman	...	Muddy
Paz de la Huerta	...	Mary Agnes
J.K. Simmons	...	Ray Kendall
Evan Parke	...	Jack (as Evan Dexter Parke)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements, sexuality, nudity, substance abuse and some violence.

Runtime:

126 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (DeLuxe)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

South Korea:15 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #36692) | Taiwan:GP | Malaysia:U | Iceland:L | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Ireland:18 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:M | Norway:11 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:11 | UK:12 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Bellows Falls, Vermont, USA

Company:

FilmColony

Trivia:

One of the attractions of adapting the film for author John Irving was that he wanted his son, Colin Irving, to play Wally Worthington. However, as the development process took over a decade, eventually his son was too old for the part and was not known enough to be considered for it in any event. However, the role of Major Winslow did ultimately provide Colin Irving a part in the film.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The orphans get to watch the movie King Kong (1933) with a certain scene intact (the giant ape peels off Ann Darrow's garments). That scene was cut from Kong shortly after its premiere and was not publicly available anywhere (until 1971), so whoever lived in 1940s Maine could only see the cut version of Kong.

Quotes:

Homer Wells: [giving back an X-ray that Dr. Larch gave to him] I don't need this. I know about my condition.
Dr. Wilbur Larch: It's your heart. You ought to take it with you.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Ben Affleck/Fiona Apple (#25.13)" (2000)

Soundtrack:

King Kong, Original 1933 Score

Funny, moving, incredibly well-done

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.