In the Bedroom (2001)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Todd Field

Writers:

Andre Dubus (story)
Robert Festinger (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

11 January 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

A young man. An older woman. Her ex-husband. Things are about to explode...

Plot:

A New England couple's college-aged son dates an older woman with two small children and an unwelcome ex-husband. Then something terrible occurs in this wrenching, emotional drama.

Plot Keywords:

Maine | Doctor | New England | Murder | Small Town

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 27 wins & 41 nominations

Cast

Tom Wilkinson	...	Matt Fowler
Sissy Spacek	...	Ruth Fowler
Nick Stahl	...	Frank Fowler
Marisa Tomei	...	Natalie Strout
William Mapother	...	Richard Strout
William Wise	...	Willis Grinnel
Celia Weston	...	Katie Grinnel
Karen Allen	...	Marla Keyes
Frank T. Wells	...	Henry
W. Clapham Murray	...	Carl
Justin Ashforth	...	Tim Bryson
Terry A. Burgess	...	District Attorney
Jonathan Walsh	...	Father McCasslin
Diane E. Hamlin	...	Davis' Assistant
Camden Munson	...	Jason Strout

MPAA:

Rated R for some violence and language.

Runtime:

130 min | USA:138 min (Sundance Film Festival)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Malaysia:18PL (uncut version) | Malaysia:U (cut version) | USA:TV-MA (TV rating) | Singapore:NC-16 (re-rating) | Singapore:PG (cut) | Netherlands:16 | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Brazil:14 | Canada:14A | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | Philippines:R-18

Filming Locations:

Belfast, Maine, USA

Company:

Good Machine

Trivia:

The two voices heard speaking as Ruth Fowler (Sissy Spacek) watches television are from "The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn" (1999). Craig Kilborn is interviewing Anthony Clark.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: The camera lens is plainly visible in the shot of Matt Fowler driving in his car.

Quotes:

Henry: [both characters talking to Jason] Best part of the cod. The outsiders, they won't touch it. Summer fisherman, well, they're part-timers like Frank here; get in your hair. As many as 80 of them now with licenses. Hmm! Should have put up a sign. Stay in your own backyard, or lose your traps.
Frank Fowler: See, Henry here is just sore 'cause I catch twice as much as he does with an old second-hand Bordreau.
Henry: Now, don't you listen to him, son. That boat is fine. She was my first. I kinda miss her, sometimes. And that truck you're driving. When are you headed back to school, Frank?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "High Chaparall: (#2.5)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

Oj Savice

Revenge shown to be illusion in this realistic work.

The film is, as all the critics say, emotionally involving, wrenching and all that. Acting is natural and realistic, down to the nitty-gritty. The valuable and rare thing here is that the story works against the most common plot at the movies today: the revenge plot. Here instead, revenge gets a more ambiguous and thoughtful treatment. We are accustomed to being flattered as an audience, sent home feeling good that "our" side wins in the end against the evil. In this film that stereotypical and simplistic Good vs Evil is taken apart. The revenge leaves us feeling unusually unsettled, which is a very good thing in a deeper sense.