Details
Movie Description
Delicately balancing a young man's coming-of-age with a married couple's experience of trauma and loss, this adaptation of John Irving's A WIDOW FOR ONE YEAR compares with THE CIDER HOUSE RULES as a successful and faithful adaptation of the popular author's work. The film details a summer of trial separation between husband and wife Ted (Jeff Bridges) and Marion (Kim Basinger), whose union was shattered by the loss of their two sons. Though they have one remaining daughter (Elle Fanning), Ted--a popular author--hires a greenhorn writing assistant, a young man named Eddie (Jon Foster). Expecting to learn writing from a master, Eddie is little more than a glorified chauffeur for his accomplished idol. However, Eddie receives some useful lessons in manhood from the beautiful yet emotionally distant Marion, as an obsessive crush blossoms into passionate first love. While the family's scenic estate in the Hamptons provides an illusion of contentment, the tension between Ted, Marion, and Eddie only builds. Meanwhile Eddie struggles to understand the reasons for the family's painful disintegration.
The strength of writer-director Tod Williams's adaptation lies in the complexity of its characters, who are given depth by a talented cast that also includes Mimi Rogers. With the narrative unfolding like a mystery, viewers have the refreshing opportunity to unravel the details of this intricate story.
Film Notes
DVD Features:
Region 1
Snap Case
Anamorphic Widescreen - 2.35
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
Dolby Digital 5.1 - French
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary - 1. Tod Williams - Director, Terry Stacey - Director Of Photography, Alfonso Goncalves - Editor, Marcelo Zarvos - Composer, Eric Daman - Costume Designer
Featurette - 1. FRAME ON THE WALL
2. NOVEL TO SCREEN, An Interview With John Irving
3. Anatomy Of A Scene
THEATRICAL RELEASE: JULY 14, 2004 (LIMITED)
Industry Reviews
"The characters are exceptionally well-drawn, and the actors shine."
Movieline - Stephen Farber (06/01/2004)
"[I]t's easily the most robust and compelling movie ever spun off from Irving's work."
Entertainment Weekly - Owen Gleiberman (07/23/2004)
"[The film] captures the essence of the book while finding its own path to the heart....You can't shut the door on this spellbinder. It gets into your head."
Rolling Stone - Peter Travers (08/05/2004)
"Jeff Bridges has long been one of the greats of American film acting....[Basinger's] performance is delicately filigreed and, along with Bridges', it makes THE DOOR IN THE FLOOR an unassuming pleasure."
Los Angeles Times - Manohla Dargis (07/14/2004)
"Bridges and Basinger are powerful in the central scene..."
Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert (12/10/2004)
"Williams sidesteps sentimentality to deliver his tragi-comedy with a delicious lightness of touch, making THE DOOR IN THE FLOOR the first Irving adaptation really to capture the author's playfulness and compassion."
Sight and Sound - Liese Spencer (02/01/2005)
"[Williams] handles all of the elements of the story...with an equally sure hand."
Premiere - Glenn Kenny (07/01/2004)
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