FilmBlather.com

The Cider House Rules was a peculiar moviegoing experience for me. It was a movie that completely failed to impress me during its running time but one I greatly admired after it was over. In its final two minutes the film turns its characters -- and my opinion -- around full-circle, putting its meandering first two hours in a new light. Before the ending I didn't really know where the protagonist was headed (I may have guessed it correctly -- but it was one of many guesses; I can't say I predicted it because I never settled on one) and once I found out and thought about it, the movie made perfect sense.

Tobey Maguire, one of the brightest (in his project selections, anyway) and most talented young (24) actors working, stars as Homer Wells, a man who has spent his whole life at a Maine orphanage. He was adopted twice but returned to the orphanage both times; once because he was just two darn cheerful -- he wouldn't cry. The respected, kind Dr. Larch (Michael Caine), who lives and works full-time at the orphanage, takes Homer under his wing, keeping him around and teaching him how to perform necessary medical procedures, one of which happens to be abortion -- a practice illegal in the 40's when this film takes place.

So Homer grows up taking care of the abandoned children. They grow to be a family. Homer helps women give birth, attends after sick kids, reads stories at bedtime and seems happy. Yet Homer feels something missing. He isn't sure, like Dr. Larch is, that this orphanage, this life, is truly his destiny. He wants to go out into the world and see what else is there for him. When army brat Wally Warthington (Paul Rudd) takes his wife Candy (Charlize Theron) to Homer's orphanage for an abortion, he decides, much to Dr. Larch's dismay, to go away with them.

Wally hooks Homer up with a job at his parents' orchard, where he works as an applepicker. Perhaps it's the sheer novelty of it, after working in one setting for twenty-some years, but Homer falls in love with the job. While Wally is away, he also falls in love with Candy, who can't help but have feelings for Homer. She has trouble staying alone. Meanwhile, Dr. Larch writes letters to Homer, asking him to come back, strenuously urging him that he cannot possibly have a more fulfilling life than one at the orphanage.

This character goes through a journey of self-discovery and sometimes the film feels like a bit of a difficult journey itself. As I was watching, the criticisms piled up: the film meandered and lacked focus, I was thinking. You may think the same (or maybe not -- what do I know) but stick with it. As the trailer for Magnolia says, "this will all make sense in the end." It isn't the most entertaining filmmaking I've ever seen, but it is meaningful, even though I had to wait until after it was over to appreciate it. I write this a few days after seeing The Cider House Rules and I appreciate it even more.

Many have labeled this film pro-abortion propaganda. Some parts of the film may, to some extent suggest that to be the case. I fail to see why this is necessarily a problem. It isn't the movie's central theme and is presented in a matter-of-fact, non-imposing fashion . To boot, it actually presents some damn good arguments for the cause (but don't take this liberal's word for it). And since when is a movie not allowed to take a side on an issue without immediately being called "propaganda"?

The title of the movie refers to a set of rules composed for the mostly black workforce of the "cider house" in which Homer is also employed. The workers consider the rules to be utter garbage since they had no hand in making them. It's obviously an allegorical reference to the Jim Crow segregation laws which dominated 40's culture and it's one of the topics that the movie (and perhaps the novel, written by John Irving, who also wrote the screenplay for the adaptation) doesn't handle too well. Perhaps it was a bit too much.

The most noteworthy of the performances here is definitely Michael Caine as Dr. Larch, a troubled man with deep-rooted convictions that he never abandons. This role just got Caine nominated for a Golden Globe award and it's well deserved: his performance is one of the most interesting things here. This is not to belittle the turns by Maguire and Charlize Theron. The latter is one of my favorite actresses and though her character is somewhat underdeveloped, she's charming in the role. Maguire nicely pulls off a tricky character -- without revealing too much, it is again the ending that really solidifies his performance.

The Cider House Rules is not the best date movie. You must have patience. This is a case when you have to make it through the film to appreciate it. It isn't lively and isn't prone to suck up to the audience. But don't give up. Your persistence will be duly rewarded.