Review of In the Bedroom (2001) by Emma K — 22 Jul 2007

The film begins as a summer romance, quickly spirals into a winter of despair and grief, and culminates in revenge. In between these three clearly-drawn out segments, illustrated by the changing landscapes of bucolic small-town Maine, Matt and Ruth Fowler (Tom Wilkinson and Sissy Spacek) watch as onlookers as their only son woos a woman nearly twice his age, and with the baggage of two kids and an ex-husband with a temper.

When inevitable tragedy befalls the family, the only possible culmination of grief is the need for revenge it seems to conjure, which begs the natural question regarding the cycle of violent reactionary deeds.

Not as simple as it sounds, Field's screenplay, based on a short story by Andre Dubus, begins delicately enough, but is courageous to shift gears unexpectedly, to ask questions of its main characters (as well as shift protagonists), and to constantly engage us with what is happening onscreen.

When I first saw this movie, I don't think I ever moved in my seat; I was utterly and completely engulfed by what was going on on the screen in front of me. Part of this was the remarkable performances by Wilkinson and Spacek, so masterful in providing nuances of grief-stricken parents; scenes such as Spacek smoking a cigarette, watching television alone at 4:00am, or Wilkinson, unhappy with his job, seeking to engage in life through the livelihood of his son.

Such events are captured with Field's remarkable eye for discreet suggestion; the thought that perhaps Matt Fowler isn't grieving enough or that Ruth Fowler is indeed bitter and disillusioned at that.

Tense almost to the point of being unbearable, and when the water comes to boil, so to speak, and the emotions are let out, the climax is harrowing and unexpected. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the film delves into deep questions regarding human nature.

What is our capacity to kill or to do wrong to our fellow man? To what extent will we go to support our most basic needs -- love, happiness, family? Are these instincts inborn, or are they purely the result of external circumstances? Like a great novel, full of symbolism and metaphor, as well as pathetic fallacy and compelling rising action.

So real and so astute, it's positively chilling how accurate this film gets the way people behave and act. A film that will inspire vehement reactions to a vast array of lingering questions, not the least of which being why this film isn't more widely praised.

Perhaps the best movie ever made.