Review of The Cider House Rules (1999) by Alex M — 02 Jun 2013

I really wasn't expecting to be as engaged as I was throughout this film. I thought the story was very charming, and the performances were great; even the many young actors interspersed throughout were really great.

Michael Caine was the obvious standout, but Tobey Maguire certainly held his own opposite him - and Charlize Theron was also fantastic. Seeing Homer and Candy's relationship develop and then slowly fall apart was quite intriguing, although I wish more time had been dedicated to their character development.

What is in the film certainly works, though, and the two hour running time fails to deter The Cider House Rules from being an emotionally complex and satisfying piece of work.