Review of The Door in the Floor (2004) by Sherry H — 22 Mar 2011

Not many movies can be described as perfectly crafted, but The Door In The Floor easily qualifies, from its incredible performances to the way it expertly handles its dark subject matter to its pitch-perfect script, which adapts John Irving's 1998 novel A Widow for One Year. Writer-director Tod Williams (who recently helmed Paranormal Activity 2) takes the helm of this delicate drama, and he dared to only film the film's first 183 pages, leaving out about two-thirds of the book. The result is something deep and provocative.

The film is hypnotic from start to finish, from the very first scene of four-year-old Ruth (lovely and talented Elle Fanning) standing on a chair to gaze at framed photos of her deceased brothers. Ruth's father is Ted Cole (the marvelous Jeff Bridges), a children's-book author and illustrator who drowns his grief in alcohol and random sex with wealthy New York wives near his Hamptons estate. Ted decides he and his wife Marion (Kim Basinger) should separate. Then he takes on Eddie (Jon Foster) as an assistant because Eddie resembles his eldest son, who perished along with his brother in a car accident five years prior.

Eddie stands in admiration of Ted's books, such as The Door in The Floor, and he also lusts for Marion, who is embarrassed instead of shocked to find Eddie masturbating as he stares at her underwear. Marion seduces Eddie and eventually beds, and Ruth walks in on the two of them naked. 'Don't scream honey. It's just Eddie and me.' she calmly advises her, but Ruth is stunned to see someone who looks so much like one of her brothers.

The Door In The Floor is tragic, funny, stinging and poignant all at once, and true to the spirit of John Irving, whose excellent novels include The World According To Garp, A Prayer For Owen Meany and The Cider House Rules. And Williams does well with his actors. Basinger gives her most haunted performance ever, her finest work. And Bridges does what he does best, showing why he is one of the best actors working today. He creates an incredible portrait of a man full of both ego and self-doubt. This is one that gets in your head.