Starring Tobey Maguire, Charlize Theron, Michael Caine, Delroy Lindo, Kathy Baker, Heavy D, Erykah Badu, Todd Freeman, Jane Alexander, Kate Nelligan, Paul Rudd, Kieran Culkin. Written by John Irving. Directed by Lasse Hallestrom. Kindly Dr. Larch (Caine) runs an orphanage in the hills of Maine. A doctor by trade, he and his two loyal and patient nurses (Baker, Alexander) bring the unwanted children into the world, accept others brought in, tend to the children's needs, work on finding homes for as many of them as possible, and read the boys and girls classic literature at bedtime. Just as he leaves the boys at night, Dr. Larch says "goodnight Princes of Maine, Kings of New England". One of his princes is Homer Wells, a young man brought in as a baby who has twice been adopted and returned. Now nearly grown up, he helps read and take care of the children. He also helps Dr. Larch deliver babies and help operate the makeshift hospital. Dr. Larch also performs abortions on those women who come to the orphanage wanting one. Homer doesn't approve and avoids helping Dr. Larch perform the procedure. One day a beautiful woman Candy (Theron) arrives at the orphanage with her air force pilot boyfriend Wally (Rudd) to get an abortion. Homer decides he wants to get out and see the world, so he takes off with the couple. They arrive on the ocean coast, and Homer starts working picking apples on Wally's family orchard. Working with foreman Mr. Rose (Lindo), his daughter Rose (Badu), Muddy (Freeman) and Peaches (Heavy D), he begins to enjoy the simple working life. Soon Wally is called back to war, and Homer and Candy become closer in his absence. Events unfold such that Homer must decide what he wants out of life, what his destiny should be, and that "waiting and seeing" cannot last forever. The Cider House Rules is a beautifully filmed, gentle drama about making choices in life. The strength of the film is that it presents characters and events non-judgementally, allowing the viewer to make his/her own conclusions. Dr. Larch performing abortions, Candy having an abortion, Homer choosing to abandon the orphanage, Mr. Rose and his relationship with his daughter, and Homer and Candy growing closer in Wally's absence are all shown as just events that happen in life. The Cider House Rules actually refer to five fairly useless rules of conduct for workers in the cider house dorm, such as not sunning on the roof, eating on the roof or smoking in bed. These rules are ignored, primarily because most of the black migrant workers are unable to read them. But Mr. Rose suggests that those who live in the Cider House can make up their own rules about how they should conduct their lives. And the film suggests that a person often does things that are wrong, often very wrong, but can still have a decent, human side to their character. There are some kind of jarring occurances for 1940's United States. It is surprising how confidently Dr. Larch performs what was an illegal procedure, and how the nurses around him accept it so easily. Also surprising is Dr. Larch's bold put downs of Christian dogma in front of the board of directors and others, and their casual acceptance of the doctor's attitude. Still more unusual in 1940's U.S.A. is that Homer accepts, and is almost immediately accepted by the black workers, and how relatively well Wally's family treats their workers. No character is all good or bad, although Dr. Larch and the nurses come pretty close to the ideal good. The characters are written as complex, multi-dimensional human beings with both positive and negative features. The actors' performances are solid throughout. Maguire is making a career out of playing wide-eyed, decent and often naive young men who must make their way in the world, and he's getting good at it. Theron is as good as I've seen her, playing Candy as a sweet young woman who needs someone to love. Caine is exceptional as the dedicated doctor who believes people must be "useful" in life, and will do anything to keep the board of directors out of orphanage operations so he can continue the work in helping women as he sees it. Lindo is surprisingly sympathetic as the generally good man who has one glaring flaw in his character. The Cider House Rules is a feel-good film without the sentimental gloss that often mars such movies, and is well worth seeing. If you would like to respond, please click the E-Mail Press Here To Go To The Review List Page