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"In the Bedroom" is an example of achievement in performances. It won Spacek the Golden Globe and has received many nominations. As for being an overall great film - not my flavor.
A middle-aged couple quietly avoids the issue of their college-age son Frank dating a married woman (Tomei) with children. The Father, played by Wilkenson, encourages him. Meanwhile Their relationship seems quite harmless, but as any young boy might - he becomes infatuated enough with her that he begins to think about their future. Ruth, his mom, is more critical about it although she keeps mostly quiet about it. Frank and Natalie seem happy together, her two young boys get along well with him. But Frank doesn't understand all the complications that come along with relationships that have alot of baggage. Particularly when Natalie is seperated from Richard (Mapother) on her choosing, and he quite aggresively shows that he's not gotten rid of that easily. Then something life changing happens, and turns everyones lives and relationships upside down.
I was very taken with the performances in this movie that balance dramatically written dialogue with characters that feel real. The issues raised in this movie are many, from relationships between a married couple, parents and children, couples with marital upsets and the optimism of young minds...to how people cope in the face of tragedy. Like in the movies - we don't always know the right thing to say or do to make things better, as this film reflects. And we don't always know by outward appearances what really goes on behind closed doors.
The intensity of the movie builds, but I found the ending very unsatisfying. Maybe it makes a point that moments in our lives never have a definitive ending themselves..that it just keeps unravelling. It took a topic you might see on a talk show and put the humanity in it - of how life affecting such moments are vs. the sensationalism. |
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