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The Cider House Rules

1999

Lasse Hallström

Tobey Maguire, Charlize Theron, Michael Caine, Delroy Lindo ...

7.0

47,039

Drama. Romance THE CIDER HOUSE RUES, an expertly crafted and intelligent adapation of John Irving's novel, explores themes of disappointment, ideas of moral ambiguity, and, indeed, lessons about life itself, woven into a dramatic story that is neither slow nor sentimental. Tobey Maguire is the immensely likable Homer Wells, a lifelong resident of a Maine orphanage who comes of age during WWII under the auspices of its director, Dr. Wilbur Larch ... [+]

	Author	Review
United States	David Rooney Variety	"Hallstrom's film could have used more dramatic muscle but is nonetheless a touching, old-fashioned charmer that ultimately satisfies"	POS
United States	Michael O'Sullivan The Washington Post	"What's wonderful about this 'Cider' is not just its cast of impeccable actors (...) but its complex bouquet of ethical paradoxes."	POS
United States	Roger Ebert rogerebert.com	"The story touches many themes, lingers with some of them, moves on and arrives at nowhere in particular. It's not a story so much as a reverie about possible stories (…) Rating: ★★ (out of 4)"	NEU
United States	Lisa Schwarzbaum Entertainment Weekly	"Hallström calms Irving's typically busy 1985 best-seller with a balm of the Swedish director's typically soothing lyricism"	POS
United States	Jay Carr Boston Globe	"Beneath its modesty of gesture, it's one of the year's richest, most humane films"	POS
United States	Stephen Holden The New York Times	"A gentle, beautifully acted fable (...) The performances have an understated gravity and the screenplay a thematic consistency that largely avoid tawdry manipulation."	POS
United States	Keith Phipps AV Club	"A carefully considered labor of love, it's worth every bit of the labor."	POS
United Kingdom	Peter Bradshaw The Guardian	"A good two hours consisting, almost literally, of nonsense - gurning, emoting, self-regarding gibberish."	NEG
United States	Paul Tatara CNN	"'The Cider House Rules' isn't one film at all. It's two films, only one of which is successful."	NEU
United Kingdom	Neil Smith Radio Times	"A rich, evocative period piece that makes the most of its stunning New England locations (…) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United Kingdom	William Thomas Empire	"So much is going on that the plot becomes unclear at times, though the idiosyncratic characters, emotional range and attention to gripping issues make up for this (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS

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