Affliction (1997) User Reviews

The Sins of The Father

[reelreviewsandrecommendations · 8/10 · 4 March 2023]

Wade Whitehouse is a policeman in a snowy New Hampshire hamlet. Divorced, depressed and nursing a burgeoning drinking problem, he isn't what one would call mentally stable. He lives in the shadow of his abusive father, Glen, a brutal arch-manipulator who makes it his business to belittle Wade at every turn. As Wade investigates a supposedly accidental shooting, he becomes obsessively convinced that there is more to the crime than meets the eye. As the case intensifies- and his father's cruelty continues to erode his sanity- Wade falls into a violent spiral of madness from which he can never return.

Written and directed by Paul Schrader- and based on the novel of the same name by Russell Banks- 'Affliction' is a tense, tough psychological thriller that examines the devastating effects of abuse on the psyche. The film shows in subtle detail how years of disparagement and violence can destroy someone mentally, leading to psychosis and an inevitable breakdown. The characters involved are routinely believable, both in terms of writing and performance, and Schrader never resorts to sensationalism to further the narrative. It is a stark piece of realism in many respects, giving credo to Shakespeare's line that "the sins of the father are to be laid upon the children."

'Affliction' is a visually striking, heavily atmospheric venture boasting fine cinematography from Paul Sarossy. He shoots the landscape to heighten its drabness- its never-ending scope- in a manner most effective. At times it is reminiscent of 'Fargo,' with the snow- pervasive and claustrophobic- covering everything in sight, obscuring the dangers lurking 'neath the surface. Sarossy's utilization of space in interior shots is arresting, and the way he captures a pivotal scene involving a tooth and a pliers is intensely visceral, uncomfortable and unforgettable.

Unforgettable too are the performances from the cast. Nick Nolte stars as Wade, giving an intense performance that ranks alongside his very best. Brooding and fidgety, he is a bundle of insecurities and impulses, a complicated man if ever there was one. Nolte brings this character to life in a way that is terrifically understated, yet undeniably powerful; never resorting to theatrics or verging into overacting. Just as Dennis Hopper was Frank Booth or De Niro Travis Bickle, so too is Nick Nolte Wade Whitehouse- no-one could be better for the role.

The same can be said for James Coburn, co-starring as Glen- he is pitch-perfect. Coburn has never been so frightening on screen and, like a mad tsar, he revels in his depravity. Clearly having the time of his life, he delivers what may be his finest on-screen performance, creating in Glen a man so insidious and vile watching him may make your skin actually crawl. He and Nolte work together brilliantly and you don't doubt for a minute that they share a complicated, dark history. Coburn rightly won the Oscar for his performance- it is a true tour-de-force.

Also starring are Sissy Spacek and Willem Dafoe, as Wade's girlfriend Margie and his brother Rolfe, respectively. Spacek has never given a bad performance on screen, and creates in Margie a kind, considerate and (above all else) patient woman- the only source of goodness in Wade's cold world. She is marvelous, consistently underplaying it and leaving an indelible impression on the viewer. Dafoe too is excellent, though his character is underutilized and- arguably- a little underwritten. He doesn't have enough screen time to make something interesting out of Rolfe; but does fine work nevertheless.

Paul Schrader's 'Affliction' is a brilliant, sinister thriller, dealing with mature themes in an interesting, subtle way. Boasting a fascinatingly intense central performance from Nick Nolte, as well as a career best one from co-star James Coburn, it is a film that will have you on the edge of your seat throughout its run. Tense, violent and unpredictable, 'Affliction' is a shockingly raw and naturalistic portrait of a man's descent into madness that one cannot recommend more highly.

A disturbing examination of the fruits of abusive parenting.

[lewwarden · 8/10 · 12 October 2005]

I have watched this movie several times and reflected on the negative criticisms of others on this message board. And while I agree that some of the performances were flawed and that an evening spent watching it can hardly be called entertainment, still, in terms of its writer's objectives, which are summed up in Rolf's concluding VO (which I quote below), in my opinion Affliction it is a superb accomplishment.

I write thusly because I as a child -- as I must suppose the writer was also -- was beaten often and most violently by a totally out-of-control father who himself was the product of his father's violence. Which is not to say that I did not afford ample provocations for sound thrashings (or possibly a more effective form of chastisement, for, as the proverbial fool, I indeed kept returning to my follies), still there are limits. Nevertheless, I have thought often of the effect these beatings must have had in shaping my personality and destiny -- and being now some 85 years of age, I have had a very long post, post graduate course in introspection.

Whatever, the writer's conclusions did indeed resonate with me, and well written they were indeed:

ROLFE (V.O.)

The historical facts are known by everyone -- all of Lawford, all of New Hampshire, some of Massachusetts.

Facts do not make history. Our stories, Wade's and mine, describe the lives of boys and men for thousands of years, boys who were beaten by their fathers, whose capacity for love and trust was crippled almost at birth and whose best hope, if any, for connection with other human beings lay in an elegiac detachment, as if life were over.

It's how we keep from destroying in turn our own children and terrorizing the women who have the misfortune to love us; how we absent ourselves from the tradition of male violence; how we decline the seduction of revenge.

Underrated Masterwork

[millerian-55 · 7/10 · 24 February 2022]

With Paul Schrader coming back and making well-made movies with First Reformed and Card Counter. I think looking back on it, Affliction is forgotten way too much when we talk about Paul Schrader.

Nick Nolte is absolutely out of this world in this movie. And it reminds me that Nick Nolte is also forgotten way too much when we talk about "great actors". He came back with "Warrior", we talked about him again, then we forgot about him again. But in this film he portrays this character like no one else would or can, slightly out of it, he accurately portrays this character who slowly loses his mind right in front of us. And he wasn't exactly all there, to begin with.

And can we talk about how the setting for this film being so perfect? A great filmmaker is not only one of course someone who can make a great film but realizes that making a great film is all in the details, even the ones that are overlooked like locations. Locations can impact the mood and atmosphere of a film, and sometimes even can become a character in the movie. And Paul Schrader recognizes that which is why he perfectly placed Affliction, First Reformed, and Card Counter in the exact locations they should be in.

This film is a near-masterpiece but I rarely see it even mentioned among the greats from the '90s. There are films out there that can be referred to as "Lost to Time". And this is definitely one of them.

Great performances make this small indie effort

[DJR-7 · 8 July 1999]

For what is considered a small, independent film, this movie is packed with brilliant performances by two great actors. James Coburn is the dark, angry patriarch of an abusive household, whose abuse and anger are inherited by his son(Nolte). The story is told by the youngest brother (played mainly in voice-over and a small cameo by Willem Dafoe), and traces the events of a small town murder investigation that leads to the mental collapse of Nolte's cop character. The film weaves us through a buffet of sub-plots and bit characters (including a nice appearance by Sissy Spacek), which is at times whish-washed. However the tone and style of the film are quite fresh and unique.

Penned and directed by Paul Schrader, who will probably always be known for writing "Taxi Driver", the film is a stylish take of what is most likely a much better novel. The tone is cold and dark, and serves as the perfect backdrop for the anger and isolation of the two "male" characters. In my opinion, the voice-over narration takes away from the feeling the picture leaves, basically serving the purpose to tell us what to feel. The images and performances on the screen do a fine job in dong that on it's own, without re-enforcment. On a whole, the film is powerful and moving, and is a great look into the heart and soul of lives that are truely tortured. I would recommend this film if for no other reason than to see the brilliant performances of James Coburn (Oscar winner) and Nick Nolte (Oscar nominee).

when life was - and still is - bleak

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 16 February 2007]

Paul Schrader's adaptation of Russell Banks's "Affliction" has got to be one of the bleakest movies that I've ever seen. Most of the characters are people whom you can respect, but James Coburn's character makes you feel like your stomach just turned to water.

Wade Whitehouse (Nick Nolte) is a cop in a small New England town investigating a hunting accident which he believes is a murder. He hopes that it might make him the town hero, but several conditions work against everyone. First and foremost is Wade's alcoholic, abusive father (Coburn). Pretty much anytime that we see his father, the man is still drinking and being as nasty as possible to everyone around him. Wade's brother (Willem Dafoe) is too afraid to speak his mind. Wade's hubby (Sissy Spacek) is simply getting nervous about everything around her. And the ending isn't what you might guess.

The winter setting is just the opposite of how movies usually employ snow. Far from any winter wonderland, the setting backs up Wade's depressed mindset affected by his upbringing. Everything in this movie has the purpose of making you feel like there's a lead weight on every square centimeter of your body, and they succeed. I do think that it's a good movie, but just be forewarned of what kind of movie this is. Even if you sympathize with the characters, you feel like there's a knife in your lungs.

Worth seeing.

Nolte terrific but story meanders a bit

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 14 December 2015]

Wade Whitehouse (Nick Nolte) is a small town sheriff in New Hampshire. He's out with his daughter Jill on Halloween. He has a troubled relationship with her and his ex-wife Lillian. He is known as a drinker. Local Jack Hewitt guides a wealthy outsider to hunt for a prize buck. Jack claims that he accidentally shot himself but Wade is suspicious of the death especially since he's suppose to testify in an organized crime case. Wade and his girlfriend Margie Fogg (Sissy Spacek) visit his abusive father Glen (James Coburn) and find his mother dead in the freezing house. Wade's brother Rolfe (Willem Dafoe) and sister Lena return for the funeral.

I don't always like narration and this opening narration really puts me off. It emphasizes to me the novelized nature of the movie which highlights the story's unfocused meandering nature. Nick Nolte is terrific and the cast is full of top notch players. It's nice to see James Coburn still acting with power. I need the movie to be more focus. There's a murder mystery and quickly, it's taken over by a dysfunctional family drama. It seems to be a constant pitfall for all adaptations from novels. The transfer from the page to the screen is not always smooth.

One of the year's best films; brilliantly acted and directed. **** (out of four)

[Movie-12 · 9/10 · 27 December 2000]

AFFLICTION / (1997) **** (out of four)

By Blake French:

Dysfunctional families have always been the subject of motion pictures. Recently, with movies like "American Beauty" and "The Story of Us," Hollywood has portrayed American households as candidates to be on the next TV tabloid talk show. Paul Schrader's dramatic portrayal of a troubled family in "Affliction" is as intense as any suspense thriller released within the past few years. The thought-provoking power of his script, based on the novel by Russell Banks, and the methods he uses to execute the vivid, interpretative character study creates more than just a sense of emotion and empathy, but places the audience in the character's shoes, allowing us to explore a tense atmosphere on our own.

The movie looks into the life of a struggling person named Wade Whitehouse, played with extreme intensity by the descriptive Nick Nolte. He is the lowly sheriff of a small backwoods in New Hampshire. Nothing much happens in Lawford, however, thus Wade is usually restricted to plowing the snowy streets and serving as the local school's crossing guard. His ex-wife, Lillian (Mary Beth Hurt), has most custody of their daughter, Jill (Brigid Tierney), and neither relative enjoys his company. Wade's alcoholic father, Glen (James Coburn in an Oscar worthy performance), who abused him and his brother Rolfe (Willem Dafoe) as children, continues to abuse him emotionlly.

The subtle town of Lawford is turned upside-down when a rich businessman is mysteriously killed while hunting with Wade's friend, Jack Hewitt (Jim True). Finally given something to investigate, Wade takes his job seriously, even when complications arise when his mother dies, his brother comes home from Boston, and his waitress girlfriend (Sissy Spacek) meets Wade's parents and realizes what she gotten herself into.

As Wade's life starts to completely unravel, the filmmakers neglect to leave out any details; from flashback of his fathers abuse to an uncompromising toothache, Wade is developed vividly and clearly. The movie is best when allowing Nick Nolte and James Coburn to come to terms with each other's hatred for each other. The performances are what make this movie much more distinct than similar but lesser films like "The Other Sister" and "The Story of Us," and even better acted than the masterpiece Award winner "American Beauty."

Instead of milking the dysfunctional family material to the maximum, the film also has tender dialogue and heartfelt scenes that exhibit a loving relationship between Wade and his girlfriend. These scenes make even more tragic the production's unsettling conclusion and increase the overall dramatic impact, which is tremendous.

By the end of "Affliction," like in "The Ice Storm," we feel for the main character's losses. Although this film is more conclusive, it is also unmerciful; we receive no happy ending, no satisfying motifs, this movie takes itself seriously and has no pity, regrets, or agreements. For Wade Whitehouse, the climax of the movie represents death, grief and sorrow. For us, we can only stare at the screen and try to comprehend what we have experienced through his eyes.

Is there no end to it?

[jannagal · 7/10 · 2 January 2004]

Very good performances will stir you, and steer you through the bleak tone of the movie.

Nick Nolte, Sissy Spacek and James Colburn create believable characters and the script allows the characters to develop--something not all-together common in American movies.

Without giving away the ending, which is no surprise if you are thinking while watching the movie, one wonders if the producers ran out of film. While every little detail is developed throughout the movie, the ending seems tacked on, without development, and complete with a voice-over sermon by Willem DaFoe. The hasty ending lowered a "9 star" rating to a "7star".

a masterpiece, true art

[pf9 · 9/10 · 6 February 1999]

This is a movie which rewards at many levels. Its characters are fleshed out human beings capable of good and evil and in the grips of intense suffering, not the formulaic cardboard creations which populate so many recent Hollywood productions. The movie's atmosphere and mood are thick and the bleakness of the New Hampshire winter comes alongside its beauty and majesty. Paul Schrader achieves here what has eluded the Coen brothers in Fargo. The photography of Paul Sarossy is of a rare beauty and his compositions are breathtaking. Think of the scene of the two brothers in the barn lit by light sneaking in through the slits in the wood exterior, the beauty of the snow covered New Hampshire chalets, the camera receding from the barn fire until we get to watch it through a slightly off-center picture-window from the main house, and finally think of the snow in its serenity, its menace, its domination. The two stories are so naturally intertwined that one can spend most of the time convinced one is watching a thriller, until in the end this thriller dissolves into the main story which explores the violent undercurrents of human love and bonding. This whole is as thick and rich as cream.

I am in awe of Nick Nolte's spectacular performance. It is honest, complex and totally convincing. Nolte is ably supported by James Coburn and others. This is moviemaking at its best.

strong story deflated by a flawed finish

[rupie · 6/10 · 16 July 1999]

What if, at the end of "Cool-Hand Luke", in the scene where Luke is being driven away to die in the warden's station wagon, we had been treated to a voice-over on the historic cruelty of the Southern prison farm system??? Would have sorta deflated the whole movie, wouldn't it have??

This is the effect of the Hillary Clinton-ish little speech on male violence we get at the end of this otherwise strong story which leads us up to the tragic conclusion that Wade cannot escape the forces that shaped him. That little monologue clubs us over the head and deflates the whole movie, transforming it from a moderately engrossing story with a good feeling for tragic destiny, to a social uplift screed.

Wade's daughter, who we sympathise with at first, I found to be somewhat of an unlikeable little whiner by the end, especially when she snubs Wade's desperate efforts to buy her a Big Mac because "junk food is bad for you." (When she whined "I want to go home" for the 100th time, I wanted Wade to say "Fine by me!", and turn the truck around). Coburn's performance is a bit ham-handed and the script doesn't help him at the end when it calls for him to "congratulate" Wade at the point when the son seems, a bit too obviously, to have finally become his father. The murder mystery subplot seems a cheap device to try to give the movie some box office boost, and is completely gratuitous.

Having said that, Nolte's beautifully-paced performance does have a gripping urgency to it, as Wade tries more and more desperately, against the odds, to escape his destiny. The tone of the movie is wonderfully bleak and foreboding, and the sense of impending doom is well-conveyed. The final scene, of Wade sitting, drinking, at the kitchen table with the window framing the burning barn outside, is a memorably powerful image. Unfortunately it is destroyed by that awful voiceover.

The movie is still, however, far superior to most of the dreck coming out of Hollywood nowadays.

Unrelenting Downer

[FANatic-10 · 5/10 · 17 January 2000]

I can't imagine anyone in their right mind wanting to see this film more than once, and once may be too much for a lot of people. I can appreciate Paul Schrader and Russell Banks' message about child abuse having perpetual ramifications for its victims, and dead-end lives, but still...who wants to have their face rubbed in that for two hours! I wanted to see an MGM musical after this bilge.

Its not the actors fault: Nick Nolte is impressively over-the-edge and sustains his performance well. James Coburn also registers well as his vicious father, but its strictly a one-note performance that, in my opinion, did not deserve the oscar he won, which was a career award. Sissy Spacek, as always, is a breath of fresh air, but given far too little to do. The child actress, though, who played Nolte's daughter was irritating in the extreme, and an affliction on the audience.

A great piece of acting

[jarsulo · 10/10 · 24 December 2005]

This is the best film I've seen for a while. I don't understand all that whining and complaining about the weak plot or how depressing the film was. Well life is depressing at times. And more than tells a story, Affliction draws a beautifully sharp picture of one desperate, troubled but goodhearted man's breakdown. Nolte's acting is awesome and he sets into the role perfectly. I think he should have won the Oscar, although Coburn was great too and deserved his price. With it's snowy scenery and small town murder mystery Affliction shares similarities to Twin Peaks. I also like films that include some kind of a statement towards the world around us, and that's what Affliction does.

Extraordinary Nick Nolte as a sheriff affected by demons of his past

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 26 November 2008]

This bleak and depressive story deals a small-time sheriff named Wade Whithehouse(Nick Nolte, also producer) from an icy small-town. He's separated(Mary Beth Hughes, married to Paul Schrader) with a daughter(Tierney) and a girlfriend(Sissy Spacek). He's deranged from his childhood by his abusive drunk dad(James Coburn). When occurs a mysterious murder of a businessman(Sean McCann) during a hunting accident, he suspects his companion(Jim True) and Whitehouse thinks a dark conspiracy that is involved his chief(Osborne). Meanwhile his mother dies and his brother(Willem Dafoe) arrives for the funeral. But the investigation results to be the catalyst for his ending degradation and all goes wrong, including a teeth suffering.

This cold and thought-provoking drama deals about desperation, madness and distress.Outstanding performances, particularly from Nick Nolte as damaged sheriff who looks for redemption during an investigation but gets worse, and James Coburn who won deservedly Oscar for best secondary actor. Downbeat musical score by Michael Brooks. Bleak cinematography by Paul Sarossy with a flashbacks during the childhood in a documentary style. Interesting script by Paul Schrader in the finest work of his career, he adapted it from Russell Banks' novel. Schrader is usually director and writer tales referred beaten-down men who fall into despair as their world crashes around them, such as 'Mishima: a life in four chapters,Blue collar,Hardcore, Light sleeper, Autofocus and Affliction'. Rating : Good but is quite depressing.

The worst "affliction" is watching this entire thing from beginning to end...

[excalibur212 · 1/10 · 25 May 2008]

This piece of sloth won an Oscar? You've got to be kidding me. This is perhaps the most slow moving, boring, uneventful "drama" I've ever watched. You kept waiting for something to happen, and nothing did. Half the time you couldn't even make out the dialogue (I think Nolte was drunk or stoned in real life as he mumbled through the script; and, no, I don't think it was intentional). There's a toothache, a murder, a divorce....and why do I care? This movie struggles trying to decide what to be. Is it a murder mystery? A drama? Or just a pointless waste of time? Mostly the latter. The ending made absolutely no sense at all and was completely unfulfilling to the script and the audience. The expected gradual buildup one anticipated was completely absent...there is no "descent into madness" or anything like that. It is more like 2 hours of nothing, horribly drawn out, followed by about 5 minutes of a series of events that should have been the climax, mostly reduced to flashback and 3rd party offscreen narration! (And bad narration, I might add - Willem Dafoe might be a great actor, but he should never be allowed to read/narrate a film again. He sounds like he's reading out of a book.) I understand the deeper intent, but the execution was pathetic. I would not curse sitting through this entire film again on anyone. There are much better movies out there to deal with substance abuse and violence...this is not one of them. Mostly it's just a bunch of exposition and wasted time. Quite an affliction on the viewer indeed!

A great study in despair

[Eelsnake · 20 February 2002]

This film is a perfect example of how the sins of the father are not only visited upon the son, but are perpetuated by him, and serve to visit and affect others as well. There is one story line here: Wade Whitehouse, town police constable of Lawford, New Hampshire was raised by an abusive alcoholic grouch of a father. He has remained in the town while his siblings have fled. His terrible relationship with his father has infiltrated every relationship that he's had, and acts as the lens through which he sees and judges the world. Because of this, his relationships with different people are all ambivalent: He either respects them and turns to them as a pupil would his master, or he hates them, and violently lashes out at them because they have disappointed him in upholding his preconceived 'high assessments' of them. Wade is very unstable in that he seems to have a drinking problem, an inability to manage his anger, and as a result but also as a constant circuitous reason, a very low moral view of himself. In this elliptical plot, an important crystallizing event is the hunting accident that results in the death of a rich Bostonian with suspected links to organized crime named Evan Twombley, whose son in law--Mel Gordon--is in business with Wade's boss, Gordon LaRiviere (whom Wade both admires and despises). The New Hampshire State Police seem to think this is an open and shut case of accidental death: Twombley goes hunting with Wade's young friend Jack, winds up shooting himself, and that's that. However to Wade, this is not the end of the story. Wade's low assessment of himself, his having to deal with his father more closely after his mother's recent death, his financial destitution and reliance upon Gordon LaRiviere, as well as his failing attempt to have a close relationship with his estranged daughter Jill and ex-wife Lillian causes him in a desperate act of self assertion of his 'authority' to insist that Twombley was in fact murdered, and that all characters that surround him--his boss Gordon, Jack, and Mel--are involved in a sinister plot to not only get away with murder, but to deceive him and make him look foolish. As Wade's fantasy elaborately blooms into a wonderfully baroque and intricate starcaise to psychosis, his relationships with the people of Lawford and particularly with his close friends and family rapidly begin to deteriorate. Watching this occur is like witnessing an avalanche, and exemplifies Kierkegaard's assertion that one does not hit rock bottom in despair, but instead can always sink lower, perhaps infinitely. Needless to say, the film does not end on a happy note, yet I would commend this film to anyone because the plot is intense, the cinematography is excellent, and Schrader's directing is magnificent.

Weak, Bleak Film

[nocabout · 6/10 · 21 July 2000]

I was surprised at the unadulterated praise this film received. While it was an accurate and sometimes gripping portrayal of man destroyed by a fearsome upbringing, aspects of the film like the blank, detached voiceover and very bookish dialogue destroyed the effect and impact of the story. It was very dark but unlike other films in the confessional/tell-all drama this film failed to illicit sympathy for the protagonist caught in the grip of his demons. Nick Nolte's character was unpleasant and pathetic from start to finish. In fact most of the characters were, lacking even the charm and vitality of real life much less what viewers expect of the big screen.

The mysterious appearance and later disappearance of the younger brother was distracting as well. When the film ended I was relieved albeit horrified. A good idea, a less than perfect execution.

The story isn't as compelling as I hoped it would be

[philip_vanderveken · 6/10 · 11 August 2005]

I'm already quite familiar with the movies that feature Nick Nolte and I must admit that I normally always enjoy his movies. I truly believe that he is one of the more gifted actors in Hollywood who should get the chance to play some bigger roles in more important movies. Take for instance this "Affliction". It has been directed by an unknown director and when we are talking about money, than this is clearly not one of the biggest Hollywood productions ever. I wouldn't even be surprised if this movie never made it to the movie theaters over here. I certainly hadn't heard of it before and I only watched this movie because Nick Nolte played an important role in it, but that doesn't mean that it can't be any good of course.

Wade Whitehouse is a police officer / snow plow driver in a small town who hasn't exactly had the most perfect life. As a kid he was always humiliated and mentally tortured by his father and as an adult he wasn't able to save his marriage with his ex-wife Lillian, causing him to lose all contact with his daughter Jill, and his job doesn't really give him any satisfaction or respect. The only person that cares for him is his girlfriend Margie, who accepts him the way he is. When on the first day of the hunting season his best friend takes a wealthy businessman on a hunting trip and that man gets killed in suspicious conditions, Wade decides to play detective and starts investigating the case despite the fact that Jack insists that it was nothing more but an accidental, self-inflicted shot. Gradually Wade finds more and more evidence that Jack lied. But is this really what happened or is Wade gradually losing his last grip on reality?

I must say that the concept of the story is very intriguing and I'm convinced that this could have been an award winning story, if done properly. And that's the problem with this movie. The idea behind it is more than OK, but the execution left me with a double feeling. It just wasn't as compelling and gripping as I hoped it would be. It wasn't bad, but the entire movie didn't completely convince me either. However, the acting certainly hasn't got anything to do with that. All actors did a good job, but Nick Nolte was in my opinion really outstanding. His performance is probably the best reason why you should watch this movie.

In the end this certainly isn't a bad movie and I'm already glad that it is so much better than so many other Hollywood products, but saying that this is one of the best movies ever would be exaggerated as well. I liked the fact that the characters were quite well developed and that the movie tried to be original without impossible explosions or other action shots, but the story wasn't as good as I hoped it would be. I give this movie a 6.5/10.

What it is to be a man

[Linda-21 · 9/10 · 5 January 1999]

Based on a novel by Russell Banks who also wrote "The Sweet Hereafter", and directed by Paul Schrader of "Raging Bull" and "The Mosquito Coast" fame, the winter landscape and cold bleakness of the town sets the tone for this exploration of the dark legacy of what it is to be a man.

Nick Nolte stars in this dark story of a the lone policeman in a small New Hampshire town investigating a hunting accident. James Coburn is excellent as Nick Nolte's father, a brutal and angry old man who typifies a sick machismo which has in turn afflicted his son. His acting is extraordinary as is Nolte's although their styles are different. Noltle is subtle; his facial expressions are controlled and typical of a man who has learned to hold in emotion. Coburn's face, on the other hand, is more deeply expressive; his eyebrows move, his mouth hardens, his eyes glare.

This is the kind of dark, brooding movie that I like. For a brief few hours I enter its world and get completely absorbed in the characters in the way I did with "A thousand Acres" or "The Horse Whisperers". Like these films, there are no easy answers and the conclusion does not wrap up in a neat little Hollywood package that is soon forgotten.

Sins of the Fathers.

[rmax304823 · 6/10 · 4 May 2008]

This is by any measure a superior movie, yet it's hard to form any global judgment on it because there are several ways of looking at it.

The story involves a small-town New England police official, Nick Nolte, who is plagued by personal problems. He's about to engage in a custody battle with the wife who has left him. He's trying as delicately as possible to handle his new romance with Sissy Spacek. His estranged daughter doesn't really like him much. He doesn't get along with his boss, not only the head of law enforcement but a Selectman (whatever that is) who is buying up local real estate in anticipation of building a world-class ski resort. Nolte's younger sibling (Willem Dafoe) is a professor in Boston and has little contact with him. His mother dies. His father, James Coburn, is a wretched and abusive alcoholic, the kind of guy who once had an awkward moment just to see what it felt like. And on top of that, a Boston power broker is killed during a deer hunt, the killing is classified as an accident, only Nolte believes he has reasons to put quotation marks around the word accident. Worse than anything else perhaps is the toothache that fills his day with pain. (I think it's a symbol.) He winds up yanking the offensive bicuspid with a pair of pliers.

All of this tsuris drives Nolte up the wall and he begins to act half crazed -- thumping his little girl away when she knocks him down, destroying half his boss's office before being fired, boozing it up, driving Spacek away, ranting on about how he's going to crack the murder mystery that has been simmering in the background, yanking open kitchen drawers aimlessly then slamming them shut. When his drunken dad hits him over the head with a bottle, he retaliates by whacking the old man across the head with the butt of a rifle, as a consequence of which the old fellow dies on the spot. It seems (it's not really clear) that he shoots and kills the suspect and then takes off for parts unknown. The end.

The acting is close to being splendid. Nolte has never been better and Coburn deserved all the praise he garnered for his performance. Sissy Spacek's role is relatively small and not nearly as flashy as the others' but I think she turns in the best job. Example. In the drab farm house kitchen, Nolte is shouting and slamming things around while Spacek sits at the table. The standard reaction shot would be: Spacek staring in horror at the pyroclastic Nolte, shrinking away from his wrath, her fists curled against her cheeks, protesting, perhaps screaming. But no. She doesn't even look at him. Her chin in cupped in her hand and her big blue eyes stare thoughtfully into empty space. You can practically hear the wheels clicking.

It's the story of a fundamentally decent and entirely ordinary man who is undone by childhood demons, a tragedy of almost Shakespearean dimensions.

That's one way of looking at it. Another way of looking at it is that it is a simple fairy tale about child and spousal abuse by redneck men, and that abused children grow into abusive adults. We are periodically pointed towards this heuristic by the super-literary and overly sanctimonious narration by Nolte's distant and unhelpful brother, the big professor at Boston University. The murder conspiracy, the narration tells us, was all a delusion. The professor ought to know because he's the one who reinforced Nolte's conviction that the conspiracy was real.

And -- if one were to stand back and objectively look at the way Nolte is treated in his social world -- really, some of his anger would be perfectly understandable. Spacek leaves him not because he has abused her in any way but because she seems tired of living with his drunken, lecherous old man, and because she has second sight and anticipates what Nolte is liable to become. Like the absent brother, she doesn't really offer much in the way of understanding or help, though of course she's only human. Nolte's boss comes across as generous but unpleasant, a mean and vengeful anti-smoker. And Nolte's little girl, the one he wants custody of? What an intolerant little snot! He takes her for a drive and offers to buy her a hamburger. She reproaches him for the offer. Fast food is no good for you. Mommy says so. She wants to go home. The benumbed Nolte offers another suggestion: "How about the Pizza House?" Abusive fathers are one thing, but who put all that power in the hands of a ten-year-old kid? Does anyone want to live in a world in which little kids set the rules? Or overprotective mothers or people offended by a whiff of smoke and use it as a justification for demeaning others and demonstrating their own moral purity? Where does all that leave Nolte? It also seems unfair to the child, to burden her with that much responsibility.

If one can get past the cumulative stupidity of that oppressive morality, it's a well-executed picture. I've seen it twice and enjoyed it, but I have to shut down half my left hemisphere to do it.

Affliction Clearly Schrader's Best Film To Date

[CitizenCaine · 9/10 · 25 November 2009]

Roger Ebert described it well. The effects of abuse are similar to implanted medication. It continues to seethe inside the victim long after the original event or implantation. Nick Nolte stars as Wade Whitehouse, a shell of a man about to lose everything he has and knows, including his sanity, due just as much to his inability to learn to function as a person outside of the abusive environment he grew up in as his overbearing father's alcoholic stupors and redneck machismo. Nolte's mumbling has been criticized as indecipherable hogwash, but it's consistent with a person who has lost direction, confidence in himself, and his reason for being long ago. James Coburn plays Glen Whitehouse, Nolte's father, winning the best supporting actor Oscar for his mind-blowing portrayal of an abusive father who has simply played the same record over and over and over for many many years. Coburn's acting is a rare treat; in that, every action, gesture, nuance, and word of dialog coming out of his mouth makes up a portrait of abuse hanging in an imaginary gallery of contempt. Ironically, Wade and Glen share the name "Whitehouse", which of course symbolizes purity, goodness, and an idyllic existence all rolled into one but in reality is everything but that.

Nolte's character is a small town sheriff with nothing much to do except plow snow and double as a school crossing guard until a hunting accident occurs and uncovers a possible financial conspiracy. Meanwhile, Nolte must deal with fighting his ex-wife (Mary Beth Hurt) for custody of his daughter who has either been programmed by Hurt against Nolte or has other reasons for disliking him. Every aspect of and social interaction in Nolte's life reduces him to nothingness, whether he tries to buy his daughter a hamburger, plead with his ex-wife (Hurt), give a person a ticket for a moving violation, interact with his best friend or his boss, or has cross words with his father (Coburn). There is not the slightest hint of success in Nolte's past, present, or future, except for the possibility of his current relationship with his new waitress girlfriend played by Sissy Spacek. Watching Nolte's life unfold layer by layer, it's no surprise to viewers when Spacek bails on Nolte as well.

Director Paul Schrader wrote the script based on the novel by Russell Banks, and as in every good Schrader film, the acting and the dialog are outstanding. There is never a false note or Hollywood moment. Willem Dafoe, who previously starred in Schrader's earlier best effort Light Sleeper, plays Nolte's younger brother Rolfe who distanced himself emotionally and physically from this quagmire of a family years ago. So much so that Dafoe's ill-advised opinion regarding the hunting accident serves as the catalyst leading to a sequence of events, culminating in Nolte's Pyrrhic victory at the end. It's clear Dafoe's character did not know just how deep or how long Nolte's abuse was festering inside when Dafoe says "at least I was never afflicted by that man's (Coburn) violence". Nolte's character replies with "that's what you think" with a laugh and a tone of voice that makes it clear Wade Whitehouse has never been so sure of anything else ever before.

Schrader sets the film in New Hampshire (although it was filmed in Quebec) during a snowy winter and features several shots of bleak landscapes and dimly lit night scenes, the perfect complements to a script depicting one man's small world of despair and desolation closing in and trapping him like an unexpected winter storm. The script's dialog is balanced with fantastic scenes during which the characters reveal much by doing only a little at times. The flashback scenes showing Coburn interacting with his son(s) are like home movies in the Bizarro world; Nolte recalling a family life and memories not worth the effort but always there nevertheless. Sissy Spacek, as Nolte's waitress girlfriend, has a scene at Coburn's house with Nolte present, and she rolls up and tightens her hands in her face, realizing immediately what Nolte took a lifetime to do, if even then. Nolte's toothache throughout the film and how he ultimately chooses to deal with it serves as a metaphor for Schrader's exposure of Nolte's festering rage and his inability to appropriately express anger. He turns to violence, just as his father (Coburn) did, to assert himself, combat his feelings of inadequacy, and to solve his problems. Abuse and violence begets abuse and violence.

The film does not necessarily lead to any great redemption, resolution, or revelation. Instead, it builds quietly and slowly telling a story that many viewers are probably familiar with themselves, whether they share the similarity of alcoholic loved ones, a lack of success in their work or personal lives, or just shattered lives. It tells a story of how a man regresses from using his wits to his primitive instincts in order to survive emotionally. It's an interpersonal tragedy, and viewers with unflinching sunny dispositions may not identify with it at all. Viewers have complained about the film being too depressing, pointless, and a waste of their time, so liking the film a lot may be a matter of taste and tolerance, or it may just be that some viewers are unable to accept films without a happy or satisfying ending before the fadeout. ***1/2 of 4 stars.

Haunting and disturbing

[jpm610 · 7/10 · 30 December 2005]

HIGHS--

What a basket full of acting desserts. Nick Nolte, James Coburn and Sissy Spacek in a cold and bleak New Hampshire landscape, all moved and disturbed in their own destinies. A well-deserved Oscar for Coburn. To die for writing. You feel the pain and humanity of each character. Schrader's direction is on the mark.

LOWS--

Without spoiling the end, would liked to have seen a fuller resolution to things. I guess I just need more closure after having invested so much empathy in these characters. After all this film is solely about character development.

PARTING IMPRESSION--

If you're in the mood to be depressed (and I think we all are once in a while), this is the ticket. A fabulous drawn out scream against how misaligned life can go and the things we might do in our attempts to redirect it. Possibly Nick Nolte's very best performance. Seven out of ten.

A movie with no direction

[nickd99 · 2/10 · 17 February 2000]

Affliction they called it. Ya it had pain and grief, so the title did fit the movie very well. However this movie had no direction. There were many little problems through out the movie, which at times made it hard to focus on because the movie kept switching from a set of characters struggles to a different set. As I watched this movie, I kept thinking that they would tie in some of these issues and bring the story together in the end, but it never happened. This movie was a very slow and dry paced film. Yes at the end of the movie, it was clear what the main goal was, but how they got there was simply terrible. I don't recommend this movie to anyone. I endured an hour and 55 minutes of it and I never would again.

Intense, raw, and uncomfortable

[jakasper1 · 8/10 · 14 May 2007]

I have seen this movie in bits and pieces, because it was difficult for me to watch it all the way through and digest it all at one time.

Paul Schrader's movies can have a dark, unsettling edge to them, and this movie is no exception.

Maybe because I brought personal baggage to the table while watching this, is why this movie gripped me so much. I have alcoholic relatives in my immediate and extended family, and I have seen what their anger and destructive behavior hath wrought.

Nick Nolte and James Coburn's characters made me squirm. Coburn received a best supporting Oscar for his role, and it is well-deserved. His character is a mean, vengeful, hateful alcoholic who inflicts his pain on others and afflicts one of his sons, Wade, played by Nick Nolte.

Very gripping and intense family drama.

A good character study on inner afflictions

[jdkraus · 7/10 · 25 May 2013]

"Affliction." Defined as a state of pain, distress, and misery. One word and yet it means a lot. It also makes a catchy movie title, enough for me to check it out. The film focuses on two different unrelated stories about murder conspiracy and family abuse, seen through the eyes of a small town cop named Wade Whitehorse (Nick Nolte). While the film favors more of the later story than the former, it makes a mildly interesting character study of the movie's protagonist Wade. He is a very imperfect being. He drinks, he smokes, he is estranged from his ex-wife and distant daughter, all the while plagued by harsh memories of his alcoholic father (James Coburn). As the stories progress, they converge and overwhelm Wade as he desperately fights against both and makes some decisions that could harm his life as well as his loving girlfriend (Sissy Spacek). In the end, it comes down to whether his past afflictions from his dad will turn him into a wicked individual. The apple does not fall far from the tree they say.

No doubt director and writer Paul Schrader is heavily inspired by old film noir. The movie itself feels like such a genre-a character trapped within himself and from the world, unable to escape, aided with a melancholy score and obtuse camera angles that make the world seem like an inescapable void. The story itself is good noir, but it unfortunately drags. Some scenes go on longer than necessary and when things turn even more interesting, the movie abruptly ends. However, it makes up for with a great cast, particularly with Dafoe as the younger brother and James Coburn as the father. Coburn won an academy award for his performance, and it is not surprising. It is a very good role. He has a very strong dominating presence on screen that dwarfs Nolte, as it would with a cantankerous father with his sensitive son. Nolte is decent; his Neanderthal movements, gruff grumblings, and occasional tirades work well for him in this movie. Though I do think his Oscar nomination was a bit of an overkill. At times, it seemed that he was just being himself whereas Coburn immersed himself with his character. Dafoe on the other hand is very subtle and does a fine job.

Affliction overall is a good movie. Don't expect yourself to feel good after watching it. It may hit home for people who have grown up in an abusive home.

refund, please

[Pandora Peel · 2/10 · 17 March 1999]

From the first minutes of this film I found myself more aware of the script's shortcomings than the action. I kept thinking, "These poor actors are trying their best, but I just don't see why the characters are saying that." But I soon discovered that I would never understand why any of the characters do anything in _Affliction_. Why is Margie so smitten with a loser like Wade? Why are Jill's parents so dang old when Wade mentions he got married when he was just a kid? Why does Rolfe suggest a conspiracy theory regarding the shooting "accident" and then later describe the plot as existing only in his brother's imagination, as if he had nothing to do with it? Why do the flashbacks suggest bad camcorder more than forty year old memory? And is it just me, or does Wade's boss have a weird accent? In this film Schrader has created a mess of underdeveloped plot lines which he can only salvage by tacking on a voiceover at the end to finish up the story and try in vain to explain to us why we should care. The alcoholic father is a one-dimensional monster (despite Coburn's noble attempts, I found myself praying that someone would kill him early into the movie), and the protagonist is so multidimensional that he is impossible to grasp. Mostly, I just didn't care what happened to any of these people. After shelling out nine bucks at the box office, I couldn't bear to leave, but I'll confess I did whip out a magazine and try to read, but it was just too dark (a good description of the film overall). The last time I was so bored by so much gratuitous familial dysfunction was when I saw _The Sweet Hereafter_, also based on a Russell Banks novel. I think Mr. Banks and Mr. Schrader each need to cough up $4.50, and maybe I'll forgive the waste of my time.

PS Yes, Nolte gave a great performance, but alas there is no Oscar for Best Actor in a Bad, Bad Movie.