Plot

During World War II, an orphan grows up under the tutelage of a doctor who runs an orphanage. However, he yearns for freedom and soon decides to leave in order to make a life for himself.

Homer is an orphan in remote St. Cloud, Maine. Never adopted, he becomes the favorite of orphanage Director Dr. Larch, who imparts his full medical knowledge on Homer, who becomes a skilled, albeit unlicensed, physician. But Homer yearns for a self-chosen life outside the orphanage. When Wally and pregnant Candy visit the orphanage, Dr. Larch provides a medically safe, albeit illegal, abortion, Homer leaves with them to work on Wally's family apple farm. Wally goes off to war, leaving Homer and Candy alone together. What will Homer learn about life and love in the cider house? What of the destiny that Dr. Larch has planned for him?—Martin Lewison <MLewison@utk.edu>

The life of Homer Wells, a precocious orphan who leaves his lifelong home and his loving tutor, Dr. Larch to explore the world. While Homer struggles to make a life for himself on his own, he must make monumental decisions that will change the course of his future and deeply affect the lives of those around him.—Jwelch5742

Homer Wells (Tobey Maguire) grows up in a Maine orphanage (in the 1930's and 40's) directed by avuncular Dr. Wilbur Larch (Michael Caine). He is returned twice by foster parents, the first felt he was too quiet (he never cried) and the second family beat him. Dr. Larch is addicted to ether and also secretly performs abortions. Mothers who are too far along in their pregnancy are delivered by Dr Larch who also offers them to leave their unwanted baby at the orphanage.

Conditions at the orphanage are spartan, but the children have love and respect, and are like an extended family. Each night before sleeping, Dr. Larch says to them, "Goodnight you Princes of Maine, you Kings of New England", as both encouragement and a kind of blessing.

Homer, the oldest of the orphans, is very bright, helpful and even-tempered, so Larch trains him in obstetrics and abortions as an apprentice, despite Homer's never having attended high school. Homer disapproves of abortions, and, although he has been trained by Larch, he refuses to perform them. Dr Larch continues to argue that it is better for trained professionals to perform abortions that untrained morons which sometime result in death of the expecting mothers.

Mary Agnes (Paz De La Huerta) is a female orphan at the orphanage and has a crush on Homer. Fuzzy Stone (Erik Per Sullivan) is an orphan who has respiratory issues. Dr Larch is under pressure by the board of trustees to hire a person who can replace him. Nurse Edna (Jane Alexander) & Nurse Angela (Kathy Baker) are Dr Larch's trusted advisers.

After several years, Homer is very skillful and confident in performing obstetrical duties (like delivering babies). Larch wants him to take over after he retires, but Homer feels it's impossible, as he lacks formal medical education and wants to see the world beyond the orphanage. Dr Larch tries to dissuade Homer from leaving saying that the outside world is heartless, but Homer's mind is made up.

Homer leaves with Candy Kendall (Charlize Theron) and her boyfriend, Wally Worthington (Paul Rudd), a young couple who came to the clinic for an abortion. Wally is a pilot on leave from the service. Wally's mother, Olive (Kate Nelligan), owns the Worthington family apple orchard where Homer settles as a worker. Candy returns home to her family who is in the lobster business. He lives on the Worthington estate in Cider House, the bunkhouse. Wally returns to World War II. Homer is exempt as Dr. Larch has diagnosed him with a heart condition. Meanwhile the pressure is increasing on Dr Larch, so he fakes Homer's college records and presents him as a candidate to the board. Larch says Homer is unsuitable since he is too Christian (implying that he wouldn't be performing abortions) and the board absolutely wants Larch to consider Homer.

While Wally is away, Homer and Candy have an affair. He picks apples with Arthur Rose's (Delroy Lindo) team of migrant workers (who are all African Americans including Peaches (Heavy D), Jack (Evan Parke), Muddy (K. Todd Freeman)), employed seasonally at the orchard by the Worthingtons, and are illiterate. Homer reads them the posted rules of the Cider House, the workers observe the rules have been made without the occupants' consent by people who do not live there and so do not face their problems. Consequently, they feel that they can ignore them. Arthur runs a tight ship and won't take any deviant behavior from his workers that results in the quality of the cider produced to be degraded in anyway.

Homer and Candy become much closer during harvest (watching drive in movies together and have sex on the beach) and spend more time together while Wally is in Burma fighting and Arthur's migrant workers have returned for the winter. Homer sends apples to the orphanage, in return Larch sends him a full surgical kit for doctors. Fuzzy dies peacefully one night.

After Arthur and his team come back to work the following season, it comes to light that he has impregnated his daughter, Rose (Erykah Badu). She confides in Homer and Candy after he realizes she is pregnant. Homer decides he must help her, and agrees to perform an abortion, with Arthur's assistance. A few days later, as Rose tries to run away, her father goes to say goodbye; she stabs him and flees. He then makes the injury worse, and as a last request, asks Homer and Muddy to tell the police his death was a suicide.

Wally returns from Burma a paraplegic, and although she loves Homer, Candy decides to take care of him. Immediately after, Homer learns Dr. Larch accidentally overdosed on ether. Homer decides he is most needed in the orphanage, where he is greeted joyously by both the children and staff. He learns not only did Larch fake his medical record to keep him out of the war, but also college credentials and used reverse psychology to convince the orphanage board to appoint Homer as the next director. He fills the paternal role that Larch previously held for the children of the orphanage, saying, "Goodnight you princes of Maine, you kings of New England".