In the Bedroom (2001)

A New England couple's college-aged son dates an older woman who has two small children and an unwelcome ex-husband.

Director:

Todd Field

Writers:

Andre Dubus (story "Killings"), Robert Festinger (screenplay) (as Rob Festinger)

Stars:

Tom Wilkinson, Sissy Spacek, Nick Stahl

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 39 wins & 70 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Wilkinson	...	Matt Fowler
Sissy Spacek	...	Ruth Fowler
Nick Stahl	...	Frank Fowler
Marisa Tomei	...	Natalie Strout
William Mapother	...	Richard Strout
William Wise	...	Willis Grinnel
Celia Weston	...	Katie Grinnel
Karen Allen	...	Marla Keyes
Frank T. Wells	...	Henry
W. Clapham Murray	...	Carl
Justin Ashforth	...	Tim Bryson
Terry A. Burgess	...	District Attorney
Jonathan Walsh	...	Father McCasslin
Diane E. Hamlin	...	Davis' Assistant
Camden Munson	...	Jason Strout

Storyline

In idyllic Mid-Coast Maine, the Fowler family's only son Frank comes home from his freshman year at college for summer vacation. His mother Ruth, the school choir director, is unhappy with Frank dating soon-to-be divorced mother Natalie who is several years his senior, but Frank's father Matt, the town doctor, doesn't see a problem. While Frank considers holding off his future for Natalie, her jilted husband causes them all problems until an unthinkable tragedy shakes the community to its very core.

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Plot Keywords:

grieving family | dysfunctional family | marriage | vigilantism | school choir | 

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Taglines:

A young man. An older woman. Her ex-husband. Things are about to explode...

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some violence and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

A scene cut from the final version shows Ruth (Sissy Spacek) and Matt (Tom Wilkinson) watching the film Barry Lyndon (1975) at The Strand Theater in Rockland, Maine on the night of their wedding anniversary. Ruth tells her son Frank (Nick Stahl) "It was the first film your father and I ever saw together." This was intended by director Todd Field as an homage to Stanley Kubrick, whom Field had worked with on Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

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Goofs

When Matt, Frank and Natalie are eating lunch Frank picks up his drink from Matt's point of view, but from Natalie's point of view a second later he is not holding a drink.

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Quotes

Natalie: [walks up to Ruth] Oh, I was hoping we could talk.
[pauses]
Natalie: I wanted to tell you how truly sorry I am
[pauses again]
Natalie: and if there's ever anything I can ever do... to-to talk with you.
[long pause]
Natalie: [Ruth hits Natalie across the face, Natalie screams, and Ruth goes back to work, and Natalie walks off in shock and sadness]

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Crazy Credits

Graham Leader gratefully acknowledges ... Ann, Kira & Saks.

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Connections

Referenced in High Chaparall: Robert Englund (2004)

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Soundtracks

Dobro-Dosle
Macedonian Traditional
Performed by The Newark Balkan Girls Chorus

User Reviews

a real modern classic

A rarity in modern cinema, In the Bedroom is a movie for thinking adults that is one of the most thorough yet subtle examinations of violence and its consequences I've ever seen. Tom Wilkerson gives a masterful and restrained performance, and Sissy Spacek and nearly everyone else is uniformly excellent. Although it is a searing and unflinching look at nearly unspeakable grief, it is poignant and thoughtful and even has scenes of humor if you are ready for it. Todd Field's screenplay is one of the most brilliant in recent memory. I really wish we had more mature stuff like this coming out of Hollywood. Powerful films that deal with violence and its aftermath and meaning like this make films like Kill Bill look even more repellent than they already are.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Serbo-Croatian

Release Date:

8 February 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

In the Bedroom

Filming Locations:

Belfast, Maine, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,700,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$93,972, 25 November 2001

Gross USA:

$35,930,604

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$44,763,181

Company Credits

Production Co:

Good Machine, Standard Film Company, GreeneStreet Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

131 min 138 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (CFI)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39:1