The Woodsman (2004)

A child molester returns to his hometown after 12 years in prison and attempts to start a new life.

Director:

Nicole Kassell

Writers:

Steven Fechter (play), Nicole Kassell (screenplay)

Stars:

Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Yasiin Bey

7 wins & 20 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kevin Bacon	...	Walter
David Alan Grier	...	Bob
Eve	...	Mary-Kay
Kyra Sedgwick	...	Vicki
Benjamin Bratt	...	Carlos
Carlos Leon	...	Pedro
Michael Shannon	...	Rosen
Kevin Rice	...	Candy
Yasiin Bey	...	Sgt. Lucas (as Mos Def)
Hannah Pilkes	...	Robin
Jessica Nagle	...	Annette
Liam Daniels	...	Boy at Playground
Joey Hazinsky	...	Cherub
Clara Hopkins Daniels	...	Little Girl on Bus (as Clara Infinity Daniels)
Ashley C. Coombs	...	Girl on Bus

Storyline

After twelve years in prison, Walter arrives in an unnamed city, moves into a small apartment across the street from an elementary school, gets a job at a lumberyard, and mostly keeps to himself. A quiet, guarded man, Walter finds unexpected solace from Vickie, a tough-talking woman who promises not to judge him for his history. But Walter cannot escape his past. A convicted sex offender, Walter is warily eyed by his brother-in-law, shunned by his sister, lives in fear of being discovered at work, and is hounded by a suspicious local police officer, Detective Lucas. After befriending a young girl in a neighborhood park, Walter must also grapple with the terrible prospect of his own reawakened demons.

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Plot Keywords:

f rated | based on play | peephole | billiards | police officer | 

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Taglines:

What's the worst thing you ever did?

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexuality, disturbing behavior and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2005 (Peru)

Also Known As:

Der Dämon in mir

Filming Locations:

Tague Lumber, 560 East High Street, Philadelphia, Pennyslvania, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$53,985, 26 December 2004, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$40,601, 20 November 2011

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dash Films,Lee Daniels Entertainment,The Woodsman LLC

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The part of Mary Kay was originally intended for a 45-year-old white male. Kevin Bacon recommended Eve for the part, and she was hired without a single audition.

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Goofs

Continuity Error: when Sergeant Lucas first visits Walter, the potted ivy plant is already on his desk even though Vicki gives it to him a few scenes later.

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Quotes

Vickie: So, what did you do?
Walter: I molested little girls.
Vickie: [laughs in disbelief]
Walter: 12 years in prison is no joke.

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Connections

References Late Show with David Letterman (1993)

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Soundtracks

Faith
Written by Rissi Palmer, Buffy Lawson and Eric Pederelli
Performed by Rissi Palmer
Courtesy of Us Girlz

User Reviews

Kevin Bacon shines

I saw The Woodsman at the 2004 Stockholm International Film Festival. It was quite a popular film at the festival, especially with all the Oscars-buzz surrounding Kevin Bacon due to this film.

The Woodsman is about a pedophile who gets released from prison and tries to fit into society. He works at a sawmill, meets a woman and tries to stay out of trouble. But feelings he tries to push away emerge again, and the question is if he can stay out of trouble for long.

Kevin Bacon is terrific in The Woodsman, but The Woodsman is not a terrific film. Rather it's a quite mediocre film that has it's points but also walks into some of the traps that always surround dramas that deal with a difficult subject.

Let's start out with Kevin Bacon. He is as good as i have ever seen him. He has been one of my favorites for a long time, and i hope that this film can finally give him a shot at the Oscars. He really lifts this film a couple of notches as well. So, what about the film itself?

Well, it has it's ups and downs. The up is that it deals with a difficult subject in a rather good way. Instead of just boiling everything down into just black and white (as is often the case in Hollywood films) this film tries to understand. While most of us feel that pedophiles are disgusting people and that the crimes they commit are horrible, they are still human and as complex as you or me. It doesn't excuse them in any way, but perhaps in understanding them we can better prevent these crimes. Just categorizing them as plain monsters doesn't help us stop any of this from happening.

The downside in this film is mostly the exaggerations added to make a greater impact. Sometimes you get the feeling that there is a pedophile waiting behind every tree, and it just becomes a bit too much. Also the love story between Kevin Bacon and (his real-life wife) Kyra Sedgwick feels a bit shallow.

All in all this is an interesting film well worth the effort of watching it. I guess many people will shy away from the subject matter, which is sad really since this film in no way tries to justify child molestation. So watch it, more for Kevin Bacon than for the story. I rate this 6/10.