RABBIT HOLE (the film version) reviews, clips, & thoughts- Page 2

[canmark]

Posted: 10/20/10 at 3:18pm

I saw this at the Toronto Film Festival, thought it was quite good, but not all that either.*

I haven't seen the play, so I can't compare. Would have liked to have seen Cynthia Nixon in the lead, though.

Here's a photo I took of the cast:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/canmark/4994992094/in/set-72157624966012276/

*Perhaps I was a bit down on the movie because it was the third film I saw about parents coping with tragedy/drama involving their children. In addition to Rabbit Hole, which deals with parents dealing with the death of their young child, you have Beautiful Boy, which deals with parents (Michael Sheen and Maria Bello) dealing with the aftermath of their college age son who shot up a bunch of students and then killed himself, and Trust, where parents Clive Owen and Catherine Keener deal with their teen daughter who was seduced over the Internet and molested by an older man.

[canmark]

Posted: 10/24/10 at 6:51pm

Here's the trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pq73A-tkJLw
http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/lions_gate/rabbithole/

[n2nbaby]

Posted: 12/9/10 at 8:54pm

If anyone is interested, a screener for the film leaked online. I downloaded it and am going to watch it with my boyfriend tonight. :)

[B3TA07]

Posted: 12/10/10 at 5:14am

"Sandra Bullock would've been awful. She's about as versatile as Vince Vaughn."

That's rough. That's real rough.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 12/10/10 at 7:41pm

I'll be seeing the film tonight. I'll be sure to report back!

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 12/14/10 at 2:59pm

Sorry this took so long but I enjoyed the film quite a lot. Spoilers???:

It's different from the play in a lot of ways (lots of exterior shots, outside of the home, obviously, which means new scenes; multiple scenes with Jason and Becca as opposed to just that major one in the play; new characters, in the form of Sandra Oh's, mainly) and it is affecting in a very different way. While the play, I found to be, effective because of how unsentimentally honest it was, the movie is still pretty honest but definitely more fragile in dealing with the issue, especially towards the end. We get scenes where Becca breaks down crying in her car (but it doesn't feel contrived, which is pretty surprising) and Howie breaks down crying while yelling at Taz, the dog (which also is pretty touching). It doesn't feel heavy-handed and the sentimental stuff does work...it feels very genuine but it's definitely different from the play. The ending montage is fantastic (it still ends the same way pretty much). It's also less funny than the play...but still definitely provides much-needed moments of humor.

I will be the first to admit that Nicole Kidman is excellent. Her face actually moves (kinda)!! She is really stripped down here, giving her best performance in a very, very long time. She deserves an Oscar nod. Aaron Eckhart, who I think is a wildly underrated talent, is every bit Kidman's equal. They have great chemistry. Tammy Blanchard plays Izzy very differently than Mary Catherine Garrison, but is definitely very good. And Diane Wiest is extremely touching as Nat. Again, very different from her stage counterpart, Tyne Daly, and much more introverted and quiet, but she's wonderful.

I think the movie is going to have a very hard time finding an audience. It's nothing extravagant, it's a bare-bones film with an honest heart, some great performances, and it really does get under your skin. The subject matter doesn't help either. But I hope it gets a couple of Oscar nods...it certainly deserves to be recognized.

If anyone has any specific questions, I'd be more than happy to answer!

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 12/14/10 at 3:36pm

Works better on screen than it did on stage IMO.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 12/14/10 at 6:11pm

I've been recommending the movie to everyone I can since I saw it last week. I really loved Miles Teller's performance, which I haven't seen anyone mention. His scenes with Nicole Kidman were some of the highlights for me.

[n2nbaby]

Posted: 12/14/10 at 8:23pm

After an incredibly disappointing year of movies, I was finding it hard to find a movie to fully get behind and support. Sure, there were a handful of movies that I loved but nothing that I would get into a war discussion over explaining my love. Finally, I have found that movie. I can't imagine a better movie coming out this year, because quite frankly it's the best thing that has come out of Hollywood in at least five years. Yes, I know, that is quite the opinion but I am sticking to it. RABBIT HOLE is a masterpiece of epic proportions. First off, the acting. I will get to the obvious "______ ______ was so great!" in a second. I need to first give major props to newbie Miles Teller. What a fantastic, moving performance by a new actor. He gives an inspiring, gripping performance here and is sure to be one of the very best of the year. I hope he gets some awards recognition because he was fantastic in his role. Nicole Kidman finally has a comeback as an actress, giving the performance of her career. She was spellbinding as a mother who recently lost her child. A beautiful, heartbreaking, poignant performance. Bravo! Aaron Eckhart and Diane Wiest also give the performances of their careers and deserve awards recognition. And Sandra Oh is also wonderful. There honestly isn't a weak link in this cast. The script was fantastic. There is so much beneath the surface that really makes you think and dig deeper into the minds of these character, even after the film is over. Remarkable writing. There are so many fantastic scenes woven in this film, many of which have such intensity and emotion in them, that it's hard to fully grasp on one viewing. I know I'll be watching it again very, very soon. Don't miss RABBIT HOLE. I pray that it will at the very least be nominated for the rewards that it should.

10/10 (A+)

[AwesomeDanny]

Posted: 12/14/10 at 8:46pm

n2nbaby, I completely agree with you about this movie. I had little knowledge about the play beforehand, which was exciting to see how the movie progressed. This is definitely the best movie I've seen this year. Today, I noticed that Nicole Kidman received a very well-deserved Golden Globe nomination. All of the actors were great in their roles. I found myself crying during the movie, which I happens very rarely for me. I can't stress enough how important it is to see this movie. I understand that the subject matter may make some uncomfortable, but that's truly the beauty of what the art can do. You feel for the characters because they just seem so real. I'm really hoping that good reviews and awards/nominations will be able to draw an audience to see this movie.

[n2nbaby]

Posted: 12/15/10 at 6:51pm

I have read the play a few times, but I've never seen it live. The film was just perfection. I honestly believe that it is the best movie since BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN five years ago. I am afraid however that the movie will go mostly unnoticed during Awards season. Ten years ago I think this would have been a huge player in the Oscars race and would have done great at the box office but times have changed and depressing drama just isn't usually in (look at Revolutionary Road...). While I'm sure Nicole Kidman will be nominated at the Oscars, there is little to no chance she will win. I honestly believe it's Natalie Portman's year. I haven't seen BLACK SWAN yet (though I will be Friday night) and she seems fantastic in it and everything I've heard about her performance seems nothing short of amazing. Plus, she is due for an Oscar. She was nominated but lost for her AMAZING turn in CLOSER and she went completely unrecognized for GARDEN STATE. It's definitely her year.

[Felm_heart]

Posted: 12/17/10 at 3:25am

Just got done watching this. What a beautiful film! I had not had any previous exposure to Rabbit Hole, so I can't comment on any changes from stage. I was really moved by the performances. Not a bad performance in the bunch. I can't remember the last time I cried while watching a movie, but this one got me. Also, the soundtrack was completely perfect. It's downloading from iTunes as I type this. I really hope this film gets some attention come Oscar season. (I just saw Black Swan this afternoon, and I will be thrilled if either Natalie or Nicole wins.. but I do agree that it is probably Natalie's award this year.)

[esparza 333]

Posted: 12/17/10 at 11:22pm

I am very excited for this. It is so wonderful to see Nicole Kidman working to put this on the screen and delivering what looks like to be a sensational performance. Add if the brilliant Dianne Wiest and the extremely talented Aaron Eckhart and you have an extraordinary cast. As far as the Best Actress category at the Oscars, Kidman is definitely a lock but her chances of winning don't seem likely. She hasn't picked up any critics awards yet. Portman has a big chance at winning the golden globe and SAG award winners will help us better understand the race. But as of now most people are predicting Annettte Benning to win foe The Kids are All Right. She has one a few critics awards and is overdue having been nominated 3 times before. Also many think older voters might find Black Swan a little too out there. If this becomes a two horse race Kidman may standP a chance at a win if those two split the votes a la Adrien Brody's win over Jack Nicholson and Daniel Day Lewis in 2002.

[whyohwhyoh]

Posted: 12/18/10 at 12:39am

I have NO faith in Kidman who thinks that whispering all her lines is good acting. It's NOT and its a crying shame that the role did not go to Julianne Moore.

[Kad]

Posted: 12/18/10 at 1:53am

Well, the reviews for Kidman have nearly all been praise.

[DylanMark33]

Posted: 12/18/10 at 2:18am

I am very big fan of the stage production and was very impressed with the movie. But left wondering a couple things.

Possible spoiler.

I was interested that in the film version, they made Becca seek out Jason, rather the other way around. On stage, Jason writes them a letter asking to meet them, in the film, Becca catches a glimpse of Jason and follows him home and to the library. I found that it completely changed the dynamic, and not in a bad way at all. Becca is the central character, and it showed her desperation for closure, without realizing it. The one thing everyone in the film is looking for is closure. How do they deal with the death of a little boy? And even more general, how do you grieve?

The scene between Nat and Becca in the bedroom cleaning up Danny's toys gets me EVERY time. It's so beautiful. The whole show is beautiful. I was so impressed with Aaron Eckhart. I was surprised to find out he doesn't have kids.

The one thing I wished they didn't change was the tape. I really wish they would have left the home video on the tapes rather than on his phone and having her "delete" it that way. I say that because what I think the script allows the audience to decide is, "did she tape over that video on purpose? or was it an accident?" We see that she watches Howie watching those tapes, and it obviously bothers her. In the film, it seems like it's a total accident.
One change I really liked, is Howie deciding for himself whether or not he is "cheating" on Becca. Cheating is more than having sex outside of marriage. I liked how it was a self realization, rather than it being pointed out by Izzy.

OK! I think I covered everything. Sorry so jumbled!

[daviddavila]

Posted: 12/19/10 at 11:03am

Saw the movie on a screener and LOVED IT! They added more to the story and it really worked. It didn't seem like a John Cameron Mitchell film is my only complaint... I wanted to see more of his creative film making in it, but it was pretty straight forward.

Diane Weist is BRILLIANT! There is one particular telephone conversation that breaks your heart. I don't know why she's not getting more oscar buzz at this point. Maybe because the movie is not getting enough buzz.

Kidman is great in it as well, but it's not the greatest performance of her career. At this point it's kind of a fifth slot performance... she may get the fifth slot nomination, or she may be left out.

Overall though, the movie is wonderful, in a terribly sad way. A great adaptation of the story!

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 12/22/10 at 2:24am

Just saw the movie, and in a word it's BRILLIANT.

Mitchell really got to the heart of these characters, and made you feel their pain and struggle, even if it wasn't always desirable to do so.

But the real reason to see this film is Kidman. After a few years of either staying out of the spotlight in films, or taking supporting roles (i.e. NINE) she proves here that not only can she still carry a film, she is still a force to be reckoned with. I highly doubt she will win the Oscar, due to the fact that she already has one, and there are other deserving performances this year, but if she did, it would be well deserved.

Eckhart is the other reason to see this film. When I read the play Howie didn't strike me as the kind of character that could take on Becca during those high stakes scenes, but Eckhart changed my mind on that point. He's every bit as fantastic as Kidman, and it's a shame that his performance isn't generating Oscar buzz and precursor nods like hers is.

I agree with Yankeefan that this works much better as a movie then it does as a play, although the play is excellent.

BRAVO to Kidman and her producing team for making this fantastic film!

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 1/1/11 at 10:26pm

Great video interview with Kidman

[AngusN]

Posted: 1/2/11 at 12:55pm

I love Nicole, she interviews very well and it just so passionate about her craft.
I wonder what the Broadway play will be, exciting times. She was amazing in The Blue Room.

[phantomvegas2]

Posted: 1/6/11 at 3:48pm

If anyone wants to "see it," pm me.

[pushdabutton]

Posted: 1/6/11 at 7:12pm

I thought the movie was well done and the performances were brilliant. I honestly thought the play was better as it was more intense than the movie and far more dramatic. That said, I still highly recommend the movie.

[pushdabutton]

Posted: 1/6/11 at 7:12pm

I thought the movie was well done and the performances were brilliant. I honestly thought the play was better as it was more intense than the movie and far more dramatic. That said, I still highly recommend the movie.