In The Bedroom
(2001)
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Todd Field's IN THE BEDROOM is an artistic and realistic portrait of domestic trouble in small-town America. Sissy Spacek and Tom Wilkinson star as Ruth and Matt Fowler, the parents of a recent high school graduate, Frank (Nick Stahl), who has an affair with a married woman, Natalie (Marisa Tomei). A tragic event near the beginning of the film seems to stunt its action and dialogue, allowing the film to change into a largely visual piece based on memories, feelings, and silent communication; while the film's slow-moving camera, soft sunny lighting, and cautious pacing give it a resonating intensity. |
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This is a film about grief that touches the heart and leaves a deep and lasting impression. Tom Wilkinson and Golden Globe winner Sissy Spacek are both excellent as the parents swamped by moral and psychological trauma after the murder of their son. Trapped in a claustrophobic community, they live in close proximity to their child's killer — and the woman whose involvement with their son indirectly led to his death — and their intense grief and outrage pushes them to breaking point. The movie's measured pace and elegance of observation are testaments to the astounding confidence of actor/director Todd Field, whose handling of the delicately balanced material makes his feature debut a rare find. In the Bedroom doesn't make for easy viewing, but it is a profound and rewarding experience.
Halliwell's Film Guide
Compelling drama of marital tensions at breaking point, of parents who have invested their future in their only child; but the violent ending vitiates all that has gone before.