Cider House Rules

The movie Cider House Rules is a story that pulls you in emotionally and mentally. Because the plot is centered on a central theme involving human nature, it is believable, and an eye opener to what goes on in our society. I really enjoyed this movie as I felt very connected to the characters, enjoyed the scenery, and the overall plot as well. This story about a naive orphan, Homer, draws you in as he must experience life outside the orphan and decided what he wants, and who he wants to be in life. As he makes his journey he learns some hard lessons in life, as well as implements some lessons already learned to those around him. I would give this movie two thumbs up.

The story line was believable, as it centered on the time period World War II. Life was different than today as the cars, medical practices, and way of living was less advanced and less knowledgeable. From the medical practices of the doctor addicted to ether for sleeping, to the African Americans unable to read in the “cider house”. This way of life was captures not only through its scenes, but dialect and actions as well. You felt as if you were also in that time era and it was easy to understand why things were the way they were and what was going on. The dialect I found to be very suiting as well as the acting. From the African American’s accent, poor grammar, and way of life, to Homer’s awkwardness around Candy when he falls in love with her, you really grasp the characters feelings, emotions, and culture. An example of this would be Dr. Rose’s dialect. Although he is a wise and aged man, he uses aint’ and ya’ll often in his language. Another example of this would be the knife fight between Mr. Rose and jack. You feel their anger and difficulty to work out their problems so instead they want to fight. It was their way of life, the way they solved things back then, and didn’t see it as unjust as would be seen today.

The film uses editing techniques like color and musical background to enhance the mood of scenes. Most scenes in the movie are bright like a spring day and often cheerful. When the children of the orphanage are running through the yard happy as can be. The sun is out, the sky is blue and life seems fun, free, and innocent, like the children themselves. Other scenes are much darker, especially the more difficult ones, such as the knife fight scene, and the scene where Homer performs the operation on Rose. Music also adds to the emotional tie to the film through light orchestra music in the background. The music contains no words, however is often play in the film during the lighter, carefree times.

Toby McGuires job in this was phenomenal as he played and innocent sheltered orphan boy trying to experience the world. Like when he witnesses a crab for the first time, or learns to drive. Also his brilliant character shows in his drive and ambition when working in the orchard and learning the culture from his African American roommates. Although he may seem innocent and sheltered one thing that he does not a lot about comes in handy when Rose Rose finds herself in trouble. He “takes care of her” and proves to be brave and supportive through what was frowned upon. He knew no better though due to his bringing up. All the years at the orphanage he refused to perform abortions due to his moral standards; however, when his friend Rose finds herself in trouble of no accident he puts aside his beliefs in fear she will die like he had seen before and helps her out. This is the turning point for Homer as it signifies his passage from boyhood to manhood. It is at this point where he decides to return back to the orphanage and take over the dead Dr. Wilbur’s place.

The ending I felt was a bit of happy and sad one. Although you were happy that he decided to return back to the orphanage where you really felt his character belonged, his love with Candy was left behind and that was a bit of a disappointment as she chose to be with her boyfriend who was returning from war. The love that he had for her was his first love, and although it hurt him, it was an experience, and a passage of life that was that push towards returning “home”. The people who truly loved him, were the children of the orphanage that grew up with him, and showed their love in full as he returned and received numerous hugs and greetings. It ends with the final line “Goodnight princes of New England and Kings of Maine.” That line was that repeated by Dr. Wilbur every night to the children at bedtime.

This film took a risk at previewing what the time era was like without modern day means of birth control. Back then abortion was not as frowned upon as one might say in today’s society. Abortion was one of the only means of birth control in that time era, and more commonly accepted as that, rather than what it is accepted as in today’s society. The film shows how Dr. Wilbur delivered babies of mothers who did not want their children, and ran the orphanage that housed these kids, as well as terminate pregnancies. However, this is not the main focus of the film to show abortions in the early 1900’s but rather the theme is to focus on the growing up, and maturing of a man. This man is Homer, an orphan in the orphanage taken under Dr. Wilbur’s wing and trained as his assistant in his medical practices. Dr. Wilbur wants Homer to fit the mold he has made for him, but Homer wants to experience life on his own and decide for himself. This movie uses symbols and common themes to get it’s message across. One theme is that of deciding for yourself what you want in life, and experiencing life. Another theme would be that you have to make your own rules in life. All of these revolve around shaping your own character, as the main character tries and finds what his character in life is. One symbol of the movie would be the knife. The African Americans working in the Cider house used knifes to fight and defend themselves. It was their defense and shield in life. They didn’t handle things with words and compromise, but with threats and shields. They knew no better. When Rose runs away from Mr. Rose in the end she stabs her father with a knife which kills him. He wanted to be killed for he felt he deserved it after what he had put her through. He was proud of the way she had defended herself with the knife, even though it was going to take her own life. He knew that as she was running away she would be safe for she had been taught well to use the knife and had one on her as a defense. This knife also signifies irony as Mr. Rose was not one to be reckoned with for his well known knife skills. In the end it is the knife that kills him by his own daughter that he taught how to use it. Another symbol in the movie includes that of which the title was named for. The Cider house rules is a printed sheet of paper in the bunks where the workers stay. None of the African Americans could read them, but wondered what they had said. When Homer finally reads the rules to them, they laugh and the absurdness. Half of the rules had already been broken, like the one that stated not to smoke in the bunk house. The ones that hadn’t been broken were shown broke in the next scenes as it shows them all sitting on the roof at night time. Although this scene was seconds long, it strongly signified one of the main points of the film. As stated by Dr. Rose himself along the lines of: those rules are made by people who do not have to live among them. You make your own rules in life to get by. This is a turning point of Homer as he is trying to figure out what he wants to do with the rest of his life. He realizes that he must follow his own path and make his own rules, and experiences. Although he wasn’t morally stable with performing abortions, he made his own rule by doing so with Rose, and finally in the end committing to the clinic for he wanted to help people who desperately needed them. He wanted to make his own rule of accepting it because he didn’t want anyone to “take care of it themselves” and end up dead like the girl he saw. Right before Mr. Rose dies he says to Homer “That's right. That's the truth. I'm just tryin' to put things straight. Sometimes, ya gotta break some rules, to put things straight. Ain't that right, Homer?” That implicates Homer breaking his own rules.

This movie may be offensive to the public in that it has such a passive view of abortion, although that was not the main focus for the film. To the viewer the director was trying to get a message across of life and love through entertainment. It’s simply a story, based on a book that wants you to become attached to Homer and his journey of finding himself in life. The director wanted to open the viewers eyes to the harsh and cruel world out there, and to simply show one side of life that is different than most. I think the impact that it will have on people and society is that of a sad and cruel view of what life can be like, and how Homer makes the best of every situation. From Rose being raped by her father, to the young girl dying from an abortion gone wrong, to Wally losing his legs in war, to fuzzy dying and never finding a home, there is great truth to human nature in this movie. It shows a raw side of life that people choose to ignore. However sad this movie is, there is also happiness and joy as well. This is a great reflection of our society even today. Sad, disturbing things are happening all around us, whether we want to recognize it or not. Homer was innocent and learned quickly the harshness that life presented. It’s reality, human nature, sad but true. Everyday women are getting abortions, men are losing their lives and body parts in war, children are dying, children never find a home in orphanages, and women are getting raped. Our society and culture is reflected in this movie immensely, even if the time era is almost a hundred years ago. I feel as though Dr. Wilbur wanted to protect the children of the orphanage from this reality as he lied about Fuzzy’s death, and every night repeated: “Goodnight all you princes of New England, and Kings of Maine”. He wanted to know that they were special and important to him, and that they were the world. They all had no knowledge of the outside world, and its harshness.


The cider house rules. DVD. Dir. Lasse Hallström. Perf. Tobey Maguire, Michael Caine, Charlize Theron, Paul Rudd, Delroy Lindo, Erykah Badu. Miramax Films. [2000]