Movie Review: In the Bedroom
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this complex and troubling film
will be too intense for many teens. The movie's few violent
scenes are graphic and wrenching. Family communication is
minimal and searing. The film depicts domestic violence and
implies, while not actually showing, that children witness the
abuse. The characters' practically palpable grief will be too
much for some young viewers, particularly those who may have
lost a close relative or friend.
Families who watch this movie could discuss the intersection of family, love and violence. Does the movie condone or condemn violence, or both? Families can also discuss the breakdown and seeming failure of family communication. Another interesting discussion topic would be exploring how the characters' occupational fields (medicine, music instruction, architecture, canning industry) illuminate or contradict their personalities.
Common Sense Media Review
IN THE BEDROOM paints a haunting, painfully honest portrait
of a family's grief and simmering rage. Set in a suspiciously
innocuous oceanside New England suburb, the film begins with a
couple's seemingly innocent and romantic romp in a flowered
field. The male, Frank Fowler, is an architectural college
student home on summer break, while his older girlfriend,
Natalie Strout, is a married mother in the process of
separating from her estranged husband.
The idyllic beginning belies the coming crises and ensuing grief. All of the problems posed by such an unlikely pairing ultimately play out in the most catastrophic, tragic way, leaving in its wake a family struggling with crippling grief.
The movie masterfully portrays the quiet, numbing, day-to-day grief of the bereaved, marked by a continuous undercurrent of simmering fury that will suddenly flare into violent outburst. But despite their common sorrow, the Fowlers prove unable to collectively mourn, instead isolating themselves in individual suffering. When they do openly express their grief, bitter and cutting accusations and blame ensue. In the end, it seems that only the thirst for vengeance, the obsession with some sort of retribution, can unite this fractured family.
IN THE BEDROOM is tragic but never melodramatic; the story itself and its many silences suffice to convey the deep tragedy and pain. All the actors deliver stunning, understated performances, chief among them Sissy Spacek, who masterfully embodies a subdued, smoldering grief.
Families who enjoy this movie may also appreciate "Mystic River," another tragic depiction of familial grief and hostility set in a New England backdrop. Families might also enjoy viewing other Sissy Spacek movies, such as "The Straight Story" and "A Home at the End of the World," or, for a true sense of the sheer variety and span of her career, "Carrie," the 70s cult thriller classic.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
