| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Movie Name | The Cider House Rules (1999) |
| Director | Lasse Hallström |
| Writer | John Irving (screenplay and novel) |
| Lead Actor | Tobey Maguire |
| Cast | Tobey Maguire, Charlize Theron, Michael Caine, Delroy Lindo, Paul Rudd |
| Genre | Drama, Romance |
| Release Date | December 17, 1999 (United States) |
| Duration | 2h 6m |
| Budget | $24 million |
| Language | English |
| IMDb Rating | 7.4/10 |
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THE CIDER HOUSE RULES
This adaptation by John Irving of his 1985 novel follows the early life of Homer Wells (Tobey Maguire), a gentle youth raised as an orphan during the 1930’s at the fictional St. Cloud’s in rural Maine. Unlike most movie orphanages, St. Cloud’s is womb-like and benign, protective of its unwanted and sometimes poignantly ill children. It’s operated by the kindly Dr. Larch (Michael Caine), a gynecologist and philosophical humanist who also quietly performs abortions, which were then illegal.
Homer, a bright and apt pupil, is groomed as Larch’s (unlicensed) successor. But he resists taking part in abortions. Coming of age in 1943, he goes off to experience the outside world. Working at an apple farm on the nearby seacoast, he falls in love with a young wife (Charlize Theron) whose husband has gone to war. He also becomes friends with migrant apple pickers, where he’s forced to make a decision regarding a pregnancy resulting from a case of father-daughter incest.
Homer returns to St. Cloud’s to carry on the tradition of his mentor Larch, who has died. In both the book and film, Irving favors abortion.
Cider explores family love of varied kinds and moral worth. It makes a heartcracking case for adoptions, with its appealing images of forgotten older children, desperate for love, who will never be adopted.
Director Lasse Hallstrom (the fourth involved in the project) tiptoes through the sentimentality and makes the environments of St. Cloud’s and the orchard/cider mill fresh and credible. Delroy Lindo is crucial and superb as the complex leader of the migrant family.
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