In the Bedroom (2001)

Director:

Todd Field

Writers:

Andre Dubus (story)
Robert Festinger (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

11 January 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

A young man. An older woman. Her ex-husband. Things are about to explode...

Plot:

A New England couple's college-aged son dates an older woman with two small children and an unwelcome ex-husband. Then something terrible occurs in this wrenching, emotional drama.

Plot Keywords:

Physical Abuse | Tragedy | Disturbing | Offscreen Killing | Only Son

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 27 wins & 41 nominations

Cast

Tom Wilkinson	...	Matt Fowler
Sissy Spacek	...	Ruth Fowler
Nick Stahl	...	Frank Fowler
Marisa Tomei	...	Natalie Strout
William Mapother	...	Richard Strout
William Wise	...	Willis Grinnel
Celia Weston	...	Katie Grinnel
Karen Allen	...	Marla Keyes
Frank T. Wells	...	Henry
W. Clapham Murray	...	Carl
Justin Ashforth	...	Tim Bryson
Terry A. Burgess	...	District Attorney
Jonathan Walsh	...	Father McCasslin
Diane E. Hamlin	...	Davis' Assistant
Camden Munson	...	Jason Strout

MPAA:

Rated R for some violence and language.

Runtime:

130 min | USA:138 min (Sundance Film Festival)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:PG (cut) | Malaysia:18PL (uncut version) | Malaysia:U (cut version) | Singapore:NC-16 (re-rating) | Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | USA:TV-MA (TV rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Brazil:14 | Canada:14A | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | Philippines:R-18

Filming Locations:

Belfast, Maine, USA

Company:

Good Machine

Trivia:

Based on the short story "Killings" by Andre Dubus - an American writer who died in 1999. The film is dedicated to him.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: The camera lens is plainly visible in the shot of Matt Fowler driving in his car.

Quotes:

Richard: Where are the boys?
Natalie: ...It's none of your business.
Richard: Oh, I see. They're my boys, but they're none of my business.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "High Chaparall: (#2.5)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

Happy Birthday to You

a real modern classic

A rarity in modern cinema, In the Bedroom is a movie for thinking adults that is one of the most thorough yet subtle examinations of violence and its consequences I've ever seen. Tom Wilkerson gives a masterful and restrained performance, and Sissy Spacek and nearly everyone else is uniformly excellent. Although it is a searing and unflinching look at nearly unspeakable grief, it is poignant and thoughtful and even has scenes of humor if you are ready for it. Todd Field's screenplay is one of the most brilliant in recent memory. I really wish we had more mature stuff like this coming out of Hollywood. Powerful films that deal with violence and its aftermath and meaning like this make films like Kill Bill look even more repellent than they already are.