Paul J. Nemecek The key to understanding Cider House Rules is in the title itself. Roger Ebert says he's not really sure what the movie is about. Other critics have become embroiled in a rather heated debate about the politics of the film since Michael Caine plays a doctor who runs an orphanage and performs illegal abortions from time to time. Some have accused the film of being pro-choice propaganda; others have depicted it as a balanced treatment of the subject. For this reviewer the debate misses the point, because the point of the film is, I think, a bit more philosophical and abstract. The moral philosophy of the film is, in the words of Sartre, that we are "condemned to freedom."Tobey Maguire plays Homer Wells, the focal point of the film. Homer has grown up in an orphanage in Maine, and ends up as one of the "unpicked", that is, one of the children who hopes to be adopted, but never is--at least, formally. As Homer grows into adolescence, Dr. Larch, the head of the orphanage takes Homer under his wings and teaches Homer medicine. He also tries to teach Homer how to perform abortions, but Homer is passionately opposed. As Homer approaches adulthood, he decides that it is time for him to find his own way. He leaves the orphanage, and ends up picking apples, discovering the larger world, and falling in love. Homer makes more than a few mistakes along the way. Perhaps it is not an accident that it is an orchard that initially seems like Eden for Homer. Homer discovers what a burden it is to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and this is where he confronts the cider house rules.The film is thoroughly existential in its themes and moral philosophy. I am not particularly troubled by this. The best films are those films that make me think, not those that tell me what to think in a rather heavy-handed way. I believe in God as the ground and source of all truth. I also believe that we see through a glass darkly, and must therefore, "work out our salvation with fear and trembling." It is in this sense that we are condemned to freedom.The story, performances, and visual artistry are excellent. John Irving (Simon Birch, The World According to Garp) wrote the novel and the screenplay. Lasse Hallstrom (What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Something to Talk About, My Life as a Dog) directs the story with tenderness and an eye for nuances in relationships--as is the case in his previous films. There are clear similarities between the central character here and Hallstrom's characters in What's Eating Gilbert Grape and My Life as a Dog. Michael Caine turns in a solid performance as Dr. Larch and Tobey Maguire is perfect as Homer Wells. This is a thoughtful story well told. Still, this is not a film for all. The PG-13 rating and the previews understate the mature themes of the film, and some are offended by the film's treatment of abortion. I found the film to be thoughtful and artfully done. Consistent with the theme of the film, you will have to decide for yourself.

MartinHafer "The Cider House Rules" is a very well-crafted film. The acting is generally quite good, the music terrific and the story interesting...though also depressing as can be and a bit repellent. The story is set in two places--at a god-awful orphanage and at an orchard nearby.When the story begins, you learn from the Doctor (Michael Caine) that little Homer was adopted and returned twice...and so the Doctor has raised him himself and taught this teen to be a doctor. And so, in this world of "makin' your own rules", he has the young man deliver babies and even observe abortions...though Homer thinks abortions are wrong. Of course, you KNOW that this will come back to haunt him later...after he leaves the orphanage to inexplicably become an apple-picker. Dying kids who cannot breathe, abortions, abandoned babies, incest and murder---this film is the ultimate in awfulness. Enjoyable it clearly is not...though the film did win two Oscars. One, oddly, was for Michael Caine. While I love Caine, in this film his accent was just bizarre...yet he got the award. I assume it was like John Wayne's win for "True Grit"...not one of his best performances but given more for his body of work than anything else. I could see the film's technical merits but found it about as enjoyable as chewing on glass.

billsoccer This is a very well written, performed, and filmed movie. It stars Tobey Maguire as Homer - an orphan trained to assist the physician-in-charge of the orphanage. The physician (Michael Caine) is Dr. Larch - a gruff but loving step-father to his charges. The movie is set in the mid 1900's, in a Maine where abortion is quite illegal. Dr. Larch long-ago decided the law didn't make enough allowances and has dedicated himself to right these 'wrongs'. The movie deals with the coming-of-age of Homer: Originally seeing the sanctity of all life, seizing an opportunity to see the larger world, and eventually coming to agree with Dr. Larch's philosophy. As I implied at the beginning, this is a very engrossing film. I wish it wouldn't have been used (and not so subtly) to justify abortion on demand. After all, Homer's love interest uses it simply for birth control, so she and her boyfriend won't be embarrassed/inconvenienced.

Byron Brubaker (hypathio7) Irving adapted his novel to the screen himself. Orphans, abortion, incest, suicide, addictions, affair, and migrant workers are some of the difficult issues explored in this story. Yet it is ultimately an uplifting coming-of-age tale. Homer (Maguire) is an orphan who becomes like a son to the doctor (Caine) who runs the orphanage. I identified with the theme of needing to leave home to see the world and form your own identity. Homer meets a young soldier (Rudd), just ready to serve in WWII, and the soldier's fiancé (Theron), who show him the ocean and arrange for a job as an apple picker. The migrant workers are of various minorities, and though we don't get to know many of them very well, this portion of the story reminded me of John Steinbeck (Dickens is also alluded to at times). The title comes from a list of rules posted in the workers' housing. Even though it is a slippery slope, I was right with Mr. Rose (Lindo) when he questioned whether rules written by the powerful are really for those with no power or if we must create our own rules. There seemed to be a subtext questioning sacred laws here. Well, Homer fights the fact that he is a skilled doctor (with informal training) because he doesn't want to follow his adoptive "father's" footsteps. Homer also has youthful ideals, yet as he faces some tough challenges, he begins to realize how complicated the world is ethically. He begins to find his place in the world. There are some lovely scenes that show characters appreciating good literature and fun film-going experiences. Hallstrom weaves together an intricate plot in a wonderfully realized time period with insightful performances from the whole cast.