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Download, Watch online Rabbit Hole Movie.
| Genres: | Dr |
| Starring: | Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, Mike Doyle, Sandra Oh, Giancarlo Esposito, Jon Tenney, Patricia Kalember |
| Director(s): | John Cameron Mitchell |
| Available Quality: | DivX, Hi Def, iPod, Hi Def, Hi Def |
| Country: | USA |
| Year: | 2010 |
| IMDB Rating: | 7.1 |
Becca and Howie Corbett are a happily married couple whose perfect world is forever changed when their young son, Danny, is killed by a car. Becca, an executive-turned-stay-at-home mother, tries to redefine her existence in a surreal landscape of well-meaning family and friends. Painful, poignant, and often funny, Beccas experiences lead her to find solace in a mysterious relationship with a troubled young comic-book artist, Jason - the teenage driver of the car that killed Danny. Beccas fixation with Jason pulls her away from memories of Danny, while Howie immerses himself in the past, seeking refuge in outsiders who offer him something Becca is unable to give. The Corbetts, both adrift, make surprising and dangerous choices as they choose a path that will determine their fate.
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Rabbit Hole (iPod) | Resolution: 480x272 px | Total Size: 279 Mb |
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Rabbit Hole (Hi Def) | Resolution: 852x480 px | Total Size: 627 Mb |
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Rabbit Hole (Hi Def) | Resolution: 1920x1080 px | Total Size: 6710 Mb |
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Rabbit Hole (Hi Def) | Resolution: 1280x720 px | Total Size: 4471 Mb |
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Rabbit Hole (DivX) | Resolution: 608x336 px | Total Size: 700 Mb |
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Movie Photos: We have taken some photos of "Rabbit Hole". They represent actual movie quality.
Visitor Reviews: (20)
brocksilvey 16 May 2012
The Trip Down This Particular Rabbit Hole Might Leave You Wanting More
What should have been a devastating portrait of one affluent couple'sgrief in the wake of the death of their four-year-old son insteadregisters as a well-intentioned but bloodless exercise.Maybe it's a case of something getting lost in translation, but itsurprises me that the play on which John Cameron Mitchell's ("Hedwigand the Angry Inch," "Shortbus") film is based won playwright DavidLindsay-Abaire the Pulitzer Prize. Because if anything about the moviestruck me as especially lacking, it was the material. The performancesare uniformly fine, but I was never able to shake the impression thatthey could have been so much better if the actors had been givensomething better to do. The movie offers an outline version of amarried couple coping with tragedy; scene follows scene in quick,check-mark fashion, hitting all of the obligatory highlights withoutfilling in the subtle shadings that made a film this one can't help butbring to mind -- Robert Redford's "Ordinary People" -- so much better.As a result, scenes that should hit like a gut punch, like one in whichNicole Kidman's brittle, suffocated mother assaults another mom in agrocery store, flit by so quickly and so independently of anything oneither side of it, that it carries almost no emotional weight.Despite this, there are scenes that hit home, like a lovely soliloquyin which Dianne Wiest, as Kidman's mom, tells her how the grief over adead child evolves over time, or the ending, in which Kidman and AaronEckhart, as her husband, decide to stop fighting each other andtentatively face a future with a black hole at its center.Mitchell, whose "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" I loved and whose"Shortbus" I very much admired, feels oddly out of touch with thematerial, as if someone who doesn't at all understand what it would belike to lose a child decided to make a movie about that very thing andcould only guess at the emotions involved.I wanted to like "Rabbit Hole" much more than I did.Grade: B
pullmystrings no 16 May 2012
I feel so strongly about this movie I made an account to write this review
I'm sort of embarrassed to write this after seeing some of the reviewssaying that this movie made them happy afterwards, since watching itpractically ruined a part of my life. I watched it when it first cameout, so about 2 years ago, and I haven't watched a sad movie alonesince. I have never been so depressed after watching a film before, butthis movie definitely did it for me. Everything about the storyline,the characters, the acting and what the characters went through was soheart-wrenching and sad. I have never experienced that level of griefbefore but I felt every thing that they experienced to be veryconvincing and understandable, given what they were going through. Inever judged either of the main characters for their poor decisions,because i can only imagine how I would feel if I was going through thesame thing. I mean, I cried for like three days just because I watchedthe damn movie, so you can imagine what kind of wreck I would be if Iwere in their situation.Anyway aside from how emotionally distraught this movie made me, Ithink it was well-written, well-acted, and worth watching. I'm justsaying that for me, I found it profoundly upsetting and definitely didNOT end the film in a good mood.
29 April 2012
Exploration of parental grief
Many years ago, I saw "Rabbit Hole" play in Chicago theatre (I now forget if it was Goodman or Steppenwolf). In any case it was a powerful play that left significant impression on me. I was skeptical how such complex exploration of parental grief can have the same impact on the audiences when presented as a film. However, the cast in this movie is wonderfully selected and they manage to bring internal and external conflicts that characters experience into a memorable and heart wrenching movie.Recently, I have been interested in exploring grief as emotion, because I firmly believe that unless experienced on a deep, personal level, it is sort of emotion that is not possible to describe. It is also a stigma to talk about it and sharing it with others brings a little or no consolation. At one point is this movie, I truly enjoyed it when actress Diane Wiest explains it that grief is like a brick. "You carry it in a pocket and you know it is there because it weights so much. And it never relly goes away, it only changes it forms".For every person, experience and dealings with grief are different although equally powerful. This is one of those quiet movies that carry its power through audiences. It moves silently and painfully and explores the deepest emotions we harbor inside.
FilmRap 29 April 2012
A worthwhile study for students of the grieving process and anyone interested in these all too real emotions
David LindseyÂAbaire as screenwriter for this film, based on his ownplay, really gets into the head and the emotions of two grievingparents 8 months after the death of their five year old son who diedrunning after his beloved dog. We never meet Danny and barely see apicture of him but we come to clearly understand the relentless pain inall it's forms which his parents Becca (Nicole Kidman) and Howie (AaronEckhart) are feeling. Each of them are grieving in his and her own waywhich despite sharing this most personal tragedy and a good previousrelationship, there seems to be no room for empathy between them.Becca's quest to find some way to deal with her deep dark feelingsleads her to establish a relationship with Jason (Miles Teller), the 18year old high school senior who swerved his car, which he confesses toher may have been going a mile or two over the speed limit, which ledto the tragedy and now has created a bond between them. Becca'ssomewhat religious mother (Diane Wiest) whose son died at age 31,eleven years previously, provides a counterpoint from where she iscoming. Nicole Kidman who saw the original play and started the ballrolling to make it into a movie chose John Cameron Mitchell to directit. Mitchell and Lindsey Abaire who were guests at our screeningacknowledged that they complemented each other as they explored thefine points of this film. The director, who had only a 4 million dollarbudget, shared with us that he let the actors steep themselves intotheir emotional roles which he appeared to nimbly direct as well asspending a great deal of time in editing the fine points. He gave atouch of humor to a primarily a dark movie and kept us the audienceobserving at a slight distance from the unimaginable tragedy. We didnot shed a tear for the young boy who we did not meet or really know.As mental health professionals who have worked with many grievingpatients, we had the feeling that we were empathizing with people wecared about, as we might with a patient who is involved in their owndynamics that are unfolding before us at somewhat rapid pace. The factthat the writer, director and the actors really nailed the complicatedfeelings and interactions without ripping apart the guts of theaudience (which they could have easily done) may be judged ashortcoming of the movie by some or the height of sophistication byothers.This movie also merits comparison with four other movies which we haveseen in the past year and each of which shows attempts at dealing withgrief in a different manner. A Single Man shows Colin Firth in an Oscarnominated performance as George a college professor whose lover hasdied in an auto accident and in his grief he is on the verge of suicidewhen he meets a young student who cares about him. Robin Williams doesan excellent job as an unsuccessful writer in World's Greatest Dadgrieving a teenage son who committed suicide. The father pretends hislate son has written the story of being bullied and the result is agame changer for the community and for the dad which gives some meaningto this tragic loss. The Lovely Bones deals with the murder of a youngteenager (Saoirse Ronan) who had just begun to feel the glimmers ofromance which leads the audience to feel her parent's unresolved griefdespite the youngsters ethereal existence. There is a small amount ofcompensation as the killer is caught through the efforts of the girl'ssister. The film, which most closely resembles the Rabbit Hole, is TheGreatest which brought together a comparable great performance byPierce Brosman and Susan Sarandon who are the grieving parents of ateenager killed in car accident while he is with his girl friend playedby Carey Mulligan. The potential for the parents to live with theirgrief is the unborn child being carried by the young girl friendwhereas in the film which we reviewed today, the hope for a betterfuture is only hinted by a subtle but important gesture at it'sconclusion. We thought these two were both excellent films The Greatestdidn't achieve the critic's Oscar acclaim and it appears that theRabbit Hole may get some such bids. However overall, we rated theRabbit Hole a notch lower. We certainly do believe that this movie isthe finest example and should be used as a teaching tool and stimulusfor discussion for those who are studying the grieving process as wellas a movie worth seeing for anyone interested in these all too realhuman emotions.FilmRap.net
Christian_Dimartino 28 April 2012
Kidman's best work in a long time.
Nicole Kidman gives her best performance in years in 2010's Rabbithole. I didn't think that Rabbit hole was perfect but Kidman'sperformance here was. Kidman makes what should've been a deeplydepressing movie into something humorous, which, in this case, is a bigtalent.Kidman plays Becca, a woman who has lost her son in a car accident.This causes marital problems between her and her husband(AaronEckhart). The two don't get along the same anymore. She doesn't want tohave sex because she's not ready for another child just yet. So, theyboth do they're own thing.Her husband chooses to start spending time with another woman(SandraOh) who is in the support group that he attends, and Becca forms a bondwith Jason(Miles Teller), the teenager who accidentally killed her son.Rabbit hole isn't a great movie, but its performances are strong. I didfind this film interesting to watch, especially the scenes with Kidman.Eckhart's performance shouldn't be overlooked. He is a very underratedactor, and this is one of his best performances.Though Rabbit hole seemed like Oscar bait, it didn't quite reach thatpotential. Kidman earned a deserved nomination, but thats it. I enjoyedthe film, and I was entertained by it. But I wasn't quite blown away byit. But hey, its not Inception is it? B+
27 April 2012
Acting Is Great But Story is Very Sad
Nicole Kidman sure doesn't take the easy roles. I'm sure it couldn't have even gotten made without her producing it as most viewers will have to motivate themselves to watch something this sad. The story involves a mother and father, Kidman and Eckart, who lost their four year old son eight months ago in a freak auto accident. This is their trying to make some kind of life eight months after the fact.There is a very able supporting cast at work too, with Miles Teller as the teen driver of the car which killed their son. He did nothing wrong. He was doing the speed limit and the boy ran out into the street after his dog who was chasing a squirrel. Dianne Wiest plays Kidman's mother who has never wholly recovered from the death of Kidman's brother (to heroin overdose).There are some really poignant scenes, such as when they are selling the house and the buyers ask about the son's room since everything in the room is as it was. The buyers become like deer caught in the headlights as Eckart explains his son's death--you can just see their interest in the house end at that moment. Then Kidman starts meeting with the young boy driver. They take some kind of strange comfort out of being with one another. Then there is Kidman's sister, pregnant herself, which makes everyone in the family tense. This sister finds herself caught in one horrendous scene after another in what is supposed to be a relatively happy time for her.Probably the most awful experience though is trying to sit through group therapy with others who have lost their kids. I can see why one might think this would be helpful. I did until I watched them in it and then, like Kidman, I wanted to leave.So although I cannot call this "enjoyable" (there is way too much pain in this work), the acting is so excellent that it makes it worth watching.Keep an eye on Miles Teller. I think we will be seeing him in a lot. He shows a lot of promise here.In 2011, it is hard to believe that Nicole Kidman was forced to be in Tom Cruise's shadow for ten years of her acting career. She is so talented that it is a shame she had to spend time in anyone's shadow. Fortunately, she seems to be making her own creative decisions and living in no one's shadow even though she is remarried today.
collipal-1 24 April 2012
An excellent drama
I was not very interested in watching Rabbit Hole...Another drama abouta couple who loose their son? Haven't we already seen too manyinstances of that cliché? I obviously do not pretend to underrate thehorrible tragedy of losing a son; I am simply tired of so many seriousfilms which use that misfortune as an easy shortcut to generate"instantaneous drama" and let the actors to bring an appropriate levelof crying and suffering in order to eventually be nominated to someacting award. On some way, I find that level of exploitation to be moreoffensive and indecent than any cheap torture-porn film. But well;after all, Rabbit Hole counts with the presence of two excellent actorsin the leading roles...and a director who is pretty unusual for thiskind of material, so I decided to watch this film for curiosity.Fortunately, my prejudices were wrong, because Rabbit Hole is anintense and brilliant drama with an unusual tone which does not try toleave us depressed, but genuinely inspired, despite the misery the maincharacters suffer.Director John Cameron Mitchell had left me very impressed with hisaudacious and fascinating film Shortbus. I guess that some people wouldconsider it "grotesque" and "scandalous", but I liked it very much,because beyond of its graphic sex scenes, there were an interestingstory and genuine characters, whose "alternative" lifestyles did notavoid the recognition from their humanity and the realism from theiremotions. With Rabbit Hole, Mitchell made a similarly deep butnarratively much more conventional movie, and the result is alsoexcellent, sad on some way, but with an unexpected vein of humor whichworks a a comforting endorsement of the marital drama.Besides of Mitchell's sober sensibility to tell this story, I wouldalso like to mention playwright David Lindsay-Abaire, who adapted hisown play to this movie's screenplay keeping an intimate and literaryatmosphere, without losing the opportunities that the cinematographicmedium offers to expanding the story and making it more attractive. Therhythm he employed is relaxed, trusting the spectator to organicallydiscover the characters' emotions. And I am not only talking about thetwo main characters, but also about the supporting ones. And since Ijust mentioned the main characters, I have to talk about theextraordinary performances from Aaron Eckhart and Nicole Kidman. Icould not expect less from Eckhart, because this is the kind of roleshe is best at: vulnerable men who are occasionally victims of their ownfeelings. As for Kidman, she came from three consecutive missteps (TheGolden Compass, Australia and Nine) which exploited her "Hollywoodstar" category, but not her big histrionic talent. Fortunately, herrole in Rabbit Hole takes the maximum advantage from that talent, and Ithink that she brings one of the best performances from her career inthis film.The only thing I can say against this movie is that a few details fromthe screenplay could have been better polished. Despite those minorfails, I took a big surprise with Rabbit Hole, and I can definitelyrecommend it as a cathartic and satisfactory experience which isperfectly acted, brilliantly directed and very well written.
Eric S 24 April 2012
surface level and childish
Im astounded at the positive reviews this movie is getting and theOscar nomination for Kidman. Im sorry, but this movie is just not worthyour time and lacks the emotional maturity and depth to deal with thesubject matter in anything approaching a substantive way.The goal is admirable enough. Delve into loss, grieving, moving on,tensions in a happy marriage. None of it is pulled off, everything issurface level with no resonance and the performances (Eckhart is best)are just bland and overly orchestrated.There was only one part of the movie that actually drew a reaction outof me - when Kidman attacks the woman in the grocery store. The rest iscompletely unbelievable, their "climactic" argument is most agonizing.To boot, the movie contradicts itself with its attempts at humour. WhenEkhart and Kidman giggle and laugh at other in their 'grief group', andlater on outright mock them, for their ridiculous self pity babbling,their own moments of grief cannot be taken seriously. Their ownarguments and struggles become laughable - this is a main flaw in thisfilm.In any case, this is just my opinion. But I would HIGHLY urge anyonewho did enjoy this movie (or did not but is interested in its subjectmatter) to watch Krzysztof Kieslowski's "Blue" (1993) for a movie thattackles this issue with true emotion and true maturity. Its for adults.
22 April 2012
The Reality of Grief
Grief is an individual process. There is no one way experience it. It's not a scheduled allotment of time; it could begin directly after a tragedy, but then again, it could begin five years later, or ten, and it's going to last for as long as it's going to last. Some people have the coping skills to move on. Others remain in despair for the rest of their lives. Is the former the right way to go about it? I don't know. Coping skills could refer to anything. If one person finds solace in friends, family, or faith, another person invariably takes comfort in an emotional vacuum of his or her own creation. They may plunge into work or distract themselves endlessly with personal projects. They may even abandon their lives altogether and then delude themselves into believing that nothing bad ever happened."Rabbit Hole," an adaptation of David Lindsay-Abaire's Pulitzer Prize winning play, is about the different ways people experience grief. It doesn't coerce the audience into accepting a preconceived notion of loss and mourning. It presents the characters as they are, and never once are judgments made about them. Rather than address the audience in conventional absolutes of misery or hope, it instead sends the message that, regardless of what hand you've been dealt, life comes with no guarantees. It's all about living one day at a time; it's pointless to dwell on what might happen tomorrow or the next day or a decade from now. It's not the best solution, but it's the only solution there is. It's reality.The film centers on Becca (Nicole Kidman) and Howie (Aaron Eckhart), whose four-year-old son, Danny, was killed after being struck by a car. A lesser film would have opened on a note of unremitting bliss, mom and dad happily caring for their young son in their suburban New York neighborhood; we would then have to endure the soppy melodrama of both the accident and the funeral, which would no doubt be held on a rainy day and feature lots of close-ups of Becca's tear-stained face. But this isn't a lesser film. The story begins eight months after the accident. There's no graveyard. There's no memorial site. It's just Becca and Howie, who have since settled into a functioning but incredibly strained routine.They're not on the same page when it comes to their son's death. Becca, while seemingly sensible and conscientious, is not allowing herself to feel and is subconsciously trying to erase all physical evidence that her son existed. That isn't easy in the house of a four-year-old; there are dozens of school paintings, a closet full of clothes, a completely furnished room stuffed with toys, and fingerprints on cabinets and doors. Even the family dog was too much for her to handle, for it played a part in her son's death. Howie is not the kind of person who wants his son's life erased. He's especially fond of a video stored on his cell phone - presumably the last footage of him ever shot. Howie is ready to rekindle a physical relationship. Becca is not. Howie takes Becca to group therapy sessions with other parents who have lost children. Becca is not at all interested in what they have to say and sees no point in participating.Becca's sister, the irresponsible Izzy (Tammy Blanchard), is pregnant and often the target of Becca's resentment. Their mother, Nat (Dianne Wiest), tries to be the voice of reason but fails to understand why her daughter refuses to let anyone comfort her. She too has been down that long, dark road of grief, but every time she tries to explain where she's coming from, Becca refuses to listen, believing that the comparison is cruel and unfair.Howie seeks out a kindred spirit and finds one in Gabby (Sandra Oh), who has been attending the group therapy sessions for the past eight years. Becca, in turn, forms a very unlikely friendship with Jason (Miles Teller), a high school student who was driving the car that killed her son. He's far from a sadistic monster. He's consumed with guilt. His coping mechanism is a comic book he's writing and illustrating on his own, one in which multiple universes and time/space portals called rabbit holes advance the plot.Of all the films I've seen this year, none have been as believable, as powerful, or as resonant as "Rabbit Hole." It's brilliant in that it never tries to tell us what to think or how to feel. It doesn't make assertions about who's right and who's wrong. It presents people as they actually are in a grieving state; whichever side we choose - and naturally, we will choose - is dependent not on the filmmaker's motives, but solely on what we personally bring to the film. The performances are amongst the most compelling of any recently given. A movie this good deserves more than a place on a critic's top ten list. It also deserves special attention from audiences, for as of now, they're unlikely to come across one with a better understanding of human nature. This is one of the year's best films.
22 April 2012
One of The Best Movies I Have Seen
How can you lose with a cast that includes Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart and Dianne Wiest. I am not much of a Drama movie fan but this is one of the best ever. You can easily identify with the characters and understand their different views on the subject matter. Nicole was an Academy Award nominee for this film and it is easy to see why. She is perhaps the best actress of this generation. This film will make you laugh, cry and feel better for having seen it. You will be talking about this movie long after it's over. I have recommended this film to many many friends and every one of my friends loved it. If you see one drama film this year, make it "Rabbit Hole".
Beginthebeguine 16 April 2012
Very deep hopeful film--Oscar worthy
Actor John Cameron Mitchell directs a wonderful film version ofPulitzer Prize winning author David Lindsay-Abaire's play which theplay write adapted himself. Nicole Kidman (Becca) and her husband(Howie) have just lost their son and are trying to pick up the piecesof their lives. Slowly, the events of that terrible day are revealedand we see a family in distress. Nothing is working for Becca as shetries to come to terms with her loss. Howie remains in grief therapyafter Becca bails, but neither can communicate with each other anymore.Becca finds little solace from her family and seeks out a young adultnamed Jason (Miles Teller) who was involved in the events that endedher sons life. Howie becomes involved with Gaby (Sandra Oh) a womanfrom his grief group. Both are reaching out to others due to the wallthat their son's death has placed between them. In the end they areable to work through the wall and provide that healing touch that canonly exist in their own relationship.This is certainly a Kidman tour-de-force, she produces and acts herefor the first time in tandem. She hand picked Eckhart for his role, andfrom the dynamics of the two actors working together; made an inspiredchoice. Dianne Wiest as Becca's mother "Nat" was convincing as the,perhaps, not intellectual, but worldly sage who guides the hero (Becca)toward finding the answers she needs to heal both her life and herfamily. Sandra Oh delivers her usual spot on performance and new comerTeller is competent, but perhaps a bit lost in such a stellar cast asthis. Nevertheless, this is a fine production and a deep film. Thesubject matter is far too deep for teenage date night, and perhaps toofrightening for young couples. Individuals, like myself, who have losta child of their own will appreciate it; as will others who know thehealing process is complicated but can be achieved with hope andpatience. Excellent film...
15 April 2012
Life Plays By Its Own Rules
Bottom-Line: "Rabbit Hole" is a smartly written, superbly acted and well worth the discovery. Now this is Oscar material!Life has few rules it is honored bound to adhere to. I have heard it said over and over again we--parents--should not survive our children. Why? Where is it written? Who said? Who, or what degreed it so; certainly not life? But when it happens, when our children die before us, how then do we--the parents, the adults--deal with the empty hole, the grief, the sorrow, the guilt left in deaths' wake? Such question s and many more are posed, but never fully answered in "Rabbit Hole" (2010) staring Nicole Kidman (Moulin Rouge, The Hours, Eyes Wide Shut) and Aaron Eckhart (The Dark Knight, Battle: Los Angeles, Towelhead) as Becca and Howie the grieving parent of a four-year-old boy killed after his dog runs into street and struck by a car driven by Jason (Miles Teller). The StoryDirected by John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Shortbus, Girl 6), Rabbit Hole, which is based on a play by David Lindsay-Abaire, opens on the couple eight months after the death of their child. They are not coping well; each is trying to figure out how to cope with the loss. They have joined a support group and befriend Gaby (Sandra Oh ~ Grey's Anatomy, Sideways, Hard Candy) and Rick (Jon Tenney ~ The Closer, Beverly Hills Cop II). But Becca soon tires of the group and stops going, and Rick leaves Gaby, leaving Howie and Gaby to form a closer relationship.Meanwhile Becca's sister Izzy (Tammy Blanchard ~ The Good Shepherd, Bella) turns up pregnant by her musician boyfriend Auggie (Giacarlo Esposito ~ The Usual Suspects, Smoke, Do The Right Thing). And Gaby and her mother Nat (Dianne Wiest ~ I Am Sam, Edward Scissorhands, The Lost Boys) are continually at odds... My ThoughtsThere is a telling scene in "Rabbit Hole," wherein the couple is at a grief support group and another member quips that the reason her children was taken is so that God could create another Angel. Kidman's character's Becca take exception to that and asks why God would need to take her son in order to make an Angel; isn't he God after all, and couldn't he create all of the Angel's he needed without taking her son and causing her co much grief? The scene is central and that is point out there is no playbook when It comes to handling grief, there is not playbook, we all handle it in our own way, some successfully, some not so successfully. Rabbit Hole, which is vivid, emotionally powerful, but ultimately hopeful--at least I found it hopeful--may prove too depressing for some, while other may find it cathartic. Both Kidman and Eckhart do a masterful job of relating the pain and sort of life-in-limbo spell a premature death can give birth to. Both characters gingerly and painfully step towards some sense of normalcy throughout the film. Becca seeks to come to grips with her loss by connecting with the teenager whose hit her son with his car, befriending him as a way to make sense of it all, while Howie is deeply angry but has not viable place to direct it. Although they share the same sphere of sorrow, they are disconnected from each other, intimacy is missing as is love-making, but they still love one another enough to stay together and try to put their lives back together again.Rabbit Hole does not attempt to cover ground already well-trod; instead we are given a glimpse of two lives ripped apart by grief, rage and unimagined sorrow, but instead of trying to fix what is wrong with the couple, we are taken inside their lives as they struggle to move past their loss onto the next part of their lives. Neither quite knows how to get there and Rabbit Hole does attempt to tell us how, because there is no magic formula, no shinny pill, no life plan that will fix it. Regrettably Rabbit Hole has an all too short run at the box office; too bad, because this is the sort of adult film that is sorely missing from the American cinematic landscape. Rabbit Hole is a smartly written, superbly acted and well worth the discovery. Now this is Oscar material!
RealtorMatthew 10 April 2012
Rabbit Hole - what a masterpiece
Rabbit Hole: a fitting title for a movie that sucks you in from thevery beginning. With a strong cast, a plot that leaves no stoneunturned, and incredible directing that was no overwrought, this movieis one of the most underrated in 2010. The movie fascinates watcherswith its warmth, reflection, and a real-life perspective of someone whohas lost a child. No problems are solved completely, but meaningfulconversations are exchanged and the burden becomes slightly easier tobear. I couldn't get enough of the dialogue. Quite simply, it was justbeautifully made.I think it was a smart choice to start the movie after the deathoccurs. We don't need to see what happened so much as how thecharacters deal with it.Although in the beginning Nicole Kidman reveals a little bit of herAustralian dialect, the rest of the movie she is believable as anAmerican mother who has lost her son. Becca (Nicole Kidman) plays themother who's 4-year old son car killed in a car accident. Her characteris bitter, cynical, mad, and not receptive to traditional channels ofhelp, i.e. group therapy. The essence of her character lies in theresponse to other of the other group members, "Why didn't God just makeanother angel?" One of the most touching scenes is when she isexamining her son's painting on the refrigerator all alone with herthoughts. You can just feel the sadness and despair. As she attempts toget a job with her former employer we find out all of her formercolleagues are gone, showing us that life went on without her.When not at home, most of her time is spent stalking the boy who killedher son, Jason (played by Miles Teller). Over time she develops arelationship with him, one in which they both can almost lean on eachother, in an effort to be comforted. Becca needs this as her and herhusband Howie (Aaron Eckhart) are continually fighting over keepingmemories of their son or getting a fresh start by not clinging to whathas gone.The relationship between Becca and her mom Nat (Dianne Wiest) waswell-done, as we find out that Nat also lost a child at 30 years ofage. The mother-daughter dynamic is shown it its full glory, andbecause of what happened to both of them the relationship was strong,but also, strained, as Nat attempted to compare the deaths side byside, which infuriates Becca. The words offered by Nat in the laundryroom scene were certainly impactful and calming As the story progressesJason & Becca become close, and we come to learn more about the movie'stitle. We see both of them vulnerable with their guards down, justtrying to understand and come to grips with what has happened. Beccalearns to car about Jason, which is the opposite of how Howie feelsabout him.The relationship with Becca and Jason is very special, as deeperconcepts involving parallel universes are discussed, leaving us withthe possibility that they exist in other universe being happy."Somewhere out there I'm having a good time". Wonderful.Tender subjects are explored superbly, with a no-holds barred approach.Topics such as sex after a child's death, possible infidelity issues,and deleting a treasured video by mistake.The ending is beautiful and well-orchestrated. I have nothing negativeto say about this movie. It's utterly a treasure 10/10 stars
Howard Schumann 09 April 2012
A precipitous mountain to climb
"In this world of change naught which comes stays and naught which goesis lost"  Anne Sophie Swetchine.When someone dies unexpectedly, the news is always shocking andsaddening, especially for those who know the individual personally.When a young child dies, however, the tragedy of the event for thefamily is beyond anyone's capacity to even imagine. Based on a scriptby David Lindsay-Abaire from his Pulitzer Prize-winning play of thesame name, John Cameron Mitchell's Rabbit Hole depicts the grief of ayoung couple, Becca (Nicole Kidman) and her husband Howie (AaronEckhart) after their four-year old son Danny is killed by a teenagedriver when he runs into the street chasing his dog.Though Becca and Howie are materially comfortable and live in an upperclass suburban home, they are not spared from tragedy, anequal-opportunity antagonist that does not care about economiccircumstances. The film begins eight months after Danny's death as thegrieving parents are struggling to create some degree of a newnormalcy. Despite their earnest efforts, however, it is a precipitousmountain to climb. Each copes with their loss differently but both areoverwhelmed by the seeming meaninglessness of the tragedy. God must bea "sadistic prick", bemoans Becca. Howie buries himself at work while,at home in his own quiet space, he constantly replays a video of Dannythat he captured on his cell phone. Becca spends time working in hergarden, baking, and spending time with her younger sister Izzy (TammyBlanchard) who has become pregnant by an itinerant musician.Becca and Howie agree to attend a group therapy but the group dynamicsare a shock to Becca. She calls a group member, Gaby (Sandra Oh), a"professional wallower" when she tells her that she has been attendingthe sessions for eight years. When another participant says that Godtook their daughter because he needed another angel, Becca angrily askswhy a supposedly omnipotent God could not have simply created an angelif he needed one. After she refuses to attend any more sessions, Beccaand Howie begin to drift even further apart, each finding an externaloutlet to channel their hurt.Howie smokes marijuana with Gaby whose husband has just left her buttheir relationship ends when Howie tells her that he still loves hiswife. In her need to keep Danny close to her, Becca spends time withJason (Miles Teller), the teenage boy who was behind the wheel whenDanny was killed. Trying to make some sense of the tragedy, they talkabout the possibility of parallel universes, but the sadness of whatmight have been is etched on Becca's face. She also struggles with herperception of the insensitivity of her mother (Dianne Weist) when shecompares Danny's death to the death of her thirty-year-old son,(Becca's brother) who was a heroin addict. In a moving scene, hermother says from the depth of her heart, " .but he was still my son".Deeply felt is the sense that the cause of the death of a child ispallid compared to the actual reality of the death.The parent's relationship threatens to come further apart when Howieblames his wife for wanting to remove any trace of Danny from the houseafter she begins to get rid of Danny's clothes and toys and accusesBecca of erasing the video of Danny that he kept on his cell phone.Rabbit Hole is a poignant and tastefully made film that rejectsaudience manipulation and melodrama. Miles Teller as the awkward,remorseful Jason is one of the standout performers in a superb castthat includes Oscar-worthy work by Kidman and Dianne Weist. Thedirector keeps emotions under control, perhaps more than is necessary,however, and the film's unwillingness to take risks somewhat dilutesits power.Whatever it's flaws, Rabbit Hole is an affecting look at two deeplywounded individuals fighting a long and difficult battle to stay afloatand begin life anew. When Becca asks of Howie, "What next?" he saysthat we can go to the toy store and buy the game Candyland for theirniece. After a moment of silence, Becca asks, "Then what?" There is noanswer but there is a hint of hope. Ultimately, perhaps all there is todo may be, in John Ruskin's phrase, "to watch the corn grow, and theblossoms set; to draw hard breath over ploughshare or spade; to read,to think, to love, to hope, to pray and, in the words of ElizabethLesser, "to relax into the mystery of not knowing. And then to comeinto a peaceful knowing  a faithful wisdom that surpasses control andcertainty."
yannispanourgias 06 April 2012
Beautiful plot & characters
Beautiful cast. I had started doubting Kidman's acting talent but afterwatching this movie I understood that she definitely is an actress thatwill keep surprising us.I loved the plot of the movie. Quite different from the "familytragedy" movies we've been used to.The comic book that Jason gives tothe grieving mother really made the difference. The bond that evolvesbetween the "killer" of the Becca's son and the 100% changed Becca. Thethoughts of Howie on cheating his wife.Although the end of the movie was not a big surprise I really loved thelast scene of it. Quite touching.
05 April 2012
Good, Solid Effort
This type of drama is not new. It involves a family trying to deal with the loss of a loved one. In this case it's the loss of a couple's only son (a 4 year old hit by a car). To make it stand above the fray you need good writing, acting and a unique approach. This movie has all three. Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart play the grieving parents. Both, for the most part, do a fine job. I'm glad Nicole is finding life after Tom Cruise. She IS good and she shows it here. Eckhart is always good and, with the exception of one scene, doesn't disappoint here. The writing is generally good. I liked the way the story unfolded. They didn't heap things on you all at once. The viewer is gradually introduced to the various facets of the story. Kidman is generally set up as the bad guy. She's the more unyielding of the two when it comes to 'moving on.' Aaron is trying but is discovered to be just as unyielding when it comes to one important aspect of the situation. The directing, set design and all the things that make a good movie good are all at a professional level here. As good as the writing is, it does take some bad turns in the third act. There are some clunky scenes and one in particular where Eckhart overacts considerably. In another Dianne Wiest spouts wisdom beyond her character. But overall this is a good movie. There were some good insights and they didn't try to tie things up at the end. Life is messy and things don't always work out. There isn't always an end in sight and I'm glad these film makers figured that out.
29 March 2012
4 stars for acting
As many have mentioned before, the acting in this movie is very, very well done.In fact, in many ways this seems more a movie by actors for actors than it is a movie for the public.By that,I mean viewers of this movie can appreciate the acting ability ...... and other actors can study the dynamics, even if the movie itself goes nowhere.What do I mean by going nowhere ?The movie of course focuses on a couple grieving the loss of their child.This is already a difficult story to develop into a 2 hour movie.In the film, the story does not really move past being a collection of "different scenes of grieving in different ways".It is sort of stagnant in that regard.In fact, both my wife and I remarked to each other that considering the sad nature of the story, neither of us felt the least bit of emotional involvement in the film.It did not touch us, or stir even the beginnings of a tear of wave of sadness.Just kind of bland and distant.But again, the acting is exceptional and I am sure Kidman and the others will always be proud of the work they did on this film from an artistic sense.So the film wins 4 stars for the professionalism and acting performances ........ not the overall film itself.
Jim Beller 29 March 2012
One of the most satisfying movies of 2010
Initially, I avoided this movie because I read this sentence summary onIMDb: "Life for a happy couple is turned upside down after their youngson dies in an accident." This sounded like a real downer. Yesterday,my wife and I had to decide between Another Year, The Company Men, andthis movie. I checked out some of the reviews on Metacritic and IMDb and found somethat said Rabbit Hole was inspiring and the other two, although good,could be depressing. We decided to go to Rabbit Hole and I'm so glad wedid. I already knew the acting would be excellent and it was. I also foundthe cinematography to be very good and the story of coping with deathof a child to be surprisingly up-lifting. I didn't find the film in anyway to be difficult to watch.Make no mistake about it, if you like independent films like the King'sSpeech, you're probably going to like this movie and you might love itas my wife and I do. Normally, I wouldn't give a move a 10, but this isdefinitely at least a 9 and I gave it a 10 so more people wouldpossibly go and see it.
Tony 25 March 2012
Quiet, Contemplative
Producer Nicole Kidman's dream project (according to a 12/10/10 "NewYork Times" article) comes to the screen as an investigation of howpeople grieve, don't grieve, and (hopefully) heal.As a cost-cutting measure, this digitally shot (Red) film centers on acouple who lost their son when a young driver swerves to avoid the dogthe four year chased into the street.Eight months later, the grieving couple struggles within differentgrief Universes. The husband, more inclined to move on and feel thepain; the wife stuck in anger and bewilderment.Comparisons to "A Single Man" are in order. "Rabbit Hole" is as morose,yet affords a peek at the possibility of sharing grief compared tosolitary, internal expression.The couple attends a grief support group whose mourners representdifferent aspects of grief: Bible thumpers thanking God for makinganother angel; grief junkie eight year veterans who offer anunappealing vision of the couple's future.Add a terrific performance by Dianne Weist as Kidman's mother, she wholost her junkie son, and Kidman's brother, age 30.Kidman's n'er do well sister spices up the drama when she becomespregnant.There is palpable tension in every frame until the couple comes tologgerheads over sex and the husband's desire to have another child.Both wishes vehemently denied by the wife."Rabbit Hole" is the name of a comic book about parallel Universes,alternate outcomes. The comic is conceived by the young driver Kidmanliterally stalks in a desperate attempt to find answers to the tragedy.An emotional (non-sexual) triangle forms between husband and wife withthe driver at the apex.The drama peaks when the husband seeks sex (but doesn't physicalize)with a woman (Sandra Oh) from the support group. She too is hungry asspouse abandoned her. Simultaneously, the wife surreptitiously watchesthe driver leave for the Prom. She's awakened by the driver afterspending the night camped in front of his home.After threading these personal labyrinths, the couple reunites. Thereis no happy love-conquers-all ending here. Just the vaguest hint ofpromise as the wife takes the husband's hand.The slow pace may bore some, as might the delicate subtlety andrequirement to pay close attention. Every word, action and look hasmeaning and moves the story. It is a slow build to a low plateau, but,given the circumstances, it's quite a step for this sad, confused andangry couple. Real healing has a glimmer of a beginning.Aaron Eckart is a bit out of his depth here. His forced performancedrags the proceedings down a notch, and he doesn't hold attention inscenes with Kidman who has done better work ("Dogville").Miles Teller as the driver seems to have taken a fistful of Xanaxbefore each scene, or Spock popped in from some Universe and hit himwith phaser set to stun. He is ineffective in this pivotal role."Rabbit Hole" exists on the border of subtlety and the hypnagogic. Thedrift between them causes the well-intentioned film to go down a bithard. There's also a staginess from the play that pops up here andthere. So be it.Be prepared: the servings are cut a bit fine. It's a film one says of,"why isn't this better, given the (mostly good) cast and material?" Toomuch stage, not enough screen. Theoretically, alternative Universeshave modulation, similarities and vast differences. Unfortunately, onlyone Universe exists here. Its name is boring.
red_identity 25 March 2012
Powerful and gripping
Serious dramas generally have more ambition and meaning than theregular Hollywood blockbusters, but they are also several timessometimes too sentimental, and unoriginal based on their approach formelodrama. I mean, one knows what to expect in a sort of film likethis, and while Rabbit Hole is certainly another heavy drama, it stillfeels rather unique and personally motivated.The screenplay is effective, having strong characterization that isonly helped by a strong cast. Nicole Kidman is powerful here, and onecan get quickly tired of an actor boasting out serious performancesthat are all the same, but this is not the case. I found Kidman totallyimmersed into her character, certainly sometimes flawed butsympathetic. Aaron Eckhart I believe is a very underrated actor and healso shines here, as does Diane Wiest. There are subtle and quietmoments in the film that are very effective, and that is why thereshould be no spoilers to this type of film.Ultimately, Rabbit Hole is definitely worth watching because even ifyou are tired of these types of dramas that are to an extent made forawards, one cannot deny that Rabbit Hole was made with passion andskill to the highest degree.