In the Bedroom
- Director: Todd Field
- Writer: Robert Festinger / Todd Field (from the short story “Killings” by Andre Dubus)
- Producer: Todd Field / Ross Kats / Graham Leader
- Studio: Miramax
- Cast: Tom Wilkinson, Sissy Spacek, Marisa Tomei, Nick Stahl
- Length: 138 min
- Genre: Drama
- Rating: R
- My Rating: ****
- Oscar Nominations: Picture, Adapted Screenplay, Actor (Wilkinson), Actress (Spacek), Supporting Actress (Tomei)
- Nightbird Nominations: Adapted Screenplay, Actor (Wilkinson), Actress (Spacek), Supporting Actress (Tomei)
It begins with a seed of anger. As it is cultivated, it begins to fill the void that has been left by an unbearable loss. The loss of a child, caused by the adrenaline-fueled pull of a trigger.
We see the doctor, a careful man, kind to his patients, quietly going through a midlife crisis, wondering just where his life has gone and how he became the man he is. Then we see his wife, an overprotective parent, serious about her work, a bit too judgmental. They are the Fowlers, and they have been married since college. They have one son; he is their world, and has never done anything to shake his parent’s feelings of pride towards him.
They are reasonably happy, well-liked by their neighbors, and above all, normal. They have never suffered through anything, have never felt profound pain or loss. That is, until their carefully constructed cocoon implodes.
They are thrust into new lives as people who they never thought they could become. They can’t imagine being “those people”, the ones who lost their son. The ones who thought they had it all figured out.
As they move cautiously through each agonizing day, that seed of anger begins to grow within them. It gives them something to ponder, a way to think about their ordeal without actually doing so. The course of their lives has been brutally altered and it has to be someone’s fault. He for forcing their son into making decisions he had no desire to make; she for criticizing his every action.
Their bitterness grows steadily until they can no longer contain it, until it develops into a full-blown rage. What follows is that explosive scene in the kitchen, in which they lose all of the love and respect that they have built through twenty-five years of marriage. They reveal unforgivable truths, speak words that no one should ever have to hear.
It is this emotionally violent scene that provides a perfect example of In the Bedroom‘s greatness. This is not something that we as an audience want to see, but it is a necessary turning point in the Fowler’s journey through grief. Writer/director Todd Field isn’t afraid to explore these uncomfortable but real emotions and situations, and he allows Tom Wilkinson and Sissy Spacek to lead the way as they each give their career-best performances.
Field has crafted an emotionally daring and complex work of art, the likes of which are rarely seen anymore. That it isn’t very easy to watch is an integral part to its success. Any film that can express these raw emotions in such a simple and straight-forward way should be commended, not enjoyed.
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