"The Cider House Rules"

"The Cider House Rules" is a movie that is rampant with contraversial issues including adultery, insest, but most prominently, abortion, but it's also a movie that I truly enjoyed. Despite its pro-abortion plot line, the film is still really well done.

This film relates to the text in many ways. The theme of this film is a persons duty to his or her society. After seeing countless back street abortions gone wrong, Dr. Larch has dedicated himself to society, even if what he is doing is wrong. Eventually, Homer takes his place and fulfills his duty to society as well. I think the director's purpose in making the film was to tell the audience that we all have a duty to society that we must fulfill.

The relationship of parts to the whole is prominent in this film. This is done through symbolism. The symbolism throughout the movie is represented through the rules hung up in the cider house. These rules represent the law. When Homer started reading the rules to the people who lived there, they dismissed them right away. This is because they felt that since the people who wrote the rules dont actually live in the cider house, they dont need to follow the rules that were made for them. Mr. Rose said himself, "We are the ones who make the rules." This is referencing the fact that the people who were getting abortions also think that the rules don't apply to them because they didn't make them, even though abortion was illegal. Another piece of symbolism represented by the list of rules is when Homer burned them in the stove. This scene was going back to the beginning of the movie when Homer would go outside to the large stove and burn the post-abortion babies. This action done by Homer is also foreshaddowing the doctor's death and how Homer will take his place. Just like the doctor, Homer will continue to "burn the rules" and carry out abortions illegally.

The film's level of ambition seeks to tell the audience that in some intances, abortion is not bad. The objective evaluation of the film tells us that the director has accomplished his ambition in the film. The film succeeds in what it is trying to do because of the heart-wrenching affair that is going on between Rose and her father. The director uses this approach to convince people that not all abortion is bad because there is not one person on this planet that would like to have their father's baby. The director uses insest to try to sway us to his side. However, he does fail at swaying us to his side at the beginning of the movie when mothers are getting abortions just because they don't want a baby. I think that this was apart of his plan though, to show us instances where he thinks abortion is wrong and other instances where he thinks abortion is right. 

The subjective evaluation of the film is how the viewer personally felt about the film. The overall feel of the film was pro-abortion. This kind of threw me off a little bit, for I am anti-abortion, but despite that, it was still a really good movie. The only thing that I am afraid of after watching this movie is that it will give people an excuse to get an abortion or make them feel better about their decisions because the director does give a convincing argument on instances where abortion should be allowed. This being said, I personally think it is still wrong no matter how you slice it.

In addressing the film as technical achievement, it is important not to focus on what the director is communicating, rather how the director is communicating. When referring to the film in this manner, the director does an excellent job at communicating. He uses the viewers' hearts and emotions to his advantage. He, figuratively speaking, hits us in our weak spots to get his point across, even if we don't believe in what he is trying to communicate.

The film as a showcase for the actor is displayed through Toby Maguire's acting. If Maguire wouldn't have done as good of a job as he did playing Homer, the whole film would have falled apart. He did an excellent job at his part and took his career to a whole other lever. We are so used to seeing Toby Maguire dressed up in a Spiderman suit that the role of Homer is a nice change. You really start to see his true acting skills come out when he doesn't have to hide behind a costume.

The film as a product of the director is shown through the placement of the director's morals throughout the film.In every movie a director makes, some of her personality of some of his beliefs end up in the story line. This is why I think that the director believes that abortion is only right in outstanding circumstances and cases, such as Rose's predicament.

Using the humanistic approach to the film, The Cider House Rules attempts to change and influence the beliefs that the viewer holds. Most people after seeing this movie are going to experience some kind of sympathy for Rose and what she has gone through. The film tries to change our views through Rose's character. She is a sweet, caring individual who didn't deserve the cards she were delt. This is how the film tries to convince us and also why the film is an emotional experience. However, the viewer has to keep in mind that we are all delt cards that we don't necessarily deserve. Cancer, death, and violence affect people everyday. It's just how you respond to the cards that you are delt that will determine the outcome.

As you can see through many different ways of analyzing this film, The Cider House Rules is a well made and well thought through film, despite your own personal beliefs on the topic of abortion.