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May 2011-Rabbit Hole (2010)
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Yes we are! I'm preparing my Q&A now. I'll post in a few minutes. Uh...while I'm working on this...someone needs to get their thoughts together for June's pick...not mentioning names Davina! LOL
1) Did you think the acting was good? Why or why not?Aaron Eckhart did a superb job IMO. He exceeded all of my expectations and I had originally thought that Kidman would have been the one to shine. I wanted the mother to have more of a breakout moment but she really didn't get that opportunity. Sandra Oh, is always great but she was very bland in this.
2) What did you think of the story?
I thought long and hard about this question because this film was very difficult for me to watch and very intense (emotionally). I thought the execution of the human emotions was well done. The friction between Howie and Becca was well played out. The couple could barely hold onto the facade of being okay and normal during their time of grief. I think that the mother was trying to let Becca know that it was okay to feel a certain way about the loss of a child. I felt the director really caught the essence of life (the teenager struggling to move on, going to college etc) and death (the couple's grief).
3) Do you think Howie and Becca was trying to move on?
There was some debate in my house about this. Some people felt that only one person was trying to move on and the other was holding on. For me, I had thought that Becca was resistant to the change in her life and had a hard time dealing with her son's death. At times, I definitely saw her internalizing her emotions. However, midway through the film I felt there was shift and it was Howie who was having trouble. I think they both were trying to move forward but they had different approaches.
4)There is a scene where Howie and Becca argue because he realizes his son's video is deleted from his phone. Howie accuses her of trying to rid them of the memories of their son. Did you feel that Becca was trying to erase the memory of their son?
If I would have seen that scene in the beginning of the movie, I would say yes to this question. Since it didn't come until later, I'm going to say no. I felt that she wasn't trying to erase him but the belongings, dog, videos, etc were suffocating to her. I think the way that she coped with it was to remove those items from everyday sight.
5) If you could reshoot/ recast the film what would you do differently and why?
I would not do anything differently. Though Kidman's icy performance initially didn't spark anything from me, I later came to see the sorrow that she carried around. Her performance was slow to appreciate.
6) What was your favorite scene?
The part where Howie and Becca fight over the video. It was real conversation about their son. They were tiptoeing around the situation until that scene.
I also liked when she had the altercation with the lady in the supermarket. It felt real to me. Maybe b/c I do internalize some of my emotions and when I see something that reminds me of what I'm going through, I react.
7) Put yourself in Becca's shoes, would you have been able to have accept the teenage boy's reason (can't say it was a direct apology) for what had happened to your son? Would you have reached out to him?
In the beginning, I thought the boy was somehow a reminder of her son and that was why she was stalking him. I don't know if anybody else got confused by that.
No. I wouldn't have communicated with him but I do believe that I wouldn't have blamed him. I think my reaction probably would have resembles Howie's performance in the kitchen when the boy walks in. He knew that the boy wasn't to blame but the pain would have been too great to talk to him.
8) Did you enjoy the film? Or did you curse me for picking this film? LOL. Share your thoughts.
I actually enjoyed this film. The beginning moved slow and I questioned why did I pick this. I swore everyone was going to hate me for this one. LOL. Then it really picked up and explored the depth in which each lead coped with their loss. This film was a risk taker. The subject matter is very dark and heavy. It could have easily been too much and went south but the director and actors did a good job. Overall, this still might not be a film that most would enjoy due to how dark it is.
Because I'm still in the mindset to inquire about this film, I started to look at some of the reviews. I notice that people mention there was some comic relief to ease the tension. Do anyone agree with this? I didn't find anything funny. In fact, I was trying not to absorb too many of the emotions displayed throughout the film.Also, I was a bit confused about one part and maybe somebody can clear this up for me. At the end, Howie is telling Becca what they would do at the party. Who was the couple they invited? They had a daughter and Becca thought the wife was upset with her. I'm confused. I had dozed off watching this and though I had went back, I think I missed something.
Did you enjoy the ending?I didn't think there should have been much more added. I kind of figured that they was going to try to work out their relationship.
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Fairly good all round performances, though for me Kidman's performance didn't seem to stand out as much as it did for others (she was nominated for an Oscar for this portrayal). If I had to nominate anyone for an award it would've been Eckhart or the lady who plays Kidman's mother. To me Kidman plays all her dramatic roles the same way. Her performance in Rabbit Hole reminded me a lot of her performance in Birth where her character was also dealing with the grief from having lost a loved one. She brought nothing fresh to role.
The lady who plays the mother (Jessica something) on the other hand did an awesome job imo. She gave a very nuanced performance -- very poignant in its subtlety.
2) What did you think of the story?
There wasn't very much originality to the story. I mean how many movies have you seen with this same theme? I can think of a few though the names escape me, but this is not my main complaint since the human experience is repetitive. What didn't impress me was the film's execution. In almost every case where its a husband and wife dealing with grief they always deal with it differently and this difference in the handling of grief provides the main conflict for the story. This is what I think is boring. Overall nothing stood out to me since I've seen this execution of the theme so many times before.
3) Do you think Howie and Becca was trying to move on?
No. I think they were two people who were still very much caught in the throes of grief and any attempt which appeared as if they were trying to move on was to me a defense mechanism against what they were really feeling. I think this was particularly true for Kidman's character. She wanted to erase the child's existence from memory in an "out of sight, out of mind" kind of way while Eckhart's character wanted to keep reliving the past as if the child was still with them (in other words he didn't want to face reality). Both these approaches trapped the characters, restricting them from coming to terms with the passing of their beloved child.
4)There is a scene where Howie and Becca argue because he realizes his son's video is deleted from his phone. Howie accuses her of trying to rid them of the memories of their son. Did you feel that Becca was trying to erase the memory of their son?
Well, I don't think she deliberately deleted the video. I think it was an accident like she said, but in the grand scheme of things yes I do think she was trying to obliterate all memory of the child because if there's nothing around to remind her of him then I suppose she thought it would be easier for her to deal with him not being there.
5) If you could reshoot/ recast the film what would you do differently and why?
It's been a while since I saw the film so I can't recall my initial response to how the film was shot and what I would change in this regard, if anything.
If I could recast the film ... well, I don't know if I would change anyone. Maybe Kidman since I'm a bit sick of how she plays dramatic roles, but don't ask me who I'd put in her place because I don't know.
6) What was your favorite scene?
I can't recall. Perhaps the scene where Eckhart went apeshit on the boy? It's been a while so I'm just putting random tidbits of what I do remember out there. I do recall the scenes I didn't like, though. I hated the scene with Kidman at those meetings. She came off so elitist and judgmental. Also didn't enjoy the scenes with Eckhart and Oh (though I do like her as actress).
7) Put yourself in Becca's shoes, would you have been able to have accept the teenage boy's reason (can't say it was a direct apology) for what had happened to your son? Would you have reached out to him?
I can't imagine what I'd do or how I'd react to someone who'd accidentally taken the life of one of my sons. To be honest, I don't even want to imagine it. I don't know if an apology would ever be enough, but I'd like to think that I'd be able to forgive if not forget. However, I just don't know what I'd do and I hope I'd never have to find out. ::shudder::
8) Did you enjoy the film? Or did you curse me for picking this film? LOL. Share your thoughts.
LOL. No! It wasn't one of my top films of the year, but it was okay enough. I was able to view it in one sitting! lol It also provided a great opportunity for sub text analysis which is what brings out the movie buff in me! LOL
9) Did you enjoy the ending
Omg, I can't remember the ending! Can you jog my memory? hehehe
ETA: Ok now that you mentioned the party and the daughter of the best friend, my memory is coming back. I don't know if that's the ending I would have written if it was my story, but I think it served its purpose in showing us that this is the moment when Howie and Becca are really trying to move on and come to terms with their loss. Their earlier attempts were just avoiding the problem -- sweeping it under the rug so to speak. This time, however, they're letting people in, trying to find the people they used to be before the boy passed. It's a baby step (as the scene with them staring off into the distance depicts), but a step in the right direction nonetheless.
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I agree. As a mother, this was a somewhat difficult movie to watch. My kids are grown, but I still live in constant fear that something may happen to one of them. I guess its just a mom thing. If a few days go by and I don't hear anything from them I get antsy. So while I was able to keep most of the negative emotions at bay this movie really did put me in a head space I'd rather not revisit.
I can't recall any funny moments. I think there were some scenes where the characters were trying to be light-hearted and forget their problems for a while, but Becca carried around the burden of her grief with her, putting a damper on the atmosphere. For eg, when it was her sister's birthday (baby shower?) and they were at the bowling alley. I complained about Kidman's portrayal, I know, but at the same time I know people in real life like her character. Not bad people by any stretch of the imagination, but people who deal with their emotions in a rather negative way.
As for the couple Howie was referring to, I think it was Becca's best friend and her family.
Davina, you didn't watch it again to refresh your memory? Sketchy answers. LOL.I happen to agree with you on the scenes with Kidman at the meeting. She really annoyed me because I felt like she didn't take it seriously. Sandra Oh really didn't need to be in this movie but I guess she had her little purpose.
I never seen Birth so I can't compare. Is it depressing like this film?
So I'm assuming for #7, you would not reach out to the boy.
See I had a problem with her at the bowling alley too. She made the party feel awkward, especially after she tried to snatch the gift back from her sister. The tug of war pissed me of. Her grief and her negative emotions is why the mother mentioned to her that she didn't know if she could discuss the death with her.
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What I liked about Birth was that visually it was a fairly good film. Kidman has her strong moments in this -- for eg there's a scene in which the camera focuses on her in a close up for several seconds and the play of emotion she was able to put across on her face was good. But again, I wish she'd move out of her comfort zone a bit and approach these dramatic roles from a different angle. She's too static for my taste. As for the story, it was more weird than depressing, iirc. In this one it was the loss of a husband rather than a son that was the source of her grief so it was easier to stomach. That said, the series of events that occurred in this film was ... well, weird. I can't think of a better word right now to describe it. I'd recommend you see it. To me it was far more interesting than Rabbit Hole. RH is a drama, while Birth is more of a thriller/drama.
#7 Like I said, I don't know what I'd do personally. I don't want to think about it since the thought is so scary. If I was directing the movie ... I don't know if I'd have the character reach out to him either. I don't really understand Becca's motivation in wanting to know him, and if I can't understand the characters motivation then I can't understand their actions. I'm not saying I'd make the character become abusive like Howie, but I don't know that I'd make the character become chums with him either.
I don't know, Davina. I had enough of the depressing films to tell you the truth.I was teasing you. This is not a movie to watch over and over again. Once is good enough!
I hope this film is good enough for everyone. I sort of randomly pick this without thinking :)