:
Jeff Bridges,
Jeff Bridges,
Kim Basinger,
more...
:
Tod Williams,
Tod Williams
see all cast/crew...
: 
: Universal Studios
: Drama
: 111 min.
: English, French
: English, Spanish, French
see additional details...
|
|
Tod Williams served as both director and screenwriter for this drama, adapted from a portion of John Irving's novel A Widow for One Year. Ted and Marion Cole (Jeff Bridges and Kim Basinger) are a couple whose marriage is on the verge of collapse. After their two teenage sons died in an auto accident, Marion fell into a deep depression from which she has never fully emerged. Meanwhile, Ted has drifted into repeated infidelity, his most recent mistress being the sexually ravenous Mrs. Vaughn (Mimi Rogers), and neither Ted nor Marion are willing or able to devote their full attention to their surviving daughter, Ruth (Elle Fanning). Ted, a successful author of books for children, hires Eddie (Jon Foster), a bright 16-year-old prep-school student, to help him edit his latest manuscript. But Ted is fully aware that Eddie bears a striking resemblance to one of his late sons -- and that this would have a powerful effect on Marion. Eddie quickly develops a strong attraction to his employer's beautiful wife, and Marion, torn between grief and desire, draws him into a sexual relationship that brings the family's many emotional crises to the breaking point. The Door in the Floor also features Bijou Phillips and Louis Arcella. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
|
| A Very Poor Irving Rendering (more like Clifford than John)
by talltale
December 21, 2004 - 2:36 AM PST
|
|
|
2 out of 3 members found this review helpful
|
| THE DOOR IN THE FLOOR is based on part of a John Irving novel, but you'd never know it from the tone-dead rendering that's made it to the screen. The movie begins slowly and leads you to imagine it may be some kind of tragedy. Then it switches over to an older woman/teenager sex orgy. Soon it's become a flat-out unfaithful husband vs. revengeful housewife farce. After which it tries to go back to its tragic mold. Jeff Bridges is never less than believable and often exceptionally good, but he can't begin to save this piece of trash. Kim Basinger gives yet another one-note performance that grows boring even faster than her usual. (I realize she's playing a grieving mother, but you still want to shake her periodically and yell "Wake up and do something REAL!") Jon Foster--the kid--is fine, but like the rest of the cast, he's fighting an uphill battle. Even Broadway's Donna Murphy comes off as cheap--not an easy thing to accomplish. Writer/director Tod Williams seems to be missing a "d" and a lot of other characteristics important to a good moviemaker, if this "tasteful" schlockfest is any indication. P-U. |
|
|
GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 5.34)
29 Votes
add to list 
|
|
|
Your cart
© 2006 All Media Guide, LLC. Portions of content provided by All Movie Guide®,
a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.