The Door in the Floor

"The Door in the Floor" may be one of the best movies so far this year. It offers a moving experience and memorable characters that you will not soon forget.

The story is an adaptation of the best-selling novel, "A Widow for One Year" by John Irving (who also wrote "The World According to Garp" and "The Cider House Rules"). I haven't read the book, but the screenplay by writer/director Tod Williams is so good that it's hard to imagine that it doesn't do justice to its source. (Apparently, the book spans many decades in the life of this family; that's certainly a different approach than what is presented in the film.) Applause to Tod again for his brilliant direction in which he obtains sensitive, extraordinary performances from the sterling cast.

Jeff Bridges is sublime as Ted Cole, a children's book author. His character dominates the plot and it's an Academy Award level portrayal. Bridges only gets better with time, and he is at the top of his form here. In a more understated, introspective role, Kim Basinger plays Ted's wife, Marion Cole. It's another performance deserving of Academy Award notice. Basinger's beauty is only exceeded by the depth of her acting ability. Elle Fanning, younger sister of the talented ten-year-old Dakota Fanning ("I Am Sam", "The Cat in the Hat", "Man on Fire") is an amazing, natural talent as young Ruth, daughter of Ted and Marion.

Jon Foster plays teenaged Eddie O'Hare in yet another superlative job of acting in this movie. Mimi Rogers supports well as Mrs. Vaughn. Her filmography notes she was born in January 1956, which makes her 48 years old. Few actresses would have the ability to play this movie role. She appears in a tense scene, fully nude, and filmed from every angle while she is revolved on a life model's turntable. Wow! More power to her!

"The Door in the Floor" title comes from one of Ted's children's books. We hear the story as Ted does a reading before a local audience. It is clear from the outset that the Cole family is in a state of severe distress, which relates to earlier losses of two sons. Writer/director Tod Williams is masterful in carrying the audience through the gradual and painful exposition of what happened to the couple's children, Tommy and Timothy.

Pleased be aware that all of the principals (except Ruthie) are seen in various stages of nudity in this film -- front, side, back and on top of one another. Everything is shown with great subtlety and sensitivity within the delicate context of the film. There was certainly no prurient interest in any of it. All of the nude scenes are handled in a realistic and matter-of-fact way. For example, little Ruthie sees her father naked, which some viewers may find objectionable, but which certainly works within the context of this film.

This is a movie for all seasons. It's still early in the year and we can only hope that "The Door in the Floor," with its wonderful script, direction, editing, and acting, will still be remembered as we approach nominations for the best films at the end of the year. Go out of your way to see this A++ accomplishment.

My wife and I just got back from "The Door in the Floor", and I have to say that I found the film to be complex, deep, and intense. We will be hearing about nominations at Oscar time. There are many, many ways that people react to tragedy, and withdrawing the way that Marion Cole did is certainly common. We have friends that lost their eldest daughter to a congenital heart problem a year and a half ago, and I can tell you that he (the dad) reacted just that way, although he went down the alcoholic route, along with distancing himself from his other two children, because he couldn't face his daughter's death. He finally walked out on the entire family much like Marion did. If you think that it can't happen the way that it did in the film, think again.

The performances by Jeff Bridges and Kim Basinger were spot-on perfect. Henry Fonda once said the secret of great actors was that they never let the audience see the wheels turning. I thought that Jeff's performance was one of his best, maybe even better than he was in "Fearless", although that is certainly arguable. I still liked Kim Basinger better in "L.A. Confidential", but this performance is certainly up there at the top.

I certainly intend to see this again, and will end up buying the DVD for my video library. I just love well-written character-driven dramas, and this is certainly one of the better ones.

Having just seen this movie I cannot believe Jeff Bridges was not nominated for this performance (but after Paul Giametti getting overlooked this year, what do you expect) Perhaps people don't know what good acting is: not 'ACTING' but truth, naturalness, and a revelation of how people really behave--but Jeff is so subtle and unshowy that he just becomes the part (Kim Basinger was first rate too)Put this film up against the pretentious and showy twaddle that was American Beauty, and we see what a farce the Oscars really are. The monologue towards the end of this film where Jeff talks about the accident and the death of their two sons was heartbreaking--because it did not go for drama or histrionics, just pure, emotional truth. I urge people who have not seen this movie to please check it out--I don't think you will be sorry--if you are open to the possibility of films that treat you and respect you as an adult, and shows human beings in all their frailties in the most heartbreaking of experiences.

I say surprise because I had never heard of this film until it popped up on a UK satellite channel recently. Like so many other 'smaller' films from across the world, I suspect it never achieved significant cinema release in the UK. This is a real quality film in all departments, the story, the direction, the acting, the location, everything. Bridges confirms his status as one of the most interesting actors of his generation, not only because his laconic style and obvious craft are always a pleasure to watch but because he has this knack (or intelligence and skill) to select material that is never less than good and occasionally excellent. Kim Basinger continues to grow more interesting and watchable with age and the other cast members are professional, discreet – they can act! Each to their own I know but for me, this film represents the best that American cinema can produce and equal to anything from anywhere is the world. A delight for the film-goer that has a mature outlook and enjoys seeing stories about human drama, no guns, no CGI special effects, just good honest quality. If you have the chance to see it, I recommend this film highly.

This is a must see. As a jaded New Yorker, I sit through every film, minute by minute, saying to myself, can I believe this moment. In this film, 99.9% of the moments of this film are rich in reality, all the way down to the subtle nuances of a child's syntax. You leave the theatre not questioning the motives or intentions of the characters, but loving them and respecting their choices. Irving captures life as it is, and the actors never go to extremes to manipulate you. The story, is well crafted enough to move you. Jeff Bridges has always been a talented actor and demonstrates incredible poise and intention.