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2012-05-25 06:44:24

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2012-05-24 08:12:01

Something very special

"Rabbit Hole" is really outstanding. Here is a film that portrays grief in the most natural way possible. (Hello, Antichrist (The Criterion Collection), are you listening!?) The film never, once, falls into genre convention, melodrama or cliche. Everything feels real. Becca and Howie feel like real people. This is in large part to the excellent writing and direction, and especially from the emotionally daring and available performances from Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart. Even side characters feel exactly right (Dianne Wiest, Sandra Oh, Tammy Blanchard, Miles Teller are all excellent). For as straightforward as "Rabbit Hole" is, it always seems risky. Maybe it's because the filmmakers let the story speak for itself. They let the characters breathe and you are gently shown their deepest, darkest feelings, letting you embrace them without judgment. "Rabbit Hole" really is something rare and special.I should also note that this is in fact a film by John Cameron Mitchell, the director behind such high energy films as Hedwig and the Angry Inch (New Line Platinum Series) and Shortbus (Unrated Edition). It's really quite something to see Mitchell create something so vastly different from his pervious work. "Rabbit Hole" puts him on the map as a filmmaker to watch, now more than ever.

Matt_Layden 2012-05-24 18:43:33

And so this is just the sad version of us...

Rabbit Hole is a mature film. It's hard to describe what that means,but that's how I felt when I was watching it. Aaron Eckhart and NicoleKidman are a grieving couple. Their son was killed, hit by a car. Whatmakes this film different is that we are introduced to these two afterthat has happened. Their son was killed several months ago and the filmis about these two characters trying their best to move on.Kidman gives one of her best performances in years. The hardest thing Ibelieve a parent has to do is outlive their child. Kidman gives amulti-layered performance that is both restrained and lavish in detail.She is trying her best to move on with her life, she wants to moveaway, start over. Her husband, Eckhart, doesn't want that. He watches avideo of his son on his phone almost every night. He goes to supportgroups to deal with the pain. He gets angry when Kidman takes downtheir child's drawings from the fridge. He thinks she is trying toerase his memory. Can these two characters stay together even thoughthey both want different things? Eckhart, in my opinion, holds the film together with his performance.Kidman gets the glory from the reviews, but it's Eckhart that managesto hold things together. when he's on the screen, you feel the sense ofloss in his face. It's not an actor trying to portray a man who haslost his son. Few actors manage to hit that area where they are onscreen and it seems flawless. Eckhart has done that with this role. The film is rich with great performances from the smaller supportingcharacters as well. Dianne Wiest is Kidman's mother who also lost achild. She tries to be a helping hand, but Kidman won't let her. Realfamily with real problems, nothing here is Hollywood coated. JohnCameron Mitchell's third feature, his two previous efforts wereindependent films. The rock opera Hedwig and the Angry Inch and thesexual exploring Short Bus. Both I thought were good films. Mitchellseems like a focused director who wants to explore topics that no onewants to touch. I admire that. This film in the wrong hands could havebeen manipulative melodrama. There is a small subplot involving a teenager that some might not likethat much. I found that it was just an outlet for one character whilean obstacle for the other. Rabbit Hole is a tad slow, but theperformances are enough to keep you engaged. Ebert said in his reviewthat he knew what the move was going to be about, but he was impressedwith how it was told. I feel the same way.

perkypops 2012-05-24 04:05:07

It is about very personal grief or any other human emotion

The subject matter, child dies, parents grieve, is far too personal forthis film to be anything other than a glimpse of two people's responseto loss. Each parent has their own way of working it through, at theirpace, almost always out of sync with the other, and almost always witha huge slice of destruction, of themselves, of anyone who cares to bearound at the time. It is familiar territory for anyone who hassuffered from what I call a "futile" emotion, something you experiencewhich never seems to go anywhere, do anything, help anybody, and yet,in its own way and in its own time it is deeply cathartic as the bodyheals slowly but surely. Will the wound leave a scar? Again it is fartoo personal for anyone to pontificate and although the feelings ofothers who have experienced loss may seem familiar the danger is inthinking they are.Anything goes in emotional repair work, and sometimes it is the mostdrastic action providing the solution. And so Rabbit Hole should betaken at face value as a drama about a bereaved family and whether ornot they will reach a moment when each gives the other a chance torebuild. It is extraordinarily well acted across the board (and I domean extraordinarily) with glimpses of empathy, pathos, and also thevery heart of the human soul.My problem with this film is that it may be seen as a lesson aboutgrief and turned into a useful "tool" for those recently bereaved. Andit is not useful at all, unless you already know a thing or two abouthow personal people are when dealing with anything life throws at them.Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, Miles Teller, Sandra Oh are the pick ofthe actors for me, but everyone was really immense and if nothing elsethis film is about great acting.

2012-05-22 18:58:41

An absolutely spot-on portrayal of grief

Well done! Anyone considering going into counseling or ministry MUST SEE this film, and be comfortable seeing it more than once! My husband and I lost our perfect adorable five month old son due to a severe heart defect. That has been four years ago and we will always carry that "brick in our pocket." We found great comfort in this film because it justified our every emotion. Grief hurts, but it makes you stronger and changes you. The actors portrayal was spot on, Becca's character being very much like mine and Howie's very much like my husband's. Somehow though, through it all we have crawled out from under that weight and lived to tell about it. What is weightier to me now, is when frazzled folks on facebook trivially say,"Sometimes we wish we never had kids."... My heart just bleeds when I hear people say that. I ponder, "Surely, you don't mean that, you have no idea what you have just said!" But now that this movie has come, I now am able to show others what this kind of grief is like!

meeza 2012-05-22 00:25:56

Nicole worthy of her Oscar nomination and Eckhart not worthy of his Oscar snub! Excellent Performances!

There can be nothing more devastating to a family than the loss of achild. The coping challenges of such a tragedy are explored in JohnCameron Mitchell's "Rabbit Hole". Mitchell, who is more known as aflamboyant director, orchestrates the film in an unorthodox (at leastfor him) melancholic gist. Was Mitchell trying to impose on himself a"rabbit test" that he can branch out from the flamboyancy themes of hispast movies, or is he trying to prove that he should be taken as adiversified auteur? Nevertheless, he passed the "rabbit test" becausehis authentic direction of "Rabbit Hole" should be taken seriously. Thefilm stars Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart as Becca and Howie Corbert.Becca is a former executive turned-housewife who mourns for the loss ofher son Danny who was killed in a fatal vehicle crash when he tried tochase the family dog in the middle the street. The movie picks up ninemonths after Danny's loss. Becca despises group support meetings andbelieves by not having any trace of her son's belongings will help withher grief. Help Me Howie is in the opposite end of Becca in dealingwith Danny's loss. He chooses to see videos of his son so he could bereminded of their time together, and believes that having some of hisbelongings in the house will never make them forget their son's legacy.Obviously, these conflicting coping methods do cause marital argumentsand disarray between Howie and Becca. Furthermore, the sexually frigid"Does not Bend it like Becca used to" rejects all of Howie's sexualmoves since Danny's death. Becca even starts up an odd friendship withthe young teen who accidentally killed her son in the crash. "RabbitHole" is based on David Lindsay-Abaire's play; and his screenplayadaption of his own play is "abaire" good one, I must say; a bitmelancholy (you think!), but very profound and genuine.Lindsay-Abraie's movie scribe even hits some abrupt comedic notes attimes, but never in bad taste on the subject matter at hand. Eckhartand Kidman were fabulous, both on top of their game! I think it justmight be the best performances of their stellar careers. Sandra Oh wasmore than Oh K, as Gaby a support group regular who befriends Howie;and they even start stirring up the pot and I mean that literally.Dianne Wiest had some scene-stealing work as Becca's garrulous mom Nat.And kudos also goes to Tammy Blanchard for her steady performance asBecca's pregnant sister Izzy. Miles Teller also gave a nice, restrainedperformance as the guilt-ridden teen. "Rabbit Hole" does move at asluggish pace at times, but it parallels the coping aspect of thetragedy at hand. It does focus on a discomforting tragedy that is veryuneasy for any parent to overcome, but John Cameron Mitchell presentsit not in a sympathetic tone but in a more realistic one on the grief,anger, regret, and resiliency of the aftermath of losing a child. Thisis no silly Rabbit tale, jump in the cinematic rabbit hole and see foryourself. **** Good

tavm 2012-05-21 02:10:46

Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, and the rest of the cast provide great drama in Rabbit Hole

Just watched on Netflix disc this drama with my mother. We were bothconsumed watching the trails of Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart as thismarried couple having had to deal for the past 8 months with the tragicdeath of their 4-year-old son from an accident that involved himchasing the family dog in front of a moving vehicle. Excellent writing,directing, and acting abound like that of Dianne Wiest as Kidnan'smother, Tammy Blanchard as her pregnant sister, Sandra Oh as someonewho's gone through something similar, and Miles Teller as the teenageboy who was the driver of the vehicle and shares somewhat of anemotional connection with Nicole's character. I really don't want tosay anymore, just that I liked how everything just seems right in howthese characters deal with whatever emotions they have in them and whythey behave the way they do. So on that note, Rabbit Hole is highlyrecommended.

janetki-imdb 2012-05-20 17:27:51

One of the best films of 2010.

I left the theaters with damp sleeves, wet cheeks, and heavy boots. Thesubject-matter in Rabbit Hole is about the loss of a child – a sure-winfor a tear-jerker. But the performance of Nicole Kidman and AaronEckhart as Becca and Howie Corbett moves past the shock of loss.Without melodrama, Rabbit Hole peers into the daily lives of thiscouple in months after the tragedy. Becca and Howie are both trying tolearn how to relate with the world again. Becca is the main focus ofthe story, the one constantly on the brink of losing it. Every momentwith Becca is on-edge, because no one knows what moment or look, willcause her mental breakdown. Rabbit Hole is not overwhelmed with grief,it allows some room for humor and maybe even something to look forwardto. Kidman's performance has been recognized and approved, but it is nobetter than Eckhart, Dianne Wiest (as Becca's mother), or Miles Teller(as the boy responsible for the accident). I suppose as the biggestname, Kidman got the nominations, but each one of these actorsdelivered an impressive display of talent. As an adaptation of DavidLindsay- Abaire's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, the dialogue is sharpand potent. Wiest and Teller should have been formally recognized fortheir incredible performances.http://fatkidslist.wordpress.com/2011/01/29/rabbit-hole/

TxMike 2012-05-19 09:56:41

Not always fun to watch, however a very fine drama with many funny moments.

Knowing where the title of a story comes from is important to me."Rabbit Hole" is the name of a comic book that a high school student,Jason, is writing and drawing. It is about a boy who finds portals, or"rabbit holes" to lives in parallel universes.Why is this movie named "Rabbit Hole"? Because as the couple who losttheir 4-yr-old boy to a tragic auto accident in front of their homestruggle to accept it and move on, the wife muses "there must be happyversions of ourselves, somewhere in this vast universe, whereeverything turns out right."Nicole Kidman is Becca and Aaron Eckhart is Howie, married and goingthrough the grief and, hopefully, the recovery following the loss of afamily member. That it was their young son, chasing the family dog,through a gate one parent left open, makes it a greater challenge. Whatcould they have done differently? Who really was at fault? As part of her moving on, Becca begins to meet the driver who ran overher son, Miles Teller as Jason, the high school kid who was writing thecomic book. He was sorry. He said he might have been going a shade overthe 30MPH speed limit that day. His meeting with Becca seems to help.The drama does move slowly much of the time, but it is a good story,and the actors do a fine job. The critic Ebert has a good completereview.

jsharma 2012-05-18 15:28:37

Good ensemble

Rabbit hole is about a husband and wife's reaction to an unexpectedloss of a child. Nicole Kidman as Becca wife of Aaron Eckhart'scharacter Howie tries to cope on her own with the accidental loss ofher only child. Howie, on the other hand,wants and tries to do thingsas a couple. Group therapy does not help Becca. It was nice to seeHowie not getting sexually involved with Gaby ( Sandra Oh: Grey'sanatomy )who lost her child 8 yrs back. Becca stalks and forgivesteenager Jason who was driving his car at 31 or 32 mph in a 30 speedlimit zone on the day of accident. Howie is not forgiving at all. BothHowie and Becca have weaknesses. It is nice to see a husband and wifeactually work through their differences in relating to events in life.Dianne Wiest as Becca's mom is convincing as a mom who loves her childeven if the child ODed on heroin in third decade of his life.Screenplay by David Lindsay Abaire is very natural. Good Direction byJohn Cameron Mitchell.

NateAshton 2012-05-17 05:30:41

Can we truly ever live with the pain of losing some one we love…

Rabbit Hole is a story about love & irreplaceable loss, and how we eachfind our own private way of trying to sedate the ache & pain of losingsomeone we love. The story centers around Becca (Nicole Kidman in aOscar-Nominated Role) a woman who tries to reconstruct her life afterlosing her young son Danny in an accident.She tries to cope with her grief by gardening, cooking, spending timewith her sister Izzy {Tammy Blanchard), and their mother {Dianne Wiest,Brilliant!}, and going to a support group, but nothing can ease thepain she dutifully tries to hide. "He's everywhere," she tells herhusband Howie (Aaron Eckhart) " I can see his fingerprints on thedoorknobs".Howie does his best to comfort Becca, but the two eventually began todrift apart as they find their own private way of coping with theirgrief.Now, in the hands of anyone beside John Cameron Mitchell, this filmcould have ended up as a cheap drama/love story. Mitchell delves intothe very essence of how we as humans differ in the way we deal with ourgrief, and that we forget our sorrows, but that at some point in timethey become bearable.

Greg Debniak 2012-05-16 18:00:12

Painful and sad.

Despite the great acting, I'm sure this movie will bomb in thetheaters. It may do fairly well on DVD but this is not the kind ofmovie you rush to see if you want to have a rollicking good time. Notat all.I call these kinds of movies "actor's movies" because it seems to methey are only made to showcase acting ability and to impress otheractors. They sure don't entertain. I couldn't finish watching it. Justway too saddening to witness the horrible long-term wreckage that thedeath of a child brings to a family and their entire social life.Go see this if you simply must see the lead actors or if you like to bevery bummed out for 90 minutes. There's no other reason to see it,unless you're a professional actor and can nominate or vote at theAcademy.

2012-05-16 01:26:31

Really Good Movie

This review is from: Rabbit Hole [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray) Nicole Kidman was nominated for an Oscar for her role in this movie. Her acting is fantastic. The movie is very good, but very sad. Aaron Eckhart who plays Nicole's husband in the film also does a nice job acting. Sandra Oh is also is in this movie and does a good job. The movie has a little of everything. Some very funny moments to some heartbreaking scenes. The story is completely plausible.

2012-05-15 13:54:06

A dramatic masterpiece

Second best drama I've seen since Doubt with Meryl Streep. Nicole Kidman just keeps getting better and better. And for all the shallow people who have reviewed this movie... Your loss that you didn't enjoy it.

2012-05-15 14:02:22

4 stars for acting

As many have mentioned before, the acting in this movie is very, very well done.In fact, in many ways this seems more a movie by actors for actors than it is a movie for the public.By that,I mean viewers of this movie can appreciate the acting ability ...... and other actors can study the dynamics, even if the movie itself goes nowhere.What do I mean by going nowhere ?The movie of course focuses on a couple grieving the loss of their child.This is already a difficult story to develop into a 2 hour movie.In the film, the story does not really move past being a collection of "different scenes of grieving in different ways".It is sort of stagnant in that regard.In fact, both my wife and I remarked to each other that considering the sad nature of the story, neither of us felt the least bit of emotional involvement in the film.It did not touch us, or stir even the beginnings of a tear of wave of sadness.Just kind of bland and distant.But again, the acting is exceptional and I am sure Kidman and the others will always be proud of the work they did on this film from an artistic sense.So the film wins 4 stars for the professionalism and acting performances ........ not the overall film itself.

Gordon-11 2012-05-15 06:17:58

An engrossing drama

This film is about a couple who lost their four-year-old son in anaccident. They grief in different ways, each hoping to find eventualsolace in their hearts."Rabbit Hole" is a captivating drama that details how a couple griefthe loss of their young son. There has been much talk about how goodNicole Kidman is in the film, and I agree with them. I would also pointout that performances by Aaron Eckhardt is also very good, and he seemsto have been ignored in the plethora of praises. Another striking thingis how good the lighting is, the good use of focused lighting createsatmospheric scenes with shadows in the right places. I find "RabbitHole" captivating and engrossing.

aaron-nicholls 2012-05-12 12:48:33

Dreary - couldn't finish it

If you like watching people self destruct, this is the movie for you.Look, yes Kidman acts quite well in this one. I don't hate her like Idid in "Australia". But this is just another over the top portrayal ofa couple dealing with the death of their son.The acting is medico, the story drags along like a slow mo train wreck, I got bored with the predictable story line and bailed about half way.It annoys me that people could give this a 9 or 10 out of 10. Thoselofty heights must be reserved for the very best movies. Come onpeople, even if you liked this (I guess it's possible in some paralleluniverse) if this is a 9 then what is "Life is Beautiful" or "PulpFiction" or "Shawshank" or "Matrix"?Don't bother with this one.

2012-05-12 00:04:22

Light dark, sad, funny, and extraordinary.

Upon watching and reviewing recent Oscar bait, I can firmly and honestly say that not a lot has captured my undivided attention. This isn't the case for John Cameron Mitchell's Rabbit Hole, however. Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart play Becca and Howie, a couple who lost their four year old son, who was killed in a car accident eight months prior to when the film takes place. Becca is an ex-executive who became a stay-at-home mom, and Howie still goes to work. They learn to grieve in different ways, including making small-talk with the driver of the car that killed their son, smoking weed before group grief meetings, engaging in questionable behaviour, and doing anything they can to move forward in their lives.The one special thing about this film, is that it always knows what it is, and it saves itself from unbearable sentimentality, sap, and melodrama. However, thanks to its tough, yet sensitive script and direction, and impeccable performances, and much-needed moments of black comedy, it saves itself from drowning. You feel, as the viewer, as if you've known these characters for years. They give you a sense of familiarity that makes the experience better than it would be otherwise.This film, is in no way speaking, a documentary, however, it is so real, honest, and emotionally gritty, to make even the most cynical viewer feel the emotions that the characters are going through. The direction, nailed by John Cameron Mitchell, is sensitive enough, however doesn't allow the picture to indulge in moments of extended melodrama.Rabbit Hole is based on the play, of the same name, which won Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize, back in 2005, by David Lindsay-Abaire, and it would be surprising, to me, if this adaptation doesn't receive the same recognition. Lindsay-Abaire, having written the screenplay, gives the film viewer the feeling that they're watching the stage production. It has the same vague staginess that 2008's Doubt had, however, like Doubt, it manages to not become obnoxious, nor pretentious. However, the real prize here, comes from the film's impeccable cast. Nicole Kidman does her best work in years. She gives a lived-in performance that makes you forget that she's Nicole Kidman. She's Becca. During a scene, where she breaks down in her car, you feel her pain, and you break down and sob with her. Kidman manages to remind the audience why she is thought of as a fabulous actress. She makes you believe that nobody else could have played this character. She is extraordinary. Aaron Eckhart is also award-caliber in this film. He doesn't have as much screen time as Kidman, however, he provides the persona of the grieving, quiet, emotionally distraught husband, quietly drifting away from the life that he once had. Dianne Wiest is a shoo-in for best supporting actress this year, playing Becca's mother. She, and fellow cast member, Sandra Oh, bring comic relief when the film needs it the most, and, like the other cast members, you are lead to believe that no other actor could have played them. In short, Rabbit Hole is surely one of the best films I've seen in 2010. Its depressing premise isn't all it sounds to be. It is a film that is filled with hope, black comedy, reality and perception. This is one you do not want to miss.

kosmasp 2012-05-11 16:01:38

Stranger than ... reality

Actually not really stranger, but as mad maybe. This drama will appealto some people and appall others. Nothing new with that observation ofcourse. But I can tell you that even though I'm not a big Kidman fan, Ireally liked her in this one. She really went all out with that role.Of course all out, does not mean overacting, but in this case, quitethe contrary.So the understated performances (from everyone) really carry the movie.You may not agree on some of the viewpoints of our characters, buteveryone has some perspective on different aspects of life. I'm notgonna mention what exactly is the hanging over the heads of our maincharacters here, just in case you haven't read about it. It's a nicereveal, if you have no clue (although you kinda will guess where it isgoing). And it raises some interesting questions. Nice work then

edwagreen 2012-05-10 23:28:31

Rabbit Hole-After the Fox ***

The ramifications of a marriage evolves following the tragic death ofthe couples 4 year old son. Nicole Kidman received an Oscar nominationas the grief stricken mother, but where were the nominations for AaronEckhart as her equally grief-stricken husband, Dianne Wiest as hermother making comparisons with the dead grandson to her equally deadheroin addicted son and Miles Teller, who is just wonderful as theyouth who accidentally caused the child's death, when the latter ranacross the road with his run-away dog.Life can never be the same after such a trauma. The impossible isstudied in its effect of a couple burying a child. Their lives cannever be the same and even in grief groups, there is utter dismay andthe misery allowed to fester.