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10

willlybrandJan 22, 2011

'Rabbit Hole' is a modern day drama about how people cope with death. In particular, this film is about how two well-adjusted parents deal with the untimely death of their son. Uplifting, I know. That may sound like an unenjoyable premise,'Rabbit Hole' is a modern day drama about how people cope with death. In particular, this film is about how two well-adjusted parents deal with the untimely death of their son. Uplifting, I know. That may sound like an unenjoyable premise, but 'Rabbit Hole' delivers a subtle but delightful punch that will leave you smiling. This movie, based on David Lindsay-Abaire's play, is absolutely worth seeing.

From the get go we learn that the stakes are high. The main characters, Becca (Nicole Kidman) and Howie (Aaron Eckhart), are unable to deal with the loss of their son. At a support group of similarly suffering parents we see that, as one may expect, everyone's state of mind and well being is constantly in flux. Even more, the very relationships holding these couples together is tearing at the seams. The mood is subtle and sad, but interspersed with melancholy snapshots of everyday life. I cared about these people because they are unique, they have incredible challenges to overcome, and they have imperfections they must deal with.

As the story unfolds we witness Becca and Howie's fruitless attempts to cope with the grief while slowly glimpsing the details of their son's death. Becca's family is supportive, however that doesn't prevent a number of confrontations when the topic of the accident comes up. Her mother (Dianne Wiest), wants nothing but to help but only ends up provoking Becca. These tension relieving arguments are both painful and believable. While Becca and Howie seek out their own individual outlets to get over their loss, they remain loosely coupled in what appears to be a now loveless marriage. It is what they find on their own that ultimately results in a wonderful final scene that is captivating, sad, and uplifting all at once.

I laughed at some of the atheistic remarks that Becca makes, most of which were biting and inappropriate. It closely mirrors my internal though process, words which I think but would never say. But Becca has no reason to hold things back. She's dealing with the death of her only son. This results in Becca putting those around her in unfair and difficult situations.

I also really enjoyed one of the group therapy scenes. Howie and another mother Gaby (Sandrah Oh) decide to get high in the parking lot before the meeting. The two stoned sufferers then laugh inappropriately when a couple talks about the death of their daughter. It was absolutely inappropriate, but their marijuana induced haze let them rise above the anguish of their children's deaths despite suffering that very same experience.

Nicole Kidman really shines in this movie. She has several awkward moments that are pitch perfect and entirely realistic. It's easy to identify with this character as we've all had such clumsy social encounters, however hers occur much more frequently as the result of the constant dwelling on the death of her son. Aaron Eckhart and Dianne West also shine in their performances, although Eckhart could at times be accused of being too subdued. West is rumored to be in the running for Supporting nominees. However, Miles Teller, a fairly unknown young actor who portrays Jason, the driver of the car in the accident, is perfectly cast. He's genuine and reserved and is completely captivating. His self made comic book, an artistic outlet to escape the death he caused, gives the movie it's namesake. It is the often unplanned meetings in which Jason and Becca speak about their shared misery that are the highlights of 'Rabbit Hole'.

As I hinted at earlier, 'Rabbit Hole' is very well written. The music accompanies the mood perfectly, primarily featuring a piano that slowly creeps in and out. And although it is very well shot, cinematographer Frank G. DeMarco takes no artistic risks beyond capturing the story on screen. I'm really happy to see director John Cameron Mitchell take a step back from his otherwise risquÃ© films. If this is the sort of drama he is capable of directing then I am excited to see what he'll do next.

I think this movie may never reach a critical audience because of its somber subject. That's unfortunate, because this sort of writing, acting, and story deserves to be both told and seen. 'Rabbit Hole' is truly unique in that it focuses squarely on people overcoming sadness and coping with pain in a very realistic human way. It tackles this somber subject with a refreshing sense of grace, humor, and relief.… Expand

4 of 4 users found this helpful40

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8

smijatovJan 2, 2011

"Rabbit Hole" is definitely of the the best films I've recently seen. The cast is just superb, led by the mesmerisingly good Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart. The supporting roles are extremely strong as well, making it a all-around "actor's"Rabbit Hole" is definitely of the the best films I've recently seen. The cast is just superb, led by the mesmerisingly good Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart. The supporting roles are extremely strong as well, making it a all-around "actor's film." Kidman, Eckhart and Wiest definitely deserve all the praise they have been getting for the film, especially Kidman, who is as bar as she last was in "Birth" in 2004.

The screenplay is so well written that it does not drag one down the rabbit hole, but it makes one understand it, feel it to an extent and feel for the characters (and with them). However, it does not drag one down into depression, but it shows hope in realising and accepting grief the way one has to do it - and hopefully grow through it.

Excellent acting, excellent directing, as well as screenplay and the original score - Rabbit Hole is simply a must see!… Expand

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

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8

brewcrewprideDec 18, 2010

"Rabbit Hole" manages to display the acceptance and overcoming of grief by the powerful lead roles of Kidman and Eckhart as they journey through their triumph over human emotion in a very realistic and subtle way.

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

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9

NedRyerson1Jul 17, 2012

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Rabbit Hole is a beautiful and authentic movie, because it portrays a couple mourning the death of his son; also the things they do to overcome the loss are the same that anyone would do in that position. Another interesting thing is the title, because it is taken from the comic book made by the young boy who provokes the accident that changes the lives of Becca and Howie forever. The rabbit hole mix the wormhole (takes you to another dimension) and the rabbit hole from Alice in Wonderland (takes you to a wonderland). Metaphorically speaking, the protagonists travel through different rabbit holes, which are the path that both decide to take hoping to find comfort and also a way out from their situation.
This rabbit holes or paths that Becca tries are taking care of the garden; get away of her husband, family, friends, support group and God; remove everything that reminds them of their loss; and talk with the boy who provoke the accident. In the other hand there is Howie, whose paths are the opposite from Becca; he tries taking care of their dog; get close to his wife (here we see an interesting paradox), family, friends and support group; maintains what his wife want to get rid of; and starts a relationship with another woman.
Finally they both realize that the paths taken, either together or separately, led they know that there is a point where the pain is bearable, but will never disappear; you just have to live with it. Nicole Kidman gives one of her best performances ever.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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6

ckcusaOct 24, 2011

The consuming loss recently experienced by the main characters is effectively contrasted with their perfect suburban dream of a life. Since we enter their lives post-trauma, our empathy is somewhat detached at first. The movie is engaging,The consuming loss recently experienced by the main characters is effectively contrasted with their perfect suburban dream of a life. Since we enter their lives post-trauma, our empathy is somewhat detached at first. The movie is engaging, and very well-acted. It is unusual in that it seems to approach cinematic cliche and manipulation, then deftly veers away.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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7

eliteco3Feb 21, 2013

Echhart and Kidman display the realistic struggle a couple faces after losing a child flawlessy. Both characters find solice in their own way. The climax of the firm is delivered with authenticity and substance.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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10

AlphaGrizApr 21, 2011

The superbly subtle and nuanced acting lends greater emotional impact to this film, which is about as realistic a portrayal of grieving as any film I've seen . Rather than a downer, the film is uplifting, emotionally cleansing. Five starsThe superbly subtle and nuanced acting lends greater emotional impact to this film, which is about as realistic a portrayal of grieving as any film I've seen . Rather than a downer, the film is uplifting, emotionally cleansing. Five stars out of four!… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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8

asthobaskoroJun 3, 2011

Poignant film about life. Teach us how to be patient with fate, lost someone we love, always pray to God, sincere, parallel universe. Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart give us magnificent performance.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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10

hoops2448Dec 12, 2011

Rabbit Hole is a great film that finds its greatness through a group of phenomenally talented actors and actresses. The film tells the story of Becca and Howie Corbett (Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart), two parents coping with the accidentalRabbit Hole is a great film that finds its greatness through a group of phenomenally talented actors and actresses. The film tells the story of Becca and Howie Corbett (Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart), two parents coping with the accidental death of their son with the assistance of Becca's mother (Dianne Wiest) and sister Izzy (Tammy Blanchard). The film belongs to Kidman who gives a seriously heart wrenching performance as a grieving mother who is just trying to keep her head above water. However Eckhart is equally as exceptional with him portraying a man becoming more and more disconnected from the world. Despite the great leads, Dianne Wiest also has some great moments as she tries to protect her daughter from any more pain but also teach her that things can get more manageable, a lesson she can teach having lost her son, Becca's brother years prior. Wiest also provides some levity as she portrays Nat with a certain honesty and a good dollop of dark humour. Its a film that is both well written and directed but without the performances it wouldn't have the same effect or emotional resonance. An outstandingly acted film well worth buying.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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8

Trev29Apr 5, 2012

This is Nicole Kidman at her best. She gave a wonderful performance in playing a grieving mother. A realistic story about going through the motions of life and how to deal with it. Plenty of serious moments with funny ones as well.

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8

julioinMay 31, 2012

A very moving drama, which kidman loads it with a fullness impeccable. In her role as Mrs. Kidman Kidman Becca returns once more to deliver a performance formidable. Aaron and Diane are very successful in their characters, the soundtrack isA very moving drama, which kidman loads it with a fullness impeccable. In her role as Mrs. Kidman Kidman Becca returns once more to deliver a performance formidable. Aaron and Diane are very successful in their characters, the soundtrack is sweet, as well as photography. A film that uses a variety of ingredients, but more so of the performances, a film that touches the heart.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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8

Compi24Nov 24, 2017

Based on David Lindsay-Abaire's Pulitzer Prize winning play of the same name, director John Cameron Mitchell's "Rabbit Hole" is an absolute wallop of a drama, featuring plaintive performances that never even begin to border on being tooBased on David Lindsay-Abaire's Pulitzer Prize winning play of the same name, director John Cameron Mitchell's "Rabbit Hole" is an absolute wallop of a drama, featuring plaintive performances that never even begin to border on being too schlocky or too Hollywood, some really idyllic camerawork and imagery throughout, and - most importantly - a supremely fascinating and unique take on the thematic topic of grieving process, closure, and death. It really is keen dramatic work. Lindsay-Abaire, who also penned the film's screenplay, has this excellent knack for keeping things super simple and quiet, yet pregnant with subtext and meaning. It's no wonder why the text that the film's based on is so renowned. Kidman and Eckhart are incredible. I at no point doubted their onscreen interactions and chemistry, which - again - are just rife with so many notions left unsaid. I gotta' say, I was pleasantly surprised with this film, despite its dour subject matter. It was truly worth the watch.… Expand

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9

worleyjamersDec 8, 2012

I thought this was excellent! I was very surprised by this film; I expected it to be good, but it was better than what I imagined. Nicole Kidman received an Oscar nomination for he role...I originally just assumed the Academy threw her in theI thought this was excellent! I was very surprised by this film; I expected it to be good, but it was better than what I imagined. Nicole Kidman received an Oscar nomination for he role...I originally just assumed the Academy threw her in the lineup simply because she's a star and generally good in all of her films. I was completely wrong, as I was with the film, also. This film was great...one of my favorites of 2010!

The film starts out a little slow, but once it picks up, it's so good. The thing I loved the most about the film is that the story is so common, yet completely real. I have never seen a film, dealing with the same basic plot line, feel as real as Rabbit Hole. The dialogue and screenplay was absolutely fantastic. I literally felt like I could have been standing in a neighbors home; the script was so realistic. The acting that went along with the fantastic script: Superb! Nicole Kidman gives a truly great performance. One of the best of her career, and absolutely worthy of her Oscar nomination. Aaron Eckhart also gives a fantastic performance...definitely among the best performances of his career. Hats off the supporting cast as well: Dianne Wiest, Tammy Blanchard, Miles Teller, and Sandra Oh...they all give very solid performances.

I cannot speak more highly of this film! It truly blew me away. It was so simple, but real beyond belief. The acting is solid all across the board. See this film! I can't recommend it enough!… Expand

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8

MarcDoyleDec 28, 2010

Kudos to John Cameron Mitchell. I'm a big fan of his previous work ("Hedwig"), and I figured he'd be able to make an entertaining movie out of such a tragic subject. He certainly did. Kidman, Eckhart, and Cho are excellent in this, but theKudos to John Cameron Mitchell. I'm a big fan of his previous work ("Hedwig"), and I figured he'd be able to make an entertaining movie out of such a tragic subject. He certainly did. Kidman, Eckhart, and Cho are excellent in this, but the pacing and the directorial choices are right on the money.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

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5

RyanGeeJan 7, 2011

Director David Lindsay-Mitchell's Rabbit Hole is an example of poetry in action. To further this analogy, the film conveys the reality of emotion and heartbreak in a manner that is both abstract and relatable. While this emotion surelyDirector David Lindsay-Mitchell's Rabbit Hole is an example of poetry in action. To further this analogy, the film conveys the reality of emotion and heartbreak in a manner that is both abstract and relatable. While this emotion surely resonates from the stellar performance by Nicole Kidman, there is an utter lack of inspiration or purpose to give the film any sort of a compelling aspect.

Rabbit Hole is the film adaption of David Lindsay-Abaire's play depicting the lives of two parents (Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart) who have recently lost their 4-year-old child. While the premise is overly simple, it is brought to life by the emotional realism of Kidman's performance. In perhaps her in one of her greatest portrayals, Kidman is able to personify agony through the subtlety and constraint of her performance. The actress does an impeccable job of employing emotional restraint within her character resulting in the heartbreak and pathos within the film's grim material. This performance will clearly be overshadowed by Natalie Portman's effort in Black Swan, but Kidman's performance is perhaps even more complex in the fashion where she controls her character. Acknowledging the effort of the ensemble as a whole, Eckhart compliments Kidman's acting, but it is obvious that the film's core lays in his counterpart. Along with Nicole Kidman's amazing performance, the writing adapted from Lindsay-Abaire's play finely illustrates the picture of the pain expressed by two parents. The realism of the writing prevents Rabbit Hole from becoming merely melodrama lost in the absence of plot direction. So while the realism is defined, the purpose of this aspect is absent. Rabbit Hole places heavy emotion within its audience, but it ultimately just leaves it in an unchanged manner throughout the film. While it can be seen as simply a social illustration of coping with death, it never really has any purpose. The film does not really give hope nor a conclusion of despair. Overall, Rabbit Hole is a marvelous and well-acted portrayal of a common human emotion of despair, but that is in all actuality the sole definition of the film; Resulting in a film that seems somewhat rewarding but wholeheartedly empty. Grade: C+… Expand

2 of 6 users found this helpful24

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1

metamotivcriticJan 22, 2011

That Mitchell could have taken a very affecting (and effective) , Pulitzer-prize winning play and made it into such a bland, unaffecting, loosely structured movie is a real pity. (Even someone I know who lost a child and went through theThat Mitchell could have taken a very affecting (and effective) , Pulitzer-prize winning play and made it into such a bland, unaffecting, loosely structured movie is a real pity. (Even someone I know who lost a child and went through the grieving process portrayed in the movie described it as "boring.") This is clearly one of those cases in which remaining faithful to the original source would have been preferable. That Mitchell didn't go the usual Hollywood soap opera route is pretty much damning by faint praise. That he could have taken such fine actresses as Nicole Kidman and Dianne Wiest and directed them in such uninspired performances is also regrettable. (That Sandra Oh and the dog (no offense to Sandra) gave the best performances in the movie is a commentary on both the movie and on the silliness of Oh's character on Gray's Anatomy.). Finally, that the 20-year old film Ordinary People was so much better than this one is, I guess, a tribute to Robert Redford (among other things).… Expand

1 of 6 users found this helpful15

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6

wishmasterDec 21, 2010

This film was loaded performances, mainly Kidman to be a movie of this kind has a long, somewhat flat, finally one of the most regular movie without many things for which to admire.

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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6

Falcon9gxgcApr 24, 2011

Rabbit Hole leaves much to be desired. I am not entirely sure if Aaron Eckhart was the right choice for this movie; he just didn't feel right. That however is not to say the movie was all bad, as it did have its strong moments. Nevertheless,Rabbit Hole leaves much to be desired. I am not entirely sure if Aaron Eckhart was the right choice for this movie; he just didn't feel right. That however is not to say the movie was all bad, as it did have its strong moments. Nevertheless, at times both Eckhart's and Kidman's acting fell flat and pressured. It's a decent piece, but it could have been scripted better.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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3

csw12Apr 4, 2012

One of the most regular movies without many things for which to admire. There is nothing to say about this movie. It gave you nothing to think about except how much it needed help. Horrible from beginning to end.

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9

ShiiraJan 28, 2011

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Becca(Nicole Kidman) does not suffer fools gladly. And since those fools, by the grieving woman's estimation, are Christians, "Rabbit Hole" bravely saddles itself with an ice queen for a protagonist that some moviegoers may find hard to identify with. She's an atheist, an egotistical one to boot, who isn't at all shy about making her opinion heard, even in the most inappropriate of all venues, an encounter group, where charity is supposed to take precedence over ideology. As the young couple recounts their story of loss, Becca can't help but react with eye-rolling exasperation; her facial expressions, awash with contempt, lead to wounding words toward the bereaved parents, whose belief in angels is just too much for the empirical-minded nihilist. She behaves badly, perhaps abominably, but her churlish interruption serves an aesthetic purpose. The film's material, so often the stuff of inspirational made-for-television tripe, in which god is peddled as a knee-jerk cure-all for overcoming adversity, gets reworked in "Rabbit Hole" to evince a secular sensibility, a mindset that excludes the persistence of god's design upon the living as a crutch for dealing with loss. Foregoing the fellowship of the support group and her mother's church, Becca spends her days and nights in godless isolation, without a coping mechanism, and worse, because of her freethinking stance, god isn't even an option, a floating component in some desperate contingency plan, should her anguish over the dead child intensify. In a nutshell, "Rabbit Hole" is about finding a replacement, a surrogate, for god. Maybe Becca would make a good Buddhist. In the opening gardening scene, the obvious joy that spreads across the phantom mother's face after she plants a seedling is suggestive of the former Sotheby's Auction House executive having a deep reverence for nature, a prevailing trait that's universal to all eastern religions. The careless murder of the young plant by her neighbor's fatal footstep, can be interpreted as Christianity's monolithic influence over the religious spectrum in our country. But at the restaurant, following the altercation at the meeting, in addition to characterizing all Christians as "god freaks", Becca dismisses the other religions, as well, figuratively, when she goes through the menu list and declares to her husband(played by Aaron Eckhart) that "nothing is jumping out" at her, prompting them to seek nourishment and sustenance(read: enlightenment outside of religion) elsewhere. Ironically, Kidman played one of those freaks whom Becca loathes in Jonathan Glaser's "Birth", where magical thinking leads a widow to believe that a ten-year-old boy is the reincarnation of her late husband. The bride-to-be's undying faith, at its strongest, makes allowances for deviant behavior, in which she permits the pre-pubescent child to undress and join her in the bathtub without protestation. Becca's lack of faith, on the other hand, allows this science-based woman to cultivate a state of oblivion where signs and superstitions don't factor in her everyday living. When Becca pulls up alongside a lettered bus that reads "Deville", the fact that the word "devil" can be teased out of the overall appellation isn't given any significance, since the driver's categorical dismissal of the metaphysical world precludes her from signifying the biblical figure with an abiding belief in the fallen angel's ability to insinuate himself upon her reality. The teenaged boy in the bus window isn't the devil; he's just a kid, who happened to be at the wrong place and time. While Jesus saves in genre films of this sort, parallel ones in which the left behind find solace in god, it's science that provides comfort for Becca's troubled mind. Instead of a bible, the good book is a comic book called "Rabbit Hole", written by her son's murderer, which explores the possibility of alternate universes. Becca likes the idea that she's having a good time in one of these auxiliary worlds, because in one of these worlds, heaven is indeed a place on earth. It's heaven in the sense that the earthbound person imagines his/her dead loved one in another realm, and for the atheist, that realm is an earthly, not heavenly one. Science, as it turns out, has the benefits of religion, because Becca finds peace in imagining the continued existence of her son.… Expand