The Cider House Rules cover art

The Cider House Rules Details

1999 Certificate 12
  • Rated:
  • 70
  • from 7729 members

THE CIDER HOUSE RUES, an expertly crafted and intelligent adapation of John Irving's novel, explores themes of disappointment, ideas of moral ambiguity, and, indeed, lessons about life itself, woven into a dramatic story that is neither slow nor sentimental. Tobey Maguire is the immensely likable Homer Wells, a lifelong .. Read more

Starring Michael Caine, Delroy Lindo, Charlize Theron, Tobey Maguire
Director Lasse Hallstrom
Genres Drama

Sign up The Cider House Rules DVD

Buy From: £3.93

loading loading...

The Cider House Rules cover art

The Cider House Rules

THE CIDER HOUSE RUES, an expertly crafted and intelligent adapation of John Irving's novel, explores themes of disappointment, ideas of moral ambiguity, and, indeed, lessons about life itself, woven into a dramatic story that is neither slow nor sentimental. Tobey Maguire is the immensely likable Homer Wells, a lifelong resident of a Maine orphanage who comes of age during WWII under the auspices of its director, Dr. Wilbur Larch (Michael Caine). Larch is pragmatic, progressive, highly intelligent, and loathe to let Homer go out into the world. He sees him as a son, and the only one whose medical training allows for him to take over when he retires from his job as physician, obstetrician, and illegal abortionist. When ingenue Candy (Charlize Theron) and air force adventurer Wally (Paul Rudd), come to Larch for help with an abortion, Homer befriends the couple and, against Larch's wishes, sets off with them to see the world, or at least the rest of Maine. Working at an apple orchard owned by Wally's mother (Kate Nelligan), Homer lives and works with a group of African-American migrant workers, among them the morally ambiguous Mr. Rose Delroy Lindo and his beloved daughter Rose Rose (Erykah Badu in a stunning debut). When Wally goes off to war, and Rose Rose gets into a complex and frightening situation, Homer is faced with serious choices and dilemmas that can only be solved by the wisdom he has learned from Larch. A classic, old-fashioned-style American film that deals directly with sensitive and taboo issues, THE CIDER HOUSE RULES is a beautifully acted, carefully paced story full of substance.

Starring Michael Caine, Delroy Lindo, Charlize Theron, Tobey Maguire, Paul Rudd, Kathy Baker, Kieran Culkin, Jane Alexander, Kate Nelligan, K. Todd Freeman, Heavy D, Erykah Badu
Director Lasse Hallstrom
Studio WALT DISNEY STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Run time DVD: 2 hrs
Certificate Certificate 12
Genres Drama
Language DVD: English
Released DVD: 12 Mar 2001
Production year: 1999
Format DVD

  • Critics' reviews (6) of The Cider House Rules

    View all
  • 5 stars out of 5

    The third John Irving novel to reach the screen (after The World According to Garp and The Hotel New Hampshire), this is a rich, evocative period piece that makes the most of its New England locations. Tobey Maguire plays Homer Wells, a foundling who, having spent all his young life at an orphanage run by Michael Caine's kindly abortionist, decides to seek new pastures. Alas, he finds the codes he lives by of little use in the real world. Although drastically slimmed down from Irving's original (Homer's 15-year odyssey is reduced to a mere 15 months), Lasse Hallström's film has a simple integrity that fills every frame, while Caine won his second Oscar for his performance as the ether-addicted Dr Larch.

    • Radio Times
    • Posted 29 Jan 2006
  • 2 stars out of 4

    A leisurely drama, of a boy growing to manhood, that has an intensely nostalgic feel to it, so that even unpleasant moments have a warm glow to them; this is life seen through rose-coloured memories, given some touch of reality by its quality of acting.

    • Halliwell's Film Guide
    • Posted 02 Mar 2006

  • Most helpful member's review of The Cider House Rules

    View all
  • 13 out of 15 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 2 stars

    Never becomes too sickly sweet

    The cider house rules is a film adapted from a novel by John Irving and as a result has a very good pedigree to work from. Irving always manages to forge strong emotional stories without slipping into excessive sentimentality and the film also succeeds in achieving this. Lasse Halestrom uses his fine cast to illicit genuine emotion without slipping down the syrup strewn road of a Hollywood gush fest. Irving's dark themes of incest and abortion somehow manage to sit comfortably alongside a romantic and heartfelt relationship between Toby Maguire and Charlize Theron. Michael Caine also brings a strong performance to the equation, and is one of his recent best, despite his wandering American accent. The cider house rules is ultimately an enjoyable and thought-provoking drama which never becomes too sickly sweet.

      • johnnyfraudster from greater london
      • Posted 02 Mar 2004 12:34

  • Most recent members' review of The Cider House Rules

    View all
  • 3 out of 5 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 2 stars

    Disappointing

    The novel 'Cider House Rules' is of the high literary standard one expects from John Irving. It is perhaps rather challenging to create a film from this story and I did not think much to this attempt. I was not impressed with the acting. John Irving has created some wonderful characters but I did not see the vital qualities of the characters brought out by the actors.

    I get the feeling that this was an attempt to follow the book and just cut out the bits that would prolong the film. However there was no provision for the nuanced insight into the many themes and personalities. Without this I felt the story lost its potency and important philosophical points were frustratingly discarded.

      • A customer from Llanbedr Pont Steffan, Cymru
      • Posted 15 Feb 2004 17:52

  • News and features

    View all
    Two Days In The Valley

    Theron thrown out of America while filming Devil's Advocate

    • 16 Sep 2009

    Charlize Theron has revealed she was briefly kicked out of America as her career was taking off - because she was working illegally in Hollywood. The South African-born actress became an American citizen in 2007 but initially outstayed her welcome in the States when she was struggling to find work after her breakthrough role in Two Days In The Valley. As her work visa expired, Theron was still fighting for roles in Hollywood - and had just landed a role opposite Al Pacino and Keanu Reeves in... Read more

  • More like this

    View all
    Showing 1 to 4 of 20

    loading

Find cinemas


Rating breakdown

7,729 Member ratings
  • 100
747
  • 90
834
  • 80
1,844
  • 70
1,535
  • 60
1,363
  • 50
675
  • 40
343
  • 30
207
  • 20
127
  • 10
54

Related user collection

Buy from the LOVEFiLM shop

    • The Cider House Rules

    • The Cider House Rules
    • DVD: £3.93
      Free Delivery
    • RRP £17.79 (you save: 78%)
      • THE CIDER HOUSE RUES, an expertly crafted and intelligent adapation of John Irving's novel, explores themes of disappointment, ideas of moral ambiguity, and, indeed, lessons about life itself, woven ...