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Nineteen ninety-nine was an outstanding year for adaptations of major literary works, but of all the great books that came to the screen last year, this is my favorite. John Irving's novel and adaptation is one of the most complete stories I can remember in many years. It is poignant, exhilarating, and astutely human in its scope, presenting a myriad of human emotions and experiences.

Often, when a story attempts to cross genres so broadly, it fails from lack of depth or insufficiency of the writer or director to meet the variable demands of such a wide-ranging treatment. This film was a comedy, a tragedy, a romance, a human-interest story, a character study, and a period piece, and each element was excellently done.

This was all accomplished without sacrificing the philosophical and emotional depth Irving imbues in all his works. Irving weaves a strong moral into this story; that rules need to be questioned and that being human is not so easily codified. He revisits this theme repeatedly, with each character facing dilemmas regarding societal and personal rules that are difficult to reconcile in the given situations.

If there is one thing that stands out about this story, it is its human realism. These are ordinary people struggling with problems we all face. We come to have affection for almost all of them, and can identify with their tribulations. Although the story is excessively sentimental and fatalistic, it reminds us that life is complicated and doesn't always turn out the way we plan or hope.

From a filmmaking perspective, we could not have asked more from Lasse Hallstrom. Known most in the U.S. for his direction of ‘What's Eating Gilbert Grape', Hallstrom has been making wonderful films in Europe for almost twenty years. However, this film will certainly go down as his finest work. In the featurette on the DVD, he said that when he goes to Blockbuster with his daughter and sees it on the shelf, he will have a feeling of pride; and well he should.

This motion picture was beautifully filmed with rich cinematography, breathtaking locations, and precise period props and costumes. However, the greatest achievement for Hallstrom, working in concert with Irving, was to orchestrate a large cast in such a way that no character seemed insignificant. Hallstrom took great care to do enough development of each character (often just visually without any dialogue) that he made us care for each of them. He gave the film an emotional depth and breadth that is difficult to achieve in two hours. His work with the children in the orphanage was superb, bringing forth their innocence and enthusiasm without minimizing their plight.

The acting was uniformly outstanding. Tobey Maguire infused Homer with the right combination of idealism, naiveté and inner strength to make him an unassuming but powerful lead. Charlize Theron continues to impress me with her acting ability. Besides her enchanting girl-next-door attractiveness, she showed terrific range in a character that at first seemed shallow, but later proved to be quite complex.

Michael Caine has had a legendary career spanning close to half a century. He has long been one of my favorite actors. His performance here was powerful and well deserving of the acclaim he received. Dr. Larch was an extremely complex character; egotistical, self-abusive, manipulative and recalcitrant, yet a saintly, self-sacrificing and loving crusader for the good of the children. Caine's ability to span that range was remarkable.

Finally, I have the highest praise for Delroy Lindo as Mr. Rose, the orchard foreman. Lindo's bright smile and enthusiasm created a rock solid character with charm, strength and simple wisdom. He captures our admiration immediately, and despite his despicable act, we cannot help but pity him in the end.

After having seen all the films that were nominated by the Academy for best picture last year, I have to say that this was my personal favorite. It wasn't as flashy as the rest; in fact, this was downright old fashioned in its approach. They just don't write stories like this anymore, and that's a shame. I rated it a 10/10. In its quiet way, it captured my heart.

Some movies you enjoy at the theater once and then forget them. This film is one that you do not soon forget. Tobey Maguire has got to be one of the most gifted actors I have ever seen. His portrayal of Homer Wells is compelling. This movie will take you in during the very first scenes and won't let you go. When it's over you don't want to leave them all behind. Have you ever been so engrossed in a movie you don't realize what's going on around you. Cider House Rules is one of those rare films to come along and totally involve you in their lives. Maguire and Theron are wonderful along with the whole cast. Can't wait to see what other gifts Maguire gives us on the screen in the future.

Lasse Hallstrom's (1999) film is based on John Irving's semi-autobiographical novel.

Set in Maine, USA during World War II, it tells the story of a most unusual orphanage and the truly remarkable people who run it.

Joining pragmatic and single-minded obstetrician Wilbur Larch (Michael Caine), ably assisted by Nurse Edna (Jane Alexander) and Nurse Angela (Kathy Baker) – all in ward uniform – it soon becomes obvious that this is no ordinary orphanage.

As we follow Dr Larch into the maternity unit we first meet his young apprentice Homer Wells (Tobey McGuire) and quickly learn that not everything is as we might expect in this department either.

But as our understanding of what counts for 'normal procedure' widens we soon come to feel a genuine sense of involvement in the lives of the children who live there and the unconventional adults who care for them.

Dr Larch, as well as a great humanitarian and fan of Charles Dickens, is a drug addict and although Homer is well ahead of his years in female anatomy and physiology, he is overdue for a visit to the outside world.

An opportunity comes in the person of Flight Lieutenant Wally Worthington (Paul Rudd) and his prematurely pregnant fiancé Candy Kendall (Charlize Theron). Like impromptu parents arriving to take under their wing the eldest orphan in the establishment, Homer takes his chance to explore the world beyond the railway station - much to the distress of his surrogate father, Wilbur.

Initially lost in the foreign environment of the fruit farm run by Wally's mother Olive (Kate Nelligan), Homer soon finds himself well looked after by Arthur Rose (Delroy Lindo) who is the gang boss of the illiterate, migrant fruit-pickers. Accompanied by his unpromisingly named daughter Rose Rose (Erykah Badhu), the small group in the bunk house provide a rich learning environment for the perceptive, but naive Homer.

Homer's adventures are many and as the story twists and turns, he finds love and best of all he finds himself through his experience of the wider community he now inhabits.

There is so much more in this film that space permits to even hint at. It is comic, tragic, touching and moving. I can't recommend it highly enough.

I found this movie not only well written, screen-played, played and edited, but I also found it had a true message of goodness in it, which goes beyond the nice story that you might want to dive into from time to time. It is definitely a very rich story. I think it is difficult to separate both notions presented by the movie: morality (is abortion a good or a bad thing, and from which point of view as both are present), and equality between Men, in terms of the racial issue. The movie takes place in the 40's, just before the US declared war to Japan. The work on how Afro-Americans should be treated had not yet really started, and they were still not very much considered as real "equals" to the whites. The "rules" which are part of the movie title in the first place, are imposed on the Afro-Americans who work in the Cider House, assuming they are stupid and unable to behave responsibly and with common sense. It is about the laws imposed on Men by other Men who do not necessarily understand the implications and the situations of those who have to comply with those rules. That leads naturally to the question of the Law : is the Law only a list of rules that we must obey without questioning at any time, or might it sometimes be a more blurry notion that sensible individuals might have to work out for themselves according to the circumstances? Or can we take into account that Life itself , and "chance", sometimes lead to another form of Justice, as it eventually happens at the end? To me, it is a real "must see". I would recommend parents to offer it to their teenagers as a means to let them build their own vision of the world.... Yes! it goes that far!!

I had the distinct pleasure of working on this film, portraying Big Dot. Lasse Hallstrom was a dream to work with, a director with whom all actors should look forward to working. The cast and crew made this experience so enjoyable, despite the arrival of cold weather and plenty of rain.

I urge all John Irving fans to see the film, and to understand that Irving was responsible for the screen adaptation, compressing a huge novel into the standard time format allowable.

Cider House Rules was made with love on ___location in Vermont and the Scott Farm brought to this film absolute realism. Enjoy.

As someone raised in New England, I was thrilled to find a film that faithfully celebrates the sly, ironic humor we grow back there. The cast was brilliant, and like many people, I wish Michael Caine's role could have been extended. Also, socially, it's wonderful to see a complex, tragic subject like abortion dealt with so intelligently, and like the tremendously difficult issue that it is.

I'm pleased that a movie adaptation of a John Irving novel has finally underscored the power and poignancy of his narrative voice. Previous movies (notably The Hotel New Hampshire and The World According to Garp) seem to have had an unbalanced focus on the comedic elements. While these are mostly accurate and entertaining, Irving doesn't write for the purpose of being funny. He helps us to observe aspects of relationships and life in unique ways that we often find funny. I find that his stories, in absence of his narrative voice, miss the point (his point).

The Cider House Rules, on the other hand, captures the essence of the novel, most notably through Michael Caine's voice-overs and dialogue. This is a credit to both Irving and Hallstroem for, respectively, an outstanding screenplay and superb directing. The Cider House Rules is now my favorite movie, and the best I've seen in years. Congratulations to Irving, Hallstroem, and the entire *perfect* cast, who are Irving's characters. I think Toby Maguire was born to be Homer Wells.

Rachel Portman's score strikes all of the right notes in this atmospheric, sensitive, and moving coming of age story. John Irving's screenplay of his novel highlights social issues such as race, abortion and the nature of morality that will be contemporary for many decades to come but portrayed in a sensitive, gentle way not an 'in your face' morality bash so the outcome is striking and the audiece find their own truth. Oliver Stapleton's cinematography is nothing short of breathtaking. How this memorable achievement did not deserve an award is beyond me.

What is not perfect about this film? Beautiful, moving, and

wonderful. How American Beauty beat it for the Oscar will be,

forever, a mystery. It will be remembered, and watched, for years,

while American Beauty will be long forgotten.

Rarely I am moved to post any comments on a movie in any forum. "The Cider House Rules" warrants such attention. Forget the hoopla over the "pro-choice" message displayed by one of the movie's characters. The real story here is of a boy, coming of age, understanding his place in the world. The joy of the movie is that even the "bad" characters have redeeming qualities, something I believe rarely portrayed in other American movies. This movie will touch your heart, if it is open, and hopefully awaken thoughts on many of life's difficulties and choices we encounter.

The most poignant scene in cinema is Spencer Diamond as Curly trying to sell himself as a potential son, to a young couple who have come to the orphanage for an abortion. He tells them "I'm the best".

The movie explores two themes: abortion: it makes clear you an make abortion illegal, but you can't make it disappear. Dr. Larch (Caine) and Homer (McGuire) debate the merits of both positions.

following the rules: It explores the differences between following the rules and doing what is right and making yourself useful.

The appeal of the movie is the essential goodness of the all the characters. It refreshes your heart to see people loving and caring for each other as a matter of course, even in the midst of heated disagreement.

This movie is a jewel. There are so many bad movies out there nowadays and movies that are so simple and without any meaning that are forgot 2 hours after you saw them. Don't get me wrong, sometimes I really love to be entertained for 2 hours and that was it. But I just love movies that make you think and that got a message. Those movies are exceptional and The Cider House Rules definitely belongs to this group of movies. It is one of the best movies I have ever seen and I am very glad I had the chance to see it in its' original English version. So, why is it one of the best movies I have ever seen? Here you go:

The story. It is very beautiful and I am glad John Irving adapted his own novel. It's a story about growing up and following your heart and it's also about how people change their opinions when they get wiser and more experienced.

The photography. This movie is full of such beautiful pictures of New England, it's breathtaking at times.

The actors. To be honest I hadn't seen many movies with the actors from this movie before. I thought from what little I had seen of Tobey Maguire that he might be a great actor and he is. Also very charismatic and like born for this part. Paul Rudd. Even though he has a rather small part he makes the best out of it and is very good. I'd like to see more of him. Michael Caine. He certainly deserved the Oscar for his work on this one. Great performance. Charlize Theron. She is the one who surprised me the most. I hadn't seen any movie of hers but Might Joe Young got a lot of promotion and it looked pretty bad to me and my opinion on Charlize was that she's probably another pretty blonde not gifted actress. But I did her wrong as she puts a heart to her character and performs very believable. Erykah Badu. I thought she was a professional singer and I think she really is, but in the movie she seemed like a professional actress. Very gifted!

The score. It's really great and a lot of people were whistling it when they left the theater.

The director. Lasse Hallström is a very good director which he also proved with Something To Talk About. I would definitely call this movie a masterpiece and can highly recommend it.

It's a 10/10.

Okay, corny summary...but I really believe it's true! I've never read the book The Cider House Rules, but this movie seemed to have really touched on something special. Granted, Tobey Maguire played this part exactly as he'd played "Pleasantville," but I think it fit the character. Michael Caine was simply wonderful - and aside from Robin Williams' for "Good Will Hunting," I've never been happier to see anyone win an Oscar. I could not for the life of me understand the hype over "American Beauty" with this movie in the running - it was more heartfelt, had a much better script and a better message overall, and most importantly, left me with a good feeling leaving the theater. The bittersweet predictability of the ending line was a wonderful incentive to cry. See this movie if you haven't already, and if you have, see it again.

In an age of plotless pictures it is wonderful to know that authors can still write stories rather than just scenes or artsy dialogue. Irving creates wonderful characters with redeeming (although sometimes eccentric) qualities... characters that do give us hope and optimism. The film is well made with wonderful actors of all ages. There is slight but not overbearing sentimentality in dealing with the subjects at hand. I appreciate Irving's courage in dealing with abortion in the 1940's decade. Michael Caine is deserving of his Oscar and well cast in this film.

I worked on the film, as the A camera, 1st Camera Assistant. The production went very smoothly under the Direction of Lasse Hallstrom and the beautiful cinematography by Oliver Stapleton.

I thought Toby Maguire, Michael Caine, Charleze Theron, Paul Rudd, Jane Alexander, Kathy Baker, Erikka Baduu, Heavy D and the rest of the cast put forth a great effort and I urge all the John Irving fans out there to go and enjoy this late Fall release.

This kind of story could be past and present but the times were hard during the war for everyone. All of the cast were EXCELLENT. Michael Caine- can't say enough positive things. He has not lost his touch.

This story touched us in many ways but especially about how vulnerable, durable and tough Kids and young adults can be.

Loneliness is a terrible thing and for young adults thrown together lots of exciting things can happen but some at a price.

All these things were so well played you felt for each and every character. What a great and truly fitting ending. Would see it again without hesitation. Homer Rules!

The cider house rules is the best movie of the year, but obviously the Academy Award's voters don't like abortion very much. I think it is so much better than American beauty, The green mile, The sixth sense...This movie is more than abortion, it talks about life, feelings, death, friendship, loneliness...is a beautiful film. Tobey Maguire's performance is BRILLIANT. A movie for open-minded people.

My last day of the 9's was watching Oregon beat a big 10 school, then going to Cider Hourse Rules. This is the first movie in a long time that left the audience in their seats through the credits; ( actually everybody stayed for Toy Story 2 but that was because they entertained us during the process. ... in Cider House I think it was in total respect of the fact that we had just been told a great story. American Beauty had maybe the same effect, but I don't remember being the first person to stand up. I had to go to the bathroom, otherwise I would have stayed in my seat. nevertheless, i also stayed for awhile... ) Myotherrecommendation, (german word construction), is Ride With The Devil/ Other movies by Lasse Halstrom and Ang Lee are also good..

Although the novel was considerably better as almost always, I found the adaptation as heartwarming with the themes properly transferred. Acting, screenplay, set design were all excellent. The overriding factor for me to give it a 10 however was the score. Rachel Portman is a genius and this ranks for me as one of the best original scores ever.

Cider House Rules is a tale of simple joy, of father and son, of unrequited love, of morality and of rules. It's a touching tale of orphans, specifically Homer Wells and his discovery of life outside of St. Cloud. There's much to be taken from this film for viewers of many ages, although children probably won't be prepared to enjoy it.

While they are not biologically related, they enjoy and suffer many of the slings and arrows that a father and son would Wilbur loves Homer and gives him what he can, which is hope, protection and `near-perfect obstetrical procedure'. As children do, Homer resists Larch's goals for him, specifically to assume Larch's role as a doctor in the orphanage. Instead Homer ventures away when a convenient opportunity presents itself in the form of a young couple leaving after the woman had an abortion. The couple, Candy Kendall and Wally Worthington, are Homer's age but much more worldly. It is here where Homer's simple appreciation of the world is apparent and most appealing. He had never seen the ocean and so Wally and Candy show Homer the Atlantic. Candy will later show Homer a drive in movie theater, which Homer professes to love, despite it never being open . Homer looked forward to a career picking apples, typically reserved for migrants, and didn't think anything of living with the migrants in the cider house. He finds joy in every aspect of life at the orchard, while others find misery in the same setting. I admire Homer's approach and seek to find more joy in the mundane, every day occurrences that we are so often too busy to even notice.

It is the rules from which the film, and novel, derive their title. Literally put, there is a set of rules posted in the cider house that are meant for the migrant workers. However, the workers cannot read, and so the rules are ignored in favor of their own unwritten rules. Many of the migrants' rules are governed by the deft knife of Mr. Rose, the foreman of the migrant workers. It is Homer that will reveal to the workers what the rules actually say, and unwittingly, it is Mr. Rose that will ultimately convince him of things that Dr. Larch had only tried to.

It would be incomplete to review the film without mentioning the abortion issue, and yet it would be unfair to suggest that this is all the film is about. Dr. Larch accepts as the Lord's work to carry out whatever the women arriving at St Cloud's want. This is to say that he delivers babies when asked, and performs abortions (at a time when they are illegal) for those that aren't `quick', or too far developed. This is important to him as he is well trained and carries out the abortions safely while other women take matters into their own hands, often with dangerous and lethal results. Despite his best efforts, Dr. Larch never is able to convince Homer to perform abortions.

The film and the book are not the same- the book is simply far too long to include everything. Homer's childhood is largely lost in the film, accounted for instead by a montage in the opening scenes and the introduction of Buster who reveals some of what Homer was as a child in the novel. Among the most notable differences are the absence of Melony and the chronology of the movie. Melony is a major character in the novel, only surpassed by Dr. Larch and Homer. She was a very powerful character, and Irving feared she'd overpower others in the film, especially since Michael Caine wanted to play a softer Dr. Larch. As for the time frame, the movie is greatly compressed. Whereas the book took place over several decades, and Homer leaves the orphanage for 15 years, the film takes place over 15 months. This requires of course some things to change- in the film Candy is the sexual aggressor, the war is already in force, and the origin of Larch's ether addiction is a mystery. More significantly, Homer is a part of the Worthington family in the novel, becoming close friends with Wally, living in the `fancy house', becoming Olive's pseudo-son, and becomes the boss of Ocean View. Finally, Angel Wells (Candy and Homer's child) is absent in the film adaptation.

This is not to say that the film is delinquent. These omissions and changes were necessary to present the story in a film version, and thus the film is a faithful adaptation of John Irving's 1985 novel. It ought to be, because Irving adapted the novel for the film and won an Oscar for his efforts.

This is not a fluffy movie to half pay attention to while doing something else. To do so may lead you to think like some of the other reviewers here, that its simply a story about abortion and nothing else. If you finish this movie and think that way, watch it again because you've missed a lot.

The boundaries of our lives sometimes seem self-ordained, while at other times they seem predetermined by a higher power, and life itself often becomes a quest to ascertain which is which. And so it was with a young man who grew up an orphan in the State of Maine, in the years preceding World War II, in `The Cider House Rules,' directed by Lasse Hallstrom. Under the tutelage and watchful eye of Dr. Wilbur Larch (Michael Caine), the administrator of the orphanage in which Homer Wells (Tobey Maguire) had lived his whole life, Homer, by 1943, had become quite knowledgeable and adept in the field of medicine. What he lacked, however, was the formal education that would have enabled him to practice what he had learned, if indeed, he had so desired; which in fact he had not. The orphanage was a world unto itself, a loving haven for unwanted children, but a place apart; and a larger world loomed just beyond it's perimeter, a world Homer Wells wanted to see. And when circumstances present Homer with an opportunity to get away, he grabs it, and embarks upon his journey of discovery, much to the consternation of the good Dr. Larch, who fears that he has lost Homer-- whom he loves as a son-- to the world forever. And forever is a long, long time. Hallstrom presents the story with acuity and care, drawing upon the innate humanity of the characters--especially Dr. Larch and Homer-- to bring it all to life. While Dr. Larch epitomizes the benevolent nature of man, one who has known the world and has come into his own, has found the place from which he can do some good, Homer represents the longings of youth; no longer a boy, but a man who must discover on his own what Dr. Larch already knows. And, as it is in real life, it becomes a matter of experience; and though fate ultimately intervenes with a nudge in the right direction, it is Homer who decides the direction his own life will take-- it is he who finally realizes what is meant to be. And under Hallstrom's steady and skillful hand, the journey becomes, not only Homer's, but the viewer's as well, as he mines the emotional depths of the characters, making them people with whom the audience will be readily able to identify. Affecting an American accent for the first time in his career, Michael Caine gives a performance that deservedly earned him the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. He brings Dr. Larch so vividly to life, capturing the deep concern and humanity of the man, while conveying his sincerity and exposing his vulnerability; it's a complete and real portrayal, enriched with nuance and altogether memorable. As good as Caine is, however, the film clearly belongs to Maguire, who gives a masterfully understated performance as Homer. There is such expression in the pacific nature he lends to the character, along with a sense of mature acceptance that serve to accentuate his inner yearnings, that make Homer so believable, a person with whom it is easy to sympathize and relate. There is something of a wistful poet beneath his stoic, though gentle, outward appearance that makes him endearing. With a subtle ability, Maguire makes it clear that Homer is a person of intrinsic good, and it gives not only the character, but the performance, a ring of truth and integrity. It's exceptional work, and taken in conjunction with his turns in `The Ice Storm' and `Wonder Boys,' firmly establishes Maguire as one of the best young actors in the business today. The extraordinary supporting cast includes Delroy Lindo (Mr. Rose), Charlize Theron (Candy), Paul Rudd (Wally), Jane Alexander (Nurse Edna), Kathy Baker (Nurse Angela), Kieran Culkin (Buster), Kate Nelligan (Olive Worthington), K. Todd Freeman (Muddy), Erykah Badu (Rose Rose) and Erik Per Sullivan (Fuzzy). Highlighted by outstanding performances and the sensitive interpretation and delivery of the story by Hallstrom, `The Cider House Rules' is a touching excursion into the depths of human emotions, and a taste of what life is all about. More than just a film, it's an experience; one that will create a lasting impression on your soul, and one that absolutely must not be missed. I rate this one 10/10.

Let's start with the ladies first because that would be more appropriate. Charlize Theron, an excellant portrayal of Candy in this film that won 7 Oscar nominations. Jane Alexander and Kathy Baker had small supporting roles but they were as always very amazing. Tobey Maguire gave his best yet performance as orphan Homer Wells. Michael Caine still stunned audiences with yet another great performance, at which one him his own Academy Award nomination. Paul Rudd is amazing in his supporting role. New comer to the screen Heavy D makes his debut acting portrayal as Peaches, the only thing that I did not like about it was that it did not show the botom of Tobey Maguire's feet.