In the Bedroom (2001)
85%RT Audience Score: 81%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 5 Oscars
39 wins & 75 nominations total
Expertly crafted and performed, In the Bedroom is a quietly wrenching portrayal of grief
In the Bedroom is like a rollercoaster ride of emotions, but instead of loops and drops, it’s all about the ups and downs of a couple dealing with tragedy. The acting is so good, you’ll forget you’re watching a movie and start feeling like a fly on the wall of a real family’s life. And while some critics might say the ending feels a bit too planned out, I say it’s like a perfectly executed magic trick – you know it’s coming, but you still can’t believe how it all plays out. So grab some tissues and get ready for a wild ride.
Production Company(ies)
Bavaria Film Twin Bros., Productions, Radiant Film GmbH,
Distributor
Miramax Films
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Camden, Maine, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for some violence and language
Year of Release
2002
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:2.39:1
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Runtime:2h 18m
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Language(s):English, Serbo-Croatian
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Nov 23, 2001 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 13, 2002
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Tom Wilkinson, Sissy Spacek, Marisa Tomei, Nick Stahl, William Mapother, William Wise, directed by Todd Field, written by Robert Festinger, Todd Field, Andre Dubus, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Kimberley Jones, Ella Taylor, Neil Smith, Jay Boyar, Desson Thomson, Peter Howell, David Walsh, Felix Vasquez Jr., Joe Lozito, Emanuel Levy, Jeffrey Overstreet, Thomas Delapa, R MPAA rating, grief, tragedy, family dynamics, Maine, love affair, music teacher, doctor, single mother, revenge, minimalist, slow-paced, intense, emotional, ambiguous, effective, endearing, solid cast, powerful performances, everyday people, nature of revenge, grief of a loved one, tragedy, summer romance, newly divorced mother, strain on marriage
Worldwide gross: $44,763,181
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $74,242,537
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,164
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 8,096,242
US/Canada gross: $35,930,604
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $59,593,155
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 991
US/Canada opening weekend: $93,972
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $155,858
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,769
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $1,700,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $2,819,556
Production budget ranking: 1,987
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $1,518,331
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $69,904,650
ROI to date (est.): 1,611%
ROI ranking: 64
Tom Wilkinson – Matt Fowler
Nick Stahl – Frank Fowler
Marisa Tomei – Natalie Strout
William Mapother – Richard Strout
William Wise – Willis Grinnel
Director(s)
Todd Field
Writer(s)
Robert Festinger, Todd Field, Andre Dubus
Producer(s)
Todd Field, Ross Katz, Graham Leader
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 5 Oscars
39 wins & 75 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (139) | Top Critics (37) | Fresh (129) | Rotten (10)
March 10, 2003 | Rating: 4/5
Kimberley Jones
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Goes the distance to avoid banalizing the dilemma of a reasonable couple unhinged by unreasonable events.
August 12, 2002
Ella Taylor
L.A. Weekly
TOP CRITIC
Intense, superbly acted chamber piece.
January 21, 2002 | Rating: 4/5
Neil Smith
BBC.com
TOP CRITIC
So emotionally pure and rigorous that you’re more than willing to go along with it.
January 10, 2002
Jay Boyar
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
The story and direction are powerful enough. But it’s the acting that takes In the Bedroom higher.
December 28, 2001
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
Lingers in the mind, suffusing melancholy with the fateful pall of dread that hangs over all of life’s pleasures.
December 28, 2001
Peter Howell
Toronto Star
TOP CRITIC
The work lacks spontaneity and freshness. The spectator feels that he is being pulled by not-so invisible strings toward some inevitable denouement from the opening shots.
February 16, 2021
David Walsh
World Socialist Web Site
Much of the film’s unsettling nature is comprised of sheer silence which is often the most dangerous element…
April 29, 2009
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed
July 14, 2007 | Rating: 4/4
Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound
It’s tempting to compare this film to Ordinary People, since both deal with the reaction of upper-middle class family to the accidental death of their son, though new movie is more immediate, emotional and ambiguous.
October 25, 2006 | Rating: A-
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
The real story is in how the marriage is strengthened or harmed by the way each spouse responds to what’s happening.
January 15, 2005 | Rating: B+
Jeffrey Overstreet
Looking Closer
As top-drawer as the acting is, I simply can’t buy the laboriously plotted revenge ending, which seems to have crawled out of Perry Mason’s attic.
September 23, 2004
Thomas Delapa
Boulder Weekly…
Plot
In idyllic Mid-Coast Maine, the Fowler family’s only son Frank comes home from his freshman year at college for summer vacation. His mother Ruth, the school choir director, is unhappy with Frank dating soon-to-be divorced mother Natalie who is several years his senior, but Frank’s father Matt, the town doctor, doesn’t see a problem. While Frank considers holding off his future for Natalie, her jilted husband causes them all problems until an unthinkable tragedy shakes the community to its very core.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Sissy Spacek delivers a standout performance as Ruth Fowler.
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