The Cider House Rules | |
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Theatrical release poster
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Directed by | Lasse Hallström |
Produced by |
Richard N. Gladstein Bob Weinstein Harvey Weinstein Austin Whiteley |
Screenplay by | John Irving |
Based on |
The Cider House Rules by John Irving |
Starring |
Tobey Maguire Michael Caine Charlize Theron Paul Rudd Delroy Lindo Erykah Badu |
Music by | Rachel Portman |
Cinematography | Oliver Stapleton |
Edited by | Lisa Zeno Churgin |
Production
company |
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Distributed by | Miramax Films |
Release dates
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Running time
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125 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $24 million |
Box office | $88,545,092 |
The Cider House Rules is a 1999 American drama film directed by Lasse Hallström, based on John Irving's novel of the same name. The film won two Academy Awards, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, along with four other nominations at the 72nd Academy Awards. Irving documented his involvement in bringing the novel to the screen in his book, My Movie Business.
Irving won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, while Michael Caine won his second Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Homer Wells, an orphan, grows up in a Maine orphanage directed by kindly, avuncular Dr. Wilbur Larch. Homer is returned twice by foster parents; his first foster parents thought he was too quiet and the second parents beat him. Dr. Larch is addicted to ether and is also secretly an abortion provider. Conditions at the orphanage are very sparse, but the children are treated with love and respect, and they are like an extended family. Each night before they go to sleep, Dr. Larch says, "Goodnight you Princes of Maine, you Kings of New England!" as both encouragement and a kind of blessing.
Homer, the oldest among the orphans, is very bright, helpful and even-tempered, so Larch trains him in obstetrics and abortions as an apprentice, despite Homer never even having attended high school. Homer disapproves of abortions, and although he has been trained by Larch in the field, he refuses to perform them. After several years, Homer is very skillful and confident in performing obstetrical duties and Larch wants Homer to take over his position after he retires. But Homer finds this idea impossible, both because he lacks formal medical education and because he wants to see more of the world than just the orphanage.