The Door in the Floor
#1
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Gold Edition
The Door in the Floor
Has anybody had a chance to see this yet? It's based on John Irving's "A Widow For One Year."

the trailer is here:
http://www.focusfeatures.com/home.ph...r_in_the_floor
Here are a handful of blurbs from critics.
Village Voice (Ed Park) --
Eliminates much of its source's plot, focusing on the book's first third. The result is a crisply shot chamber piece for husband, wife, and boy.
The New York Times (A.O. Scott) ---
Surely the best movie yet made from Mr. Irving's fiction. It may even belong in the rarefied company of movies that are better than the books on which they are based.
The Hollywood Reporter (Michael Rechtshaffen) ---
The production is graced by bold performances, lyrical visuals and, most notably, Irving's own words, which have made the transition quite intact thanks to a faithful but still filmic adaptation by writer-director Tod Williams.
L.A. Times {soon to be NY Times} (Manohla Dargis) --
Bridges turns a two-dimensional image into a presence so vital, so filled with breath and blood, that you uneasily fall in love with his character and abandon all thought of the artifice that's brought it to life.
Premiere (Glenn Kenny) --
There are more than a couple of moments in this film, adapted by writer-director Tod Williams from a big swatch of Irving’s multigenerational quilt "A Widow for One Year," that get Irving’s sense of grotesque tragedy and tragic grotesquerie just right

the trailer is here:
http://www.focusfeatures.com/home.ph...r_in_the_floor
Here are a handful of blurbs from critics.
Village Voice (Ed Park) --
Eliminates much of its source's plot, focusing on the book's first third. The result is a crisply shot chamber piece for husband, wife, and boy.
The New York Times (A.O. Scott) ---
Surely the best movie yet made from Mr. Irving's fiction. It may even belong in the rarefied company of movies that are better than the books on which they are based.
The Hollywood Reporter (Michael Rechtshaffen) ---
The production is graced by bold performances, lyrical visuals and, most notably, Irving's own words, which have made the transition quite intact thanks to a faithful but still filmic adaptation by writer-director Tod Williams.
L.A. Times {soon to be NY Times} (Manohla Dargis) --
Bridges turns a two-dimensional image into a presence so vital, so filled with breath and blood, that you uneasily fall in love with his character and abandon all thought of the artifice that's brought it to life.
Premiere (Glenn Kenny) --
There are more than a couple of moments in this film, adapted by writer-director Tod Williams from a big swatch of Irving’s multigenerational quilt "A Widow for One Year," that get Irving’s sense of grotesque tragedy and tragic grotesquerie just right
Last edited by Frank TJ Mackey; 07-15-04 at 12:44 PM.
#3
DVD Talk Legend
Considering how much I've enjoyed the other movies based on Irving's novels (including World According to Garp, Hotel New Hampshire and The Cider House Rules), I'm really looking forward to this!
#4
Needs to contact an admin about multiple accounts
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,730
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
From: Las Vegas, NV
#6
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Gold Edition
It was only in 47 movie theaters as of Wednesday, July 14.
Compare that with "I, Robot" being in over 3,400 and try not to gag as Will Smith is shoved down your throat.
The Door in the Floor seems like one of the very few films with marketable actors aimed at the non-teenage boy crowd this summer.
It's too bad that not many people outside of the major metropolitan areas will have a chance to see it.
It will expand some I would imagine.
Compare that with "I, Robot" being in over 3,400 and try not to gag as Will Smith is shoved down your throat.
The Door in the Floor seems like one of the very few films with marketable actors aimed at the non-teenage boy crowd this summer.
It's too bad that not many people outside of the major metropolitan areas will have a chance to see it.
It will expand some I would imagine.
#7
DVD Talk Special Edition
BoxOfficeMojo has it listed as expanding to 105 screens next Friday. If anybody has seen it yet how is it and what kind of crowd is it drawing in it's first week of limited release? I doubt even when it goes to 105 that it'll be anywhere near me. Have to hope it does well and continues to expand. 66% fresh at rottentomatoes.
#8
DVD Talk Legend
It's playing about an hour and a half away from me, I'm going to see it on Wednesday, been waiting for a while.
This movie, Garden State, and Napoleon Dynamite (which I saw and loved) are my most anticipated movies of the summer.
This movie, Garden State, and Napoleon Dynamite (which I saw and loved) are my most anticipated movies of the summer.
#9
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 2,597
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
From: dc
loved this book! cannot wait to see the film. the only bad thing i've heard so far is about the boy who plays eddie, someone mentioned that whenever he's on the screen you catch yourself anticipating the adult's return. he is a newcomer and supposedly not able to hold his own amongst bridges and basinger...
hopefully will get to this this weekend!
hopefully will get to this this weekend!
#11
I saw it the other day and really enjoyed it. It's a must-see for John Irving fans. The script is smart and Jeff Bridges is great, as usual. I haven't seen Tod Williams first film, but I'm anxious to see it now. He has a good eye, the last shot in particular is inspired, and he handles the difficult emotional shifts, from abject sadness to slapstick comedy, well.
The movie has its flaws - Mimi Roger's character is underwritten and mishandled, Dakota Fanning's sister, who plays the daughter, is off-puting, and the pace drags now and then. The guy who plays Eddie is overshadowed by Bridges and Basinger, but the more I think about his performance the more I like it. Pretty demanding role.
The owner of the theater where I saw it was disappointed by its business, which surprised me. It's a good alternative to the big popcorn movies out now, hopefully it'll find an audience once word-of-mouth spreads.
The movie has its flaws - Mimi Roger's character is underwritten and mishandled, Dakota Fanning's sister, who plays the daughter, is off-puting, and the pace drags now and then. The guy who plays Eddie is overshadowed by Bridges and Basinger, but the more I think about his performance the more I like it. Pretty demanding role.
The owner of the theater where I saw it was disappointed by its business, which surprised me. It's a good alternative to the big popcorn movies out now, hopefully it'll find an audience once word-of-mouth spreads.
Last edited by William Fuld; 07-17-04 at 03:23 PM.
#13
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Originally posted by Geofferson
Isn't this only based on a small portion of the novel?
Isn't this only based on a small portion of the novel?
#14
Moderator
Originally posted by William Fuld
The movie has its flaws - Mimi Roger's character is underwritten and mishandled, Dakota Fanning's sister, who plays the daughter, is off-puting, and the pace drags now and then. The guy who plays Eddie is overshadowed by Bridges and Basinger, but the more I think about his performance the more I like it. Pretty demanding role.
The movie has its flaws - Mimi Roger's character is underwritten and mishandled, Dakota Fanning's sister, who plays the daughter, is off-puting, and the pace drags now and then. The guy who plays Eddie is overshadowed by Bridges and Basinger, but the more I think about his performance the more I like it. Pretty demanding role.
Spoiler:
#15
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Gold Edition
I'm guessing this will never play in more than 150 theaters or so. That's sad considering how much absolute garbage is playing all across North America right now.




