Movie Reaction: In the Bedroom

The Pitch: Sissy Spacek and Tim Wilkinson have agreed to be depressed and withholding for 2 solid hours. Let's get this done!

A couple grieves over the death of their son.

This movie is a roller coaster. A jerky one. At first, it's a family drama. Then it's a menacing story about an abusive ex-husband. Then it's a parade of grief. Finally, it's a revenge story. I mainly knew about the grief part going in. I knew that the son dies and and Spacek and Wilkinson give Oscar caliber performances. I thought it was a suicide though. The title led me to expect something like a play with those two locked in rooms together. Within the first couple minutes though, the movie it explains what the title actually means, and I realized I needed to prepare myself for something much different.

I have a weird opinion of the movie. The grief stuff in the middle was a lot to handle. I was reaching my emotional limit and kept seeing 50 minutes left, 35 minutes left, and worried about how much more I could take. The switch to a revenge story was a welcome shift, but I didn't end up caring for it. The tension was effective, but it felt too much like a revenge fantasy. I spent the first several minutes waiting for Tom Wilkinson to wake up and realize it was all a dream. For me, the climax of the movie was Spacek and Wilkinson's ugly argument that ended when the little girl came by selling candy. Even though I didn't care for the end sequence, I do love at the very end when we find out that Spacek knew what Wilkinson was up to.

This is a very well made movie. It's atmospheric. Director Todd Field understands how to say as much with a brief shot of Tom Wilkinson mowing the lawn as other movies would say with a monologue. This movie sets a tone early that prepares the audience for the emotional toll later on without making it feel telegraphed. Sissy Spacek, Tom Wilkinson, and Marissa Tomei all earned those Oscar nominations. Alas, the biggest problem with the movie is that it took so much out of me that I don't want to watch it again. Or, at least I need some time.

One Last Thought: I'm a big Disney Park nerd, so the scene when Calia Weston explains how Fast Passes work to Spacek made me feel seen in a way that few movies have. I increased this by a letter grade immediately because of that scene.

Verdict: Weakly Recommend