Rabbit Hole

  • Review Date: December 14, 2010
  • PG-13
  • Genre: Drama
  • 2010
 Review

Common Sense Media says

Moving, mature drama about loss is too heavy for kids.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this affecting play-based dramedy starring Nicole Kidman explores the aftermath of a profound loss -- parents mourning the accidental death of their young son. It’s unflinching and, thanks to that brutal honesty, may be too heavy and hard to watch for younger viewers. There’s also some swearing (including "s--t" and "f--k"), pot smoking, and discussion about sex and a child’s death.

  • Although the movie is often sad and painful -- showing that any marriage, no matter how solid it seems, can be shaken to the core by tragic events -- ultimately, it says that even if love can't prevent fissures, it can heal them.
  • Rocked by a horrible tragedy, Becca and Howie are in pain and unable to cope. But they allow each other space and do their best to accept their uneasy present. Becca also displays an enormous capability for forgiveness, even if she's hard on herself.
  • Some loud and emotional arguments. A woman slaps a stranger. A couple mourns the death of their young son, who was accidentally hit by a car. Viewers don’t see the event, but it's discussed a lot.
  • A couple talks about not having sex. A woman becomes pregnant by a man who was seeing someone else. A married man flirts with another woman and contemplates infidelity.
  • Language includes “prick,” “s--t,” “goddammit,” "ass," “a--hole,” and, once “f--k.” Also "oh my God" and "goddamn."
  • Some companies/brands are mentioned, including Sotheby’s, Christie’s, and Ambien.
  • Social drinking. Two people smoke pot (using a pipe) in a car.

What's the story?

It’s been eight months since Becca and Howie Corbett's (Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart) 4-year-old son ran into the street chasing the family dog and was hit by a car driven by a high school student (Miles Teller). He did not survive. Neither did his parents -- emotionally, that is. Becca can’t bear to be reminded of him; Howie can’t let him go. And now their marriage lies in tatters, each unable to find comfort in the other. A support group for parents like them turns Becca off and has Howie venturing into uneasy territory. Becca’s desperate for connection, but with whom?


Is it any good?

 

Based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning play by David Lindsay-Abaire, RABBIT HOLE turns its viewers into witnesses of a marriage at a crossroads: Can their grief cannibalize their marriage, their selves? It’s a weighty question that the film embraces, beautifully. Rather than provide audiences with the expected portraits of anguish, it aims for an unvarnished and messy truth -- difficult to categorize, stunning to watch.

Kidman is impressive as the wounded Becca, who won’t let anyone attend to her pain. She’s prickly and unpredictable, and her heartbreak is deeply felt despite her attempts to dismiss it. Her scenes with the incomparable Diane Wiest are a joy to watch, if only to see them play mother and daughter with such realism and knowing. Eckhart surprises with a vulnerability we rarely get to see him display, and Teller is memorable as a teenager trying to find his way back to a happier life. A few moments work too hard to evoke emotion -- the scene in the supermarket, for instance, when Becca is shocked at her own display of rage -- but those are, thankfully, the exceptions.


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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about how the movie tackles the subjects of grief and loss. Does it seem different from other movies?

  • What is the movie's ultimate message? Do you consider the characters to be positive role models? Why or why not?

  • Why do Becca and Howie have trouble supporting
    each other through their grief? Does their experience seem realistic?


This review was written by S. Jhoanna Robledo
Adult
January 27, 2011
 
dxcwmiw
Only coment: Tom Cruise you're just stupid to leave Nicole Kidman and go with Katie Holmes. P.S:Kisses fo Suri :)

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Adult
December 17, 2010
 
a very dramatic sad movie, quite emotional with excellent performances.
RABBIT HOLE is a vivid, hopeful, honest and unexpectedly witty portrait of a family searching for what remains possible in the most impossible of all situations. Becca and Howie Corbett (NICOLE KIDMAN and AARON ECKHART) are returning to their everyday existence in the wake of a shocking, sudden loss. Just eight months ago, they were a happy suburban family with everything they wanted. Now, they are caught in a maze of memory, longing, guilt, recrimination, sarcasm and tightly controlled rage from which they cannot escape. While Becca finds pain in the familiar, Howie finds comfort. The shifts come in abrupt, unforeseen moments. Becca hesitantly opens up to her opinionated, loving mother (DIANNE WIEST) and secretly reaches out to the teenager involved in the accident that changed everything (MILES TELLER); while Howie lashes out and imagines solace with another woman (SANDRA OH). Yet, as off track as they are, the couple keeps trying to find their way back to a life that still holds the potential for beauty, laughter and happiness. The resulting journey is an intimate glimpse into two people learning to re-engage with each other and a world that has been tilted off its axis. one of the best movies of the year with definitely one of the best Performances this year. its a very sad movie about to grieving couples post their innocent son's accidental death. this movie shows and execute a wide range of emotions which is really good. it was a very easy going movie with no complexity just simple plot. never felt boring or tired, it kept my interest in the film which is great again. this movie is directed very well, brilliantly and well directed. its written very well too. screenplay is very good with diversity in it even its a simple plot, many things are there in the screenplay which makes it a vibrant movie with vast emotions and sub-plots that really feels good. Two thumbs up for the director and writers. edited well, good cinematography. Nicole Kidman gives one of the Best performance of the year and one of her best career topping performance, even before seeing this movie i already nominated her in my Oscar prediction list. she lights up the screen with not just her smile, her grief and her vast variety of face expressions but with her grief, her Crying, her struggling and everything else shown. she is marvellous, outstanding performance by her. on the other hand i saw Aaron Eckhart's best performance , lets say of his career, he was just superb in it. Diane west was great too. and other actors like Sandra Oh and Tammy Blanchard. Performance wise its an outstanding gem. Brilliant performances. very sad, emotional, grieving movie, i loved how the couple have been shown, the situations are very believable not over done. showing them dealing with it in different ways was lovely, i even expected some pretty over stuff like the one shown in previous year's movie Anti Christ that they use sex to get over the grief and pain but thank God that was not the case here so like i said its believable movie with luminous and simple plot. everything is good about this movie, it caught my full attention from the start which was awsome. its a great melodramatic movie with excellently written screenplay which touches right chords at right time. excellent performances. brilliant story. this movie is a must watch.

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This review was written by S. Jhoanna Robledo
Studio:Lionsgate
Director:John Cameron Mitchell
Cast:Aaron Eckhart, Dianne Wiest, Nicole Kidman
Genre:Drama
Run time:91 minutes
Theatrical release date:December 17, 2010
DVD release date:April 19, 2011
MPAA rating:PG-13
MPAA explanation:mature thematic material, some drug use and language

This review was written by S. Jhoanna Robledo
 

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