In the Bedroom

Overview
Todd Field's IN THE BEDROOM is an artistic and realistic portrait of domestic trouble in small-town America. Sissy Spacek and Tom Wilkinson star as Ruth and Matt Fowler, the parents of a recent high school graduate, Frank (Nick Stahl), who has an affair with a married woman, Natalie (Marisa Tomei). A tragic event near the beginning of the film seems to stunt its action and dialogue, allowing the film to change into a largely visual piece based on memories, feelings, and silent communication; while the film's slow-moving camera, soft sunny lighting, and cautious pacing give it a resonating intensity. Set in coastal Maine, the Fowlers are a well-liked family with simple, straightforward values. Dr. Fowler has his own small medical practice. Mrs. Fowler directs the chorus at the high school. Frank is a good kid who is working on the fishing docks for the summer, waiting for college in the fall. Frank falls into a summer romance with Natalie, an older woman with two young sons and a creepy, lurking husband (William Mapother) from whom she is separated. The relationship is worrisome to Mr. and Mrs. Fowler, but they want to be supportive of their son so they gently nudge him to think about the bigger picture, without being overbearing. But when the unthinkable happens, Mr. and Mrs. Fowler come face to face with their worst nightmare. Quietly, calmly, and with the most logic they can muster, they begin a dark and dangerous psychological journey. The result, reinforced by stunning performances from Wilkinson and Spacek, is a pensive, penetrating, and utterly believable story.
Awards:
Main Cast & Crew:
Todd Field - Director
Tom Wilkinson
Sissy Spacek
Nick Stahl
Marisa Tomei
William Mapother
William Wise
Celia Weston
Karen Allen
Frank T. Wells
W. Clapham Murray
Details
- Format: DVD (Manufactured on Demand)
- Run Time: 130
- Color Format: Color
- UPC: 810103681897
- Genre: DRAMA
- Rating: R (MPAA)
- Release Date: July 2022

Movie Reviews
Notes:
Theatrical release: November 23, 2001 (NY/LA)
Reviews:
"...An extraordinary achievement in the genre, meticulously conceived and executed..." - 10/01/2001 Movieline's Hollywood Life, p.62-3
"...Remarkable....IN THE BEDROOM is a film we desperately need right now..." - 11/01/2001 Film Comment, p.73
"...Wilkinson underplays as admirably as Spacek does....It's also enhanced by a surprisingly earthy performance from Tomei..." - 11/30/2001 Entertainment Weekly, p.60
"...When a film as profoundly quiet as IN THE BEDROOM comes along, it feels almost miraculous....[A] perfectly observed, wrenchingly acted drama..." - 11/23/2001 New York Times, p.E25
"...Tom Wilkinson is very good....Spacek is extraordinary..." - 01/01/2002 Los Angeles Times, p.44-5
"...IN THE BEDROOM is an uncommonly good movie -- a thriller that transcends thrills to become a heartfelt and heart-stopping personal drama..." - 12/06/2001 Rolling Stone, p.155-6
"...One of the best dramas of 2001....An assured, powerful directing debut..." - 04/07/2002 Chicago Bulletin, p.5
"[Wilkinson] is an avenging father in Todd Field's wonderful debut feature..." - 01/14/2011 Wall Street Journal
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