A Good Story: The Cider House Rules
Watch a movie that will restore your faith in humanity. A film from the late 1990s, The Cider House Rules. Based on John Irving’s 1985 novel.
I read everything that John Irving published during my early adulthood. Irving's novels are funny, heartbreaking, and highlight human decency. Flawed characters with unusual personalities make for realistic heroes.
Irving spins the story of an orphan and the doctor who raises him in a Maine orphanage. Irving wrote the screenplay, winning an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. Doctor Larch is a flawed human being with a kind heart. He has a penchant for Ether and ignoring authority when it suits his purpose. John Irving imagined Michael Caine as Doctor Larch when he wrote the book.
Homer Wells is the orphan who never finds a home. Larch raises him while grooming him him to be his replacement. Wilber has other ideas. He wants to see the world. A central part of the plot is there differing opinion on abortion.
The cast includes many actors you will recognize. Michael Caine won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Toby Maguire, Paul Rudd, and Charlize Theron were early in their careers. Everyone in the cast delivers believable performances.
I had positive memories from the book and movie but I hadn’t watched the movie since its debut. It’s better than I remembered. I found it in a streaming service for free.
The Cider House Rules is a great way to spend an evening and you can watch it on Amazon Prime for free.