Session Five / The Cider House Rules

I really enjoyed this movie.  It had so many emotional stories wrapped up into one.  I connected so emotionally with this film that I found myself weeping during several scenes.

Theme:   The title of the film set the scene for the theme of the movie.  It was based on the Cider House Rules, rules that were ridiculously redundant, and meaningless.   They were rules that someone else had imposed on those living in the Cider House. On a deeper level, the theme is about the rules that each one of us lives with, whether imposed on us by others or rules that we impose on ourselves.   The theme on rules takes on another sub-theme; rules are made to be broken. 

Relationship of the Parts to the Whole:

Throughout the film, we see the theme play out again and again.  Dr. Larch made a decision, (rule) that helping unwed mothers either deliver their children and give them up for adoption or abort the pregnancy was his calling in life.  He believed that un-wed mothers must have options and that he was the only way for them to have safe options.   Those were the rules he made for himself, even though abortion was illegal.  On the other hand, Homer was happy to deliver babies, but would not perform an abortion, his rules for himself.  Candy had her rules, too.  She would commit herself to Wally, but since she was no good at being alone, she would have an affair with Homer and not see anything wrong with it, since Wally was away.  Even Mr. Rose had his rules, since Rose Rose was his daughter, his property, his rules excused the incestuous relationship he forced upon her.  All of these scenarios follow the theme.  I found it interesting, that after the apple picking crew discovered what the Cider House Rules actually said, we then started seeing them act out against the rules.  In the beginning of the movie, they never went up on the roof.  After Homer read them the rules, there were several scenes with the crew on the roof.

Subjective Evaluation:

I was impressed with the way the director handled such controversial subjects as abortion and incest.  It is so easy for people to take an either black or white, for or against stance on abortion.  The director established a relationship between the audience and Rose Rose.  When he revealed the nature of her pregnancy, it was harder to look at it as a "for or against "abortion issue. 

The Film as Moral, Philosophical or Social Statement:

The director definitely used the humanistic approach for this film.  He established relationships between the characters and the audience.  He showed the despair and anguish the orphans felt, the longing for families of their own.  He allowed us to empathize with the characters, regardless of our own beliefs.  He showed us that circumstances could change our beliefs or rules.  Even though Homer would not perform abortions in the early parts of the film, he came to believe that it was the only way out for Rose Rose.   


This movie affected me at a deep level.  The rules that we have for ourselves are usually deep rooted, and most likely the results of our upbringing or experiences.  After watching this movie, it really made me think about evaluating what I believe.  

Although I did not change my beliefs due to this film, I certainly have more empathy for anyone else having to make life altering decisions.

Works Cited

Boggs, J. M., & Petrie, D. W. (2008). The Art of Watching Films (7th Edition ed.). Ashford University: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.