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Matt and Ruth Fowler are a middle-aged couple growing old. He's a small-town doctor who goes out lobstering with his son every weekend, while
she researches Balkan folk songs and directs a college choir. Their son Frank (played by Nick Stahl)  is working as a lobsterman while he applies to architectural schools. He's dating single mom Natalie (Marisa Tomei), whom his mom thinks is beneath him but he genuinely loves. On the other hand, Matt has already accepted her and her boy into the family, taking the little tyke out on the boat like his own grandson. On the whole, life is good for the Fowlers, and it seems like it will only get better.

One of the many great things about Todd Field's debut movie In the Bedroom is that, even though this is a movie and, therefore, conflict is
inevitable, it still comes as a shock when it arrives. I won't spoil it for you (and I encourage you to avoid any review that gives the plot away), but
it touches on issues of loss and dashed expectations. Then Matt (Tom Wilkinson) and Ruth (Sissy Spacek) have to figure out how to adjust to
their new reality.

It goes without saying that Sissy Spacek is fantastic. From the young girl in Badlands to the aging daughter in The Straight Story, Spacek has carved out a body of great work that is unfortunately often overlooked. That won't happen with In the Bedroom. Already picked for the Best Actress award by the New York Film Critics, Spacek's performance is the type that the Academy honors, and rightly so. Her portrayal of a mother who dotes on her son and is skeptical of his girlfriend strikes exactly the right note. And her grief, which often expresses itself in anger at her husband, is bitterly powerful. One night, he heads out to deal with a situation; when he returns, Spacek is sitting up in bed, smoking a cigarette, and coldly asks, "Did you do it?" It's an unexpected and gripping moment.

Tom Wilkinson (The Patriot) might be even better, though. Ensconced as the town's doctor, with status in the town and a salary to match, Matt finds true enjoyment in taking his son and "grandson" out on the lobster boat in the early morning. His discontent with his profession is glossed over by the pleasure his serene life and family bring. But when that's turned upside down, he doesn't know how to react. His retreat into stoicism and then barely-concealed rage is perfectly conveyed by Wilkinson. Though the film takes some unexpected turns towards the end, Wilkinson's rock-solid performance makes every twist seem like the most obvious outcome. And his scenes with Spacek, both the tender bedroom scenes and the shouting matches, are a tour de force of acting.

Todd Field's direction is nicely low-key. Never obtrusive, he sets the camera down, positions his fine actors, and lets them deliver his script.
Marisa Tomei gives a nice performance as the single mom struggling to fit in. And Nick Stahl has a boyish enthusiasm that matches his part.

Watching movies like this, which focus on loss and grief, in the wake of Sept. 11, it's hard not to think about the thousands of people who've been
thrust into a similar situation. How are they dealing with a life that takes a dramatically unfortunate turn? How would I? In the Bedroom offers
no easy answers, which is one of the reasons why it rings true. I suspect many will find it a source of comfort and strength in these times.   

J. Robert Parks 12/22/2001