How many times have all of us said, "the book was better" after we've seen a screen adaptation of a popular novel. The length of the novel just doesn't lend itself well to a two hour film. It's the short story that translates best to film, with the novel, compromises must be made and often the story suffers in some way because of them. John Irving novels, because of their length, multiple characters, and intertwining plot lines pose a particular problem for the screen adapter. For the
Cider House Rules, John Irving himself took on the task of adapting his popular novel and rather than compromising the story he recreated it by eliminating two characters and their subplots. In 1999 Lasse Hallstrom took John Irving's re-imagined story and created a film that retains the integral spirit of the novel and received seven Oscar nominations, winning best supporting actor for Michael Cane and adapted screenplay for Irving.
The Cider House Rules makes this list because it turned a novel I love into a movie I love equally. This film just works, from the writing to the acting, the music to the cinematograph.
Tobey Maguire and Michael Cane so embody the characters of Homer and Dr. Larch, that it seems as though their faces were used as illustrations in the original printing of the book and even though those of us who read the novel before seeing the film, know what we're going to find out about Mr. Rose, Delroy Lindo is still able to charm us as he leads the crew and teaches Homer about picking apples.
The Cider House Rules is a beautifully shot and edited film and Rachel Portman's score is as close to perfect a film score as I've heard. The biggest injustice of 1999 was that while she was nominated she did not win the oscar. The main theme from the film has a special place in my creative heart because it was the music I borrowed for the fund-raising trailer I created for my Farnsworth Documentary:
The Farnsworth; Rockland's Treasure Lucy's Gift. Thanks to that trailer my friend, and Farnsworth board member, John Bird and I were able to raise funds to pay for that project with just a few visits to prominent Rockland business leaders. We walked in, opened the laptop, played the trailer and the rest is history (The Michigan State Board of Tourism is now using Ms. Portman's music in a campaign of their own). Here's the trailer from Lucy's Gift and in the words of Dr. Larch:
Good night you Princes of Maine, you Kings of New England
