# The Cider House Rules (film)

The Cider House Rules is a 1999 American drama film directed by Lasse Hallström from a screenplay by John Irving, based on Irving's 1985 novel. Its story follows Homer Wells, who lives in a World War II–era Maine orphanage run by a doctor who trains him to be an OB/GYN, and his journey after leaving the orphanage. The film stars Tobey Maguire, Charlize Theron, Delroy Lindo, Paul Rudd, Michael Caine, Jane Alexander, Kathy Baker, Kieran Culkin, Heavy D, Kate Nelligan, and Erykah Badu.
The film was produced by Miramax Films and FilmColony, and it had its world premiere at the 56th Venice International Film Festival. It was given a limited release by Miramax Films in the United States on December 10, 1999, followed by a wide release on January 7, 2000. It grossed $110,098 in its opening weekend and $88.5 million worldwide against a budget of $24 million. It was positively reviewed and has a 71% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The film won two Academy Awards: Irving won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, and Michael Caine won his second Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, along with four other nominations at the 72nd Academy Awards. Irving documented his involvement in bringing the novel to the screen in his book My Movie Business.

## Plot

Homer Wells grows up at St. Cloud's, a Maine orphanage directed by avuncular Dr. Wilbur Larch. Homer is returned to St. Cloud's twice by foster parents. The first family felt Homer was too quiet (due to orphanage babies soon learning that crying is pointless). The second beat him. Dr. Larch is addicted to ether, and he secretly performs abortions. Conditions at the orphanage are sparse, but the children have love and respect, and they are like an extended family. Older children, such as Buster, look out for the younger children, and in particular care for those who are sickly, including Fuzzy Stone, who was born prematurely to an alcoholic mother. Fuzzy suffers from respiratory disease and thus spends most of his time beneath a plastic tent ventilated with a breathing apparatus. Each night before sleeping, Dr. Larch says to the children "Good night, you Princes of Maine! You Kings of New England!" as both an encouragement and a kind of blessing.
Homer, the oldest of the orphans, is very bright, helpful and even-tempered, so Larch trains him in obstetrics and abortions as an apprentice despite Homer's never having attended high school. Homer disapproves of abortions, and although Larch has trained him, Homer refuses to perform them. After several years, Homer is very skillful and confident in performing obstetrical duties. Larch wants Homer to take over after Larch retires, but Homer feels it's impossible, as he lacks formal medical education and he wants to see the outside world beyond the orphanage. Dr. Larch performs an abortion on Candy Kendall, who came to the clinic with her boyfriend, Wally Worthington, for an abortion. Wally is a pilot on leave from the service. Wally's mother, Olive, owns the Worthington family apple orchard where Homer settles as a worker. He lives on the Worthington estate in Cider House, the bunkhouse. Wally returns to World War II. Homer is exempt from this as Dr. Larch has diagnosed him with a heart condition.
While Wally is away, Candy starts flirting with Homer, and they have an affair. Homer picks apples with Arthur Rose's team of migrant workers whom the Worthingtons employ seasonally at the orchard. A list of rules for its occupants is posted in the Cider House, but as the migrant workers are illiterate, they have never known what the rules are. When Homer reads them the list, the workers observe the rules have been made without the occupants' consent by people who do not live there and do not share their problems. Consequently, they feel they can ignore the rules. Homer and Candy become much closer during harvest and spend more time together while Wally is fighting in Burma.
At St. Cloud's, Fuzzy Stone succumbs to his illness while watching a private screening of King Kong with Dr. Larch. Larch, Buster and the staff conceal Fuzzy's death from the other orphans by telling them that Fuzzy was adopted. Even so, the loss hits everyone hard, Larch most of all.
After Arthur and his team return to the orchard the following season, Homer discovers that Rose, Arthur's daughter, is pregnant. Candy learns that the baby's father is Arthur. Homer decides to abort Rose's baby with Arthur's assistance. A few days later, Rose tries to run away. When Arthur tries to say goodbye to her, she stabs him and flees. He then makes the injury worse, and as a last request, asks Homer and another worker to tell the police his death was a suicide.
Wally returns from Burma a paraplegic. Although Candy loves Homer, she decides to take care of Wally. Immediately after this, Homer learns Dr. Larch has died from an accidental overdose of ether. Homer decides he is most needed back at the orphanage. When he returns, he is greeted joyously by both the children and staff. He learns that not only did Larch fake Homer's medical record to keep him out of the war, but he also faked college credentials and used reverse psychology to convince the orphanage board to appoint Homer as the next director. Homer fills the paternal role that Larch previously held for the children of the orphanage, telling them, "Good night, you Princes of Maine! You Kings of New England!"

## Cast

* Tobey Maguire as Homer Wells
* Michael Caine as Dr. Wilbur Larch
* Charlize Theron as Candy Kendall
* Paul Rudd as Lt. Wally Worthington
* Delroy Lindo as Arthur Rose
* Erykah Badu as Rose Rose
* Heavy D as Peaches
* K. Todd Freeman as Muddy
* Kieran Culkin as Buster
* Jane Alexander as Nurse Edna
* Kathy Baker as Nurse Angela
* Kate Nelligan as Olive Worthington
* Paz de la Huerta as Mary Agnes
* J. K. Simmons as Ray Kendall
* Evan Parke as Jack
* Jimmy Flynn as Vernon
* Erik Per Sullivan as Fuzzy Stone
* Skye McCole Bartusiak as Hazel
* Spencer Diamond as Curly Day

## Production

An adaptation of The Cider House Rules by John Irving was first announced May 1991 to be set up at Beacon Pictures and directed by Phillip Borsos and star Matthew Broderick. In January 1997, it was announced FimColony had acquired the rights to the novel and were in the process of adapting it. In February 1997, the film which was setup at Miramax was reportedly moving forward with director Michael Winterbottom and Ethan Hawke in talks to star. Later that month, it was reported Billy Crudup was now in talks to star. By April 1998, Winterbottom had left the project and Miramax had signed Lasse Hallström as director. The following month, Leonardo DiCaprio had reportedly been considering starring in the film. By August of that year, Tobey Maguire had been signed on as the film's star.

## Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 71% approval rating, based on 112 reviews with an average rating of 6.6/10. The website's critical consensus reads "The Cider House Rules derives affecting drama from wonderful performances, lovely visuals, and an old-fashioned feel." It also has a weighted average rating of 75 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 32 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Leonard Maltin awarded the film a rare four-star rating. By contrast, Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times awarded it just two stars, stating the film "is often absorbing or enchanting in its parts. Michael Caine's performance is one of his best, and Charlize Theron is sweet and direct as the girl...The story touches many themes, lingers with some of them, moves on and arrives at nowhere in particular."

### Certificate

In the United States, the film was given a PG-13 certificate by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), and in the United Kingdom, it was given a 12 certificate by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), which meant that anyone aged 12 or over could see it. However, in Ireland, the film was given the strictest possible rating, 18. According to Ireland's Film Censor, Sheamus Smith, this was because of its themes of abortion, incest and drugs. At the time, Ireland had a constitutional ban on abortion, which would not be lifted until after a referendum in 2018.

### Awards and nominations

| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
| Academy Awards | 2000 | Best Picture | Richard N. Gladstein | Nominated |
| Academy Awards | 2000 | Best Director | Lasse Hallström | Nominated |
| Academy Awards | 2000 | Best Supporting Actor | Michael Caine | Won |
| Academy Awards | 2000 | Best Adapted Screenplay | John Irving | Won |
| Academy Awards | 2000 | Best Film Editing | Lisa Zeno Churgin | Nominated |
| Academy Awards | 2000 | Best Original Score | Rachel Portman | Nominated |
| Academy Awards | 2000 | Best Production Design | David Gropman (art direction), Beth Rubino (set design) | Nominated |
| Bambi Awards | 2000 | Shooting Star – Female | Charlize Theron | Won |
| Black Reel Awards | 2000 | Outstanding Supporting Actor | Delroy Lindo | Nominated |
| Black Reel Awards | 2000 | Outstanding Supporting Actress | Erykah Badu | Won |
| British Academy Film Awards | 2000 | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Michael Caine | Nominated |
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | 2000 | Best Original Score | Rachel Portman | Nominated |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | 2000 | Best Picture | The Cider House Rules | Nominated |
| Empire Awards | 2001 | Best British Actor | Michael Caine | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards | 2000 | Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture | Michael Caine | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards | 2000 | Best Screenplay | John Irving | Nominated |
| Golden Reel Awards | 2000 | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Dialogue and ADR for Feature Film | List of sound editors | Nominated |
| Grammy Awards | 2001 | Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media | Rachel Portman | Nominated |
| National Board of Review Awards | 1999 | Best Screenplay | John Irving | Won |
| Producers Guild of America Awards | 2000 | Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures | Richard N. Gladstein | Nominated |
| San Diego Film Critics Society Awards | 1999 | Best Adapted Screenplay | John Irving | Runner-up |
| Satellite Awards | 2000 | Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama | Michael Caine | Nominated |
| Satellite Awards | 2000 | Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama | Erykah Badu | Nominated |
| Satellite Awards | 2000 | Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama | Charlize Theron | Nominated |
| Satellite Awards | 2000 | Best Adapted Screenplay | John Irving | Won |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | 2000 | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role | Michael Caine | Won |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | 2000 | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | List of cast members | Nominated |
| USC Scripter Awards | 2000 | USC Scripter Award | John Irving | Nominated |
| Writers Guild of America Awards | 2000 | Best Adapted Screenplay | John Irving | Nominated |