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movie review - Cider House Rules

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

We saw this movie tonight. It's something of a modern classic, but I wasn't sure what to expect. It turns out to be a very character-driven story about a surgeon who runs an orphanage and trains one of his charges to become a doctor. He even goes as far as drafting some documentation for the young man as he's set to go out and join the adult world.

The young man has other ideas, and takes a job picking apples for a time. But becoming aware of a case of incest, he changes tack and winds up back on track to practice medicine. There is quite a muddle of heavy faux-moral discussion about when abortion can be performed and I really have no idea why they decided to make a period piece drama about this. It's curious to a point that I find myself wondering who funded it.

Not recommended.