Movie Review - "Rabbit Hole" (2010) ***1/2

     Well, this movie certainly hit home with me. Losing a child is probably one of the hardest things to ask anyone to deal with. As someone who has lost a child, it was very difficult for me, and still is sometimes. Over time I've come to accept it and it gets a little easier to deal with. But that first year or two is something you just can't quite describe. You go through so many different emotions, especially anger and grief, that it's easy to see how people that are really weak often get torn down by the process. You don't want to hear people say things like, "We know how you feel". No, you don't. You don't want to be around kids. You don't want to let go of things, but at the same time you don't want things around that will remind you of your child. It's so rough and each person handles it differently. Rabbit Hole is the story of how two characters named Becca and Howie handle it.

     Becca is played Nicole Kidman who earned an Oscar nomination for her role. Howie is played by Aaron Eckhart. As the movie opens, Becca and Howie seem like a happy couple, but it isn't long before we realize they are struggling a lot. Eight months ago, the couple lost their only child, a young boy who chased the family dog into the street and was hit by a car. (Thankfully, we are spared seeing this happen). They go to counseling sessions but Becca finds them useless, and quits going. Her way of handling things is very internal, we know she is thinking about it constantly, but she is backed away from the world. She starts trying to get rid of the constant reminders. She donates her child's clothes to Goodwill, takes colored pictures down off the refrigerator and spends time in her garden in solitude. Howie wants to talk about it more. He wants the memories of his child around and he wants to talk about it in class. These two ways of handling the situation will obviously clash, and when they do, the scenes happen abruptly and provide some of the most dramatic in the movie. They love each other, but don't know how to deal with things together. They each turn to a different person, someone they can talk to. For Howie, it's a lady named Gaby (Sandra Oh) from his help group sessions. The person Becca turns to, I will not reveal here because it's a brilliant move by the story, and it caught me off-guard. We don't know right away why this person is important to Becca, but when we learn the reason, it pushes this movie from good to very good for me. I think it's handled perfectly.


     This movie will not be for everyone. Like the previous film I reviewed, Blue Valentine, it deals with some serious subject matter and is not a "happy" movie by any means. The movie works because of the brilliant acting by Kidman and Eckhart. They are very real in these roles. They hit the emotions perfectly. I know, because as someone who has been through this, I could see similar reactions and emotions that I experienced myself. That they are able to play these roles so straight, without going over the top, is a testament to their acting abilities. The movie was directed by relative unknown, John Cameron Mitchell, and is based on a play by screenwriter David Lindsay-Abaire. As it's going along, you may be thinking the movie will end one way, but you may be surprised by how it turns out. Personally, I thought ending scene was very well done. It's simple, but says a lot at the same time. I give this a high recommendation, give it a shot.