The
Cider House Rules
(1999)
- Information at Internet
Movie Database
-
Cinema in Focus, a social and spiritual commentary by Hal Conklin and
Denny Wayman.
- Movie
Parables review
- Hollywood
Jesus visual review
-
Looking Closer, review by Jeffrey Overstreet, "searching for truth, beauty
and meaning in the movies."
-
"The Cider
House Rules, Divine Chaos, and the Incarnation," Steve Lansingh, TheFilmForum:
Christian Conversation about the Movies.
-
"The Cider
House Rules Well, Doesn't Rule," Matthew Prins, TheFilmForum:
Christian Conversation about the Movies.
-
Review, Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality & Health -
Spiritual Practices for Human Being.
- Themes
- Call
- Exodus - 10 Commandments
- The migrant workers who come during the picking
season stay in the cider house, where there are rules posted for
behavior. These are the rules written by the orchard owner, who
doesn't necessarily have to live by them. They are imposed rules.
They are also ignored rules. The real rules are the unwritten rules
that are lived by the people. What makes the 10 commandments
different (ISTM) from cider house rules is that as much as the
orchard owner is kind to the migrants, there is still no real bond
between them. The rules the owner seeks to impose are impersonal and
more concerned with the owner's liability than the workers well
being. The commandments are for us and for our well being. The
commandments are based in our relationship (covenant) with God. It
is within the frame work of this relationship that the commandments
become more than cider house rules. Without that relationship, ISTM,
they become no more important than cider house rules. Which may be
why many people treat them as such. (Darrel Manson, Artesia CA)
- Law Written on our Hearts
- In "The Cider House Rules" the laborers
laugh at the rules that are posted in the bunkhouse (when someone
who can read finally reads the rules for them); they have broken
every one and will continue to do so. One of the characters says
those rules don't pertain to them because they didn't make the rules
and they can't even read them. They have their own ideas about
what's right and wrong. (Amy Parker, Charleston, West Virginia)
- Obedience
- Obedience: The whole idea of the cider house rules,
who writes them, who follows them, what are the real rules.
Interesting scene, after Homer reads the rules aload to some of the
workers, one rule is don't go up on the roof. Next day, they just
have to be up there. The defining phrase for Homer's life was
uttered when it became apparent that he could not be adopted: We
expect you to be of use. He did make himself of use delivering
babies. (Darrel Manson, Artesia CA)
- Servanthood
- Servanthood: Homer, who disapproves of abortion, is
willing to perform one on Rose and eventually returns to St. Clouds
to take the place of Dr. Larch as both OB and abortionist.
(Darrel Manson, Artesia CA)
- Spiritual Struggle
- 'The Cider House Rules' by Lasse Hallström is about the
question, if the rules that God made can be lived up to (answer: no), and
how man can understand himself locked between what he ought to do und what
the situation demands to do. (Dr. Matthias Walter)
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