The Door in the Floor (7/10)

Copyright © 2004 by Tony Medley

Ted and Marion Cole (Jeff Bridges and Kim Basinger) have a troubled marriage. Enter Eddie O’Hare (Jon Foster), hired by Ted, a writer of children’s books, as a summer intern at their home in the Hamptons. Eddie’s sexually inexperienced and infatuated with Marion, who seduces him. Ted is strangely unresponsive, even though he’s aware of what’s going on, as he’s having his affairs with his models (he’s also a painter). The acting is superb throughout, and as good as any of the others is five-year-old Elle Fanning, who plays Ted and Marion’s daughter, Ruth.

Based on a John Irving novel (Widow for a Year), written and directed by Tod Williams, this is a slow but involving tale. Even though it’s slow, my attention never flagged. The thing that surprised me is that it’s an American movie. This is the kind of film one usually associates with the French and subtitles. The cinematography (Terry Stacey) of The Hamptons  is incomparable and adds immeasurably to the ambience of the film.

There are obviously reasons for the behavior of Ted and Marion and eventually we learn them, leading to a  thought-provoking ending.

August 14, 2004

The End