By Let’s get one thing clear. Rabbit Hole is a depressing movie. There’s no doubt about this. The story revolves around the death of a small child and the emotional fallout suffered by his parents. See? Like I said, kind of a downer. But when you consider the acting talent behind the film, featuring Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, and Diane Wiest, you would be hard-pressed not to have some kind of interest in the movie. When push comes to shove, does this Oscar-bait have enough emotional satisfaction to keep you from jumping off that ledge?
Let’s get one thing clear. Rabbit Hole is a depressing movie. There’s no doubt about this. The story revolves around the death of a small child and the emotional fallout suffered by his parents. See? Like I said, kind of a downer. But when you consider the acting talent behind the film, featuring Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, and Diane Wiest, you would be hard-pressed not to have some kind of interest in the movie. When push comes to shove, does this Oscar-bait have enough emotional satisfaction to keep you from jumping off that ledge?{{page_break}}
Adapted from the 2005 Pulitzer Prize winning play by David Lindsay-Abaire, Rabbit Hole has a bleak sensibility. We first meet Becca (Kidman) and Howie (Eckhart) well after their child has been killed in a car accident. The couple has made it past the initial shock of the situation, only to find the drawn-out healing process that follows just as painful. They are forced to parse out their emotions through incessant group therapy, arguments, and some serious home economics.
Overall it's a painful look at the subject, but fairly honest. Eckhart puts on the stronger performance, but only because his character has more layers of emotion to unwrap. Kidman is stuck with a bit of a sad-sack character who hits the same note over and over again. Unfortunately, there's something that isn't quite genuine about Kidman's frustration with the grieving process. While Eckhart's character is more flexible, riding the full roller coaster of emotions, Kidman stagnates. The result is that her storyline feels much less compelling, and, in the end, less satisfying.
Let's face it, this is grim subject matter. But the film often tries to inject a realistic amount of humor, with adequate success. And the film succeeds quite well in it's darkest moments, to boot. But when things slow down and the emotions start to level off, the story uncomfortably stalls out. You will feel the character's emotions, the emptiness they go through, but is that really what you want out of your movie experience? Sure, there are plenty of movies that could make us feel "bored" or "angry," but do we desire to watch those? Generally, no. Entertainment is our usual goal, and many parts of this film fail to deliver that objective in lieu of threadbare emotional content.
The film, almost unfairly, paints a rosy picture of the past. This overly-saccharine memory stains the bulk of the story’s sorrow with an odd twinge of dishonesty. Instead of aggravating the problems that this couple had before the death of their son, the only problem that they seem to have is how they should process their grief. You don't get the feeling that the couple is realistically at each other's throats, but rather that they are simply adrift in the world around them. Who were these characters before their son died? If the film has anything to say about it, then they were cardboard cut-outs of the way upper-middle class white people are supposed to be.
Far from being a terrible film, Rabbit Hole definitely presents a unique world for viewers to visit. The acting is solid and the story eventually packs the emotional punches it needs to. But beware, you’ll have to combat an overwhelming feeling of suburban ennui to get there.
Overall Score: 6.75 (6s are just okay. These movies usually have many flaws, didn’t try to do anything special, or were poorly executed. Some will still love 6s, but most prefer to just rent them. Watch more trailers and read more reviews before you decide.)
Rabbit Hole is interesting, but not quite entertaining. It visits some unique territory in terms of story, but trends toward a depressing feeling of emptiness.
Toby Jones: 7.25 – Rabbit Hole is a rich, humane film filled with believable characters in relatable situations. Recommended.