The Woodsman

January 28, 2005 0 By Fans
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Still of Mos Def in The WoodsmanStill of Kyra Sedgwick in The WoodsmanMaggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard at event of The WoodsmanStill of Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick in The WoodsmanStill of Eve in The WoodsmanStill of David Alan Grier and Nicole Kassell in The Woodsman

Plot

A child molester returns to his hometown after 12 years in prison and attempts to start a new life.

Release Year: 2004

Rating: 7.3/10 (18,618 voted)

Critic's Score: 72/100

Director:
Nicole Kassell

Stars: Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Mos Def

Storyline
After twelve years in prison, Walter arrives in an unnamed city, moves into a small apartment across the street from an elementary school, gets a job at a lumberyard, and mostly keeps to himself. A quiet, guarded man, Walter finds unexpected solace from Vickie, a tough-talking woman who promises not to judge him for his history. But Walter cannot escape his past. A convicted sex offender, Walter is warily eyed by his brother-in-law, shunned by his sister, lives in fear of being discovered at work, and is hounded by a suspicious local police officer, Detective Lucas. After befriending a young girl in a neighborhood park, Walter must also grapple with the terrible prospect of his own reawakened demons.

Writers: Steven Fechter, Nicole Kassell

Cast:

Kevin Bacon

Walter


David Alan Grier

Bob


Eve

Mary-Kay


Kyra Sedgwick

Vicki


Benjamin Bratt

Carlos


Carlos Leon

Pedro


Michael Shannon

Rosen


Kevin Rice

Candy


Mos Def

Sgt. Lucas


Hannah Pilkes

Robin


Jessica Nagle

Annette


Liam Daniels

Boy at Playground


Joey Hazinsky

Cherub


Clara Hopkins Daniels

Little Girl on Bus

(as Clara Infinity Daniels)


Ashley C. Coombs

Girl on Bus

Taglines:
Nothing can undo the past.



Details

Official Website:
Official site |

Release Date: 28 January 2005

Filming Locations: Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Opening Weekend: $53,985
(USA)
(26 December 2004)
(6 Screens)

Gross: $1,566,812
(USA)
(6 March 2005)



Technical Specs

Runtime:



Did You Know?

Trivia:

The part of Mary Kay, played by Eve, was originally intended for a 45 year old white male. She was recommended for the part by Kevin Bacon, and was hired without a single audition.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes:
When Walter and Vicki are driving in her truck for the first time, the transmission selector is clearly in "park".

Quotes:

Walter:
[Repeated line]
When will I be normal?



User Review

Disturbing, unsettling, but brilliant and spellbinding

Rating: 9/10


The last film that unsettled me much like "The Woodsman" did was Todd
Solondz's superb and exceedingly black comedy, "Happiness" (1998),
which dealt with similar themes. But unlike Solondz, who never seems to
like any of his characters, screenwriters Nicole Kassell and Steven
Fechter appear to genuinely care about the people they create.

Their story's really very simple: Walter (Kevin Bacon) gets out of
prison after serving a dozen years for molesting young girls. He takes
a job at a Philadelphia-area lumber mill and tries to get his life back
together again, while dealing with his inner demons.

What's likely to disturb many about "The Woodsman" is that Kassell and
Fechter raise the intriguing question of whether someone who's done
something despicable is not only capable of putting his life back
together again after serving his time, but also whether society ought
to allow him to do so. And to make our job even tougher, Kassell and
Fechter don't turn Walter into a monster.

"The Woodsman" is aided immensely by a strong, compelling performance
by Bacon. It's easily his best work, a role that requires him to
underplay his character. Director Kassell isn't shy about letting the
camera linger on Bacon's face and Bacon credibly brings to life
Walter's suffering. It's a sensationally good performance. Bacon gives
him depth and feeling and we suddenly find ourselves caring about this
reprehensible man.

There are some superb supporting performances, including Mos Def as a
cop, David Alan Grier as Walter's boss and Benjamin Bratt proving he
really can act if he's given a good role. The most interesting
supporting character is Vickie, a coworker willing to give Walter a
second chance at life. Kyra Sedgwick, a gifted, yet under-rated,
actress, is utterly convincing as Vickie, a woman almost as damaged as
Walter is.

The Walter-Vickie relationship works because there's terrific chemistry
between Bacon and Sedgwick. True, they're husband and wife, but
real-life couples can fail miserably on screen. Kidman and Cruise in
"Far and Away" (1992), anyone?

Bacon and Sedgwick's scenes are tender, passionate and real. Though,
there's one intimate moment between Walter and Vickie that's clearly
inspired by the famous Donald Sutherland-Julie Christie love scene in
Nicolas Roeg's "Don't Look Now" (1973).

What makes "The Woodsman" such gripping viewing is that the film
doesn't shy away from letting us into Walter's struggle. There's a
particularly uncomfortable scene on a park bench as Walter comes to
terms with his true nature.

"The Woodsman" is a film that deserves to be seen. It's a pity that
less-than-mediocre movies, such as "Connie and Carla" and "Twisted,"
get widely released, while a gem like "The Woodsman" gets to very few
theaters. Seek out this film. It's not an easy film to watch, but the
performances are all good, the story's riveting and it's definitely one
of the best, most thought-provoking films of the year.