Cider House Rules

[sooZen]

Every Wednesday, without fail or our 'asses are grasses' we take son Nate to the vid store. We drop him off (it is one of the only independances this Down's boy has) and go shop for groceries with the standard, "DON'T talk to strangers!" (alas, no one is strange to Nate), "DON'T leave the store with anyone but us!", etc. and get the reply, "Yeah mom, just get out of here!. Nate is lately into 'sexy' movies (he is 27, after all) starring Sharon Stone, Demi Moore, Catherine Zeta Jones-Douglas in their classics. He loves the pretty girls.

Anyway, by the time we return, we sometimes have to wait for him as he LOOKS at every video in the store, every single week! In the meantime (there is NO rushing Nate) we look around too. We are outta the loop when it comes to movies, our choices are either willy-nilly or recommendations from friends. I picked up the Cider House Rules because I like Michael Caine and most of what I have seen him in. I didn't even know that he had won an Oscar for best supporting actor in this movie until a friend told me. She also told me it was about an orphanage and I thought, "o shit, it is another one of those poor orphans movies!" Heck, I made the mistake one time of going to see Terms of Endearment on the one night Cecil and I took a break when Nate was in the hospital with leukemia. I want positive, uplifting movies although a good scare or mystery suits me occasionally. Sorry, I digress.

The Cider House Rules was an extremely compassionate look at parenting and some of the choices we have to make in life. It is beautiful to look at, well acted and touches on a subject that is still taboo within our society and that is the right of a woman over her own body. The very soul of love, Michael Caine plays a doctor who runs the orpanage, births unwanted babies, and preforms illegal (at that time in history) abortions on the side to the young women who come to him in desparate situations. It dredged up some memories for I too have had an abortion. It is not a secret or something that I am ashamed of, I refuse to be ashamed of my reasons and choices in this life. I had some very good reasons as Nate is a genetically type of Downs and the cancer he painfully endured was also genetic. This is not the point, whatever reasons a woman has, if she gets pregnant and DOES NOT want a baby she should never be forced to do so by some white poobahs in suits on pedestals in Washington, most of whom are men. I would like to strip the shame from our decisions, give solace to those that must make this very difficult choice, it should be a choice, an individual choice.

This movie was preaching to the choir for me, I fervently believe in what was portrayed. When my friend Leti and I talked about it later, she told me about a doctor friend of hers. He is a devout Christian and was appalled when she suggested he see the movie. "I would never watch anything like that, that promoted that view." It's too very sad that he won't for it is exactly the movie he needs to see...

SooZen

[knip]

my abortion opinions have been very wishy-washy throughout my life...i have tended to change my mind on it about 6 or 7 times...which makes me actually 'undecided', i suppose

but when i read the book Cider House Rules, my mind changed to the pro side for good...the movie is very good; i would encourage you to read the book, if you haven't already done so

[sooZen]

I know, I know...sometimes movies are like 'cliff notes' versions because what we can imagine is always so much greater than what we can portray. This was a beautifully produced, directed and filmed movie but the movie in my mind when I read a book sticks there somewhere where a film cannot go.

Thanks knip, I am glad you are one of the ones that saw the light.

SooZ