Rating:  

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, Dianne Wiest, Miles Teller, Tammy Blanchard, Sandra Oh, Giancarlo Esposito, Jon Tenney, Phoenix List.
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Director: John Cameron Mitchell
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 92 Mins.
Release Date: December 17, 2010
Home Video Date: April 19, 2011
Box Office: $2.2 Million
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Olympus Pictures, Blossom Films, Odd Lot Entertainment, and Lionsgate.

Written by: David Lindsey-Abaire, adapted from his stage play of the same name.

A challenging and powerful drama, “Rabbit Hole” is an overlooked gem of a film. Directed by the incomparable John Cameron Mitchell, “Rabbit Hole” is a film which such beauty and organic respect for its characters and one which deserves an audience wider than it could ever hope for.

The Corbetts, Becca (Nicole Kidman) and Howie (Aaron Eckhart) are 8 months removed from a devastating tragedy . After their 4-year old son, Danny (Phoenix List) chased the family dog into the street, a teenage driver, Jason (Miles Teller), had no chance to stop and the Corbetts lost their only child. They are grieving but functional and mired in a nightmarish reality where they still feel the presence of their son but can never see him. As we meet the Corbetts they have started to emerge from the tragedy, attempting to resume their lives and attain some semblence of the life they had with Danny.

And while they want to be on the same page, they are not. The support group they attend is heavily religious and Becca cannot relate, bluntly laying forth a belief that if God truly needed more angels, he could have simply made new ones. Howie wants to perhaps rekindle intimacy and try for another child but fails to understand the emotional impact a pregnancy might have on Becca. Becca’s mother, Nat (Dianne Wiest), tries to understand and constantly strings connections from Danny’s death to the loss of her son from a drug overdose. The connection works for awhile until Becca cannot accept the thesis of comparison between her brother and her son.

“Rabbit Hole” is sincere and compassionate but never afraid to allow its subjects to be honest in their emotions. Howie continues attending the group sessions and finds a friend in Gaby (Sandra Oh), while Becca becomes consumed with the most unlikeliest of people and attempts to build some type of bridge to the tragedy. Becca and Howie are living a life – a tragically altered and torn apart life, and trying to survive inside a house of cards. They share a laugh with dinner and the slightest misunderstanding causes an avalanche of anger, sadness, and confusion. Then they try and process it and move on. Howie stays strong for Becca as best he can and then sneaks peeks of archived videos of Danny on his cell phone. Becca stows away memories in boxes downstairs. They grieve alone and rarely together but the notion of being apart from one another is nearly too much to bare.

What centers “Rabbit Hole” is a synergy between actor, writer, and director that is riveting and compelling. Nicole Kidman gives herself over to the role of Becca, the grieving mother who is equally too proud, too comfortable, and too fragile to relent on her pain and grief. Kidman’s performance, an Oscar-worthy one, is incredibly real and pure and ranks as one of the finest performances of her career. Aaron Eckhart is expertly cast in the role of Howie and in a career of underrated and overlooked work, he shines here as bright as he ever has. Existing in an emotional milieu, David Lindsey-Abaire’s screenplay, adapted from his own Pulitzer Prize winning play, is extraordinarily insightful and powerful. He nails down every nuance of grief and fear and sadness and hope. “Rabbit Hole” hits an emotional depth without grandstanding as exploitative or preachy. The restraint in the message is remarkable.

Through all the complexities of the emotions conveyed by Kidman, Eckhart, Dianne Weist, and Miles Teller, a surprising and effective element of the writing lies in the subtle use of humor and tension-breaking moments, which are perhaps fleeting but necessary. Whether Becca is frustrated over a toy that “was clearly never made by someone with children” or Howie and Gaby share a chemically-induced giggle outside their support group, the behaviors and the ups and the downs make sense. When Howie is faced with a tempting leap into another world, he considers it not out of spite or disdain, but rather from a misguided sense of optimism, hope, and despair.

“Rabbit Hole” is a third consecutive bold, audacious, and impressive accomplishment for director John Cameron Mitchell, who I frankly wish worked more often. In 2001, his daring and brave adaptation of his own award winning musical play, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” drew rave reviews and earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor. With 2006′s “Shortbus”, he took an audacious risk in writing and directing a pornographic film with real actors and a legitimate screenplay. At the heart of a John Cameron Mitchell film are characters desperately trying to find themselves again, immersed in situations they never could have anticipated.

I concede that the subject matter is limiting with “Rabbit Hole”. Yet, nearly every element looks and feels genuine and selfless. The flawed decisions, raw emotions, and tangible pain may exist in every frame of “Rabbit Hole”, but the impact resonates long after the film concludes. “Rabbit Hole” is dramatic cinema at its finest and establishes a defining point in the careers of Kidman, Eckhart, and John Cameron Mitchell.

SHOULD I SEE IT?

“Rabbit Hole” elicits some incredible acting work by its cast, and especially Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, Dianne Wiest, and Miles Teller. These performances are so good that you forget that you are watching actors at times.

Beauty can often be found in tragedy and there are some incredibly touching, amusing, and moving moments in this film and often they occur in the most unlikely of situations.

A stark departure in tone for director John Cameron Mitchell, but a shift in filmmaking that defines him as a masterful storyteller.

The subject matter of a young couple grieving after the death of their 4-year old will not make this a first choice for many people, especially if the prospective viewers have been touched by such a tragic event.

You have grown weary of Nicole Kidman’s parallel universe movie career where she takes big budget, A-list roles while also working in low budget, edgy, independent fare.

You are familiar with the source material, saw it, and did not care for it.