The Door in the Floor (2004)
It is difficult to adapt a John
Irving novel to the screen. Only George Roy Hill's
1982 version of "The World According to Garp" has
come close to capturing the nuances and odd mix of
humor and pathos that Irving evokes in his writing.
"The Door in the Floor" tries very hard but, alas,
just doesn't quite make it.
To be sure the cast is excellent.
Kim Bassinger and Jeff Bridges do remarkable work
here. I am a big fan of Bridges' and he provides one
of his most complex and unique characters here. This
isn't the usual Bridges performances, which often
seems reminiscent of his work in "Starman." This is
the actor flexing his thespianism in new directions
and providing a character unlike any other that we
have seen him produce before. It is quite nice to
watch.
But the true find here is Jon Foster,
a 20 year old actor who perfectly captures both the
innocence and the subdued curiosity of Eddie, the
young man he portrays. Foster has to carry this film
on his back, working both with Bridges and Bassinger
as well as a Dakota Fanning's less creepy little sister
Elle. Foster outshines every one of them in every
scene. He is a true find and the only person in the
film who seems able to make the comedy and drama here
work.
This mix of comedy and drama is
the undoing of scripter and director Tod Williams
who simply cannot find the proper balance of the two.
A scene in the last third of the film involving the
drawing of a vagina is way out of bounds for the tone
of this film. And the love scenes between Foster and
Bassinger are also questionable and only work because
of the talent of the two actors involved. Williams,
whose only other film is 1998's "The Adventures of
Sebastian Cole" seems unable to make it all work here
but he does come close.
"The Door in the Floor" should have
you sobbing by the end. If nothing else, it should
have you deeply invested in the climactic flashback
and haunted by it's exposure. To get that sort of
a feeling though, I imagine you'll have to read the
book.
Notes:
Also with Mimi Rogers and Bijou
Phillips.
Ted Hope is a producer.
Based on Irving's novel "A Window
for One Year."
Bridges and the screenplay by Williams
are nominated for Independent Spirit Awards.
Bridges did some of his own paintings
here.
Viewed on DVD in December 2004.
