In theaters not near you (at least if you are in Des Moines) is Rabbit Hole, an indie flick starring potential Oscar nominees Nicole Kidman and Dianne Wiest and often overlooked Aaron Eckhart. If you’re lucky enough to be in a city where it is showing (Chicago, L.A. and out here at one theater in San Diego), it is well worth your time.
Rabbit Hole (Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, Dianne Wiest, Miles Teller, Sandra Oh) – Imagine that you can change your life’s course by jumping into a rabbit hole and entering a parallel universe. That is the origin of the title for this depressing look at a couple whose son recently died. Coping with the loss of a child must be the worst thing in the world, and Rabbit Hole delves deep into the grief and the process. Starring Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart as Becca and Howie, Rabbit Hole starts without telling you what is straining the relationship between the two so I may have given you too much information. But it doesn’t take long to figure it out, particularly as the couple attends a “Group” (therapy) meeting, which includes other couples at different stages of dealing with their child’s death.
Howie seems to be handling it better than Becca. He is trying to move on while keeping some of his most precious memories of his son. Becca’s grief is less on the surface, seeking first to give the child’s clothes to her sister, who is pregnant. Eventually, she just donates them. But when she shows her emotions, she explodes by saying inappropriate things – to a member of “Group,” to her mother (an always amazing Dianne Wiest), to her sister, and to Howie. She decides not to attend “Group” so Howie goes alone. That gives us a sub-plot as he bonds with Gaby (Sandra Oh of Grey’s Anatomy and Sideways), a woman who has been attending “Group” for eight years with her husband. With no romance at home anymore, Howie is tempted, particularly as he finds out that Gaby’s husband has left her. Becca, on the other hand, goes more bizarre. She seeks out (stalks?) the teenager, Jason (Miles Teller), who drove the car that killed her son. Why, we’re never sure. But they seem to need each other. He needs to tell her that he is sorry and might have been going one or two miles over the speed limit. She needs a surrogate for her son, breaking down completely as she watches Jason going to his senior prom.
Rabbit Hole is a character study with exceptional acting and writing. It is slow but that’s to be expected. Life moves on but, for people who have suffered loss, the process is slow and uneven. For those of you looking to be entertained, don’t see Rabbit Hole. For those seeking an engrossing drama without definitive and total resolution, this is a wonderful indie-flick.