Good Grief, by Tyler Smith

IN THE BEDROOM (2001)
Written and Directed by: Todd Field
Starring: Tom Wilkinson, Sissy Spacek, Marisa Tomei, Nick Stahl

It’s refreshing to see a film that so fully gets its subject. Todd Field’s In the Bedroomis about grief and the need for revenge, and Field shows such a thorough understanding of these two impulses, that it’s hard to imagine that this is his directorial debut.

The story revolves around a middle-aged couple whose son is brutally murdered. This doesn’t happen until the end of the first act, which I think is a smart move. We have spent some time with their son, and find him to be a young man of immense likability and integrity. So, when he is killed, we hurt, too.

After the initial sting of loss has lessened a bit, the parents slowly try to resume their lives. The father mows the lawn, the mother watches her sitcoms. When the film came out, I read a review on-line, in which the reviewer talked about how boring he found the film to be. He didn’t understand why we were watching these two characters do mundane things. And, for those who have never lost anybody close to them, I suppose I could understand that sentiment.

However, I find these scenes to be vital. It is in these quiet scenes that the weight of grief is truly on display. One of the hardest things to do after losing someone is get back to your day-to-day routine. For example, in the scene where the father is mowing the yard, it is entirely possible that this was a task performed by the son. Now, though, it has become the father’s job. And, if so, it is highly unlikely that this realization is lost on the father.

The movie continues on like this, with both parents grieving in a different way. However, as they soon discover that it is likely that their boy’s murderer will get off, things take a turn. All of a sudden, their grief and loss comes to the forefront of their minds. With the killer out and walking around town, how can they ever get past their son’s death?

With the killer unpunished, their tension mounts, and finally explodes, and they each blame each other. This, of course, is the key scene of the film. Everything that has been building up comes pouring out; and it is some of the most venomous arguing you’ll ever see in a movie. To see Sissie Spacek and Tom Wilkinson play it out is to witness the definition of great acting. Spacek lets her emotions flood out of her, in a scattershot of accusations. Wilkinson, however, opts to not raise his voice, understanding that a few carefully-chosen words can cut to the core more efficiently than volume ever could. By the time the argument is over, we are exhausted, as are they. Finally, they decide what must be done.

Which is where Field’s expert understanding of the vengeful impulse comes into play. But I’ll let you discover that part for yourself.
In the Bedroom is one of those rare movies that acknowledges the darker side of human emotion, yet chooses not to stylize it. Instead, it is shown in the midst of a seemingly-idyllic town, involving some seemingly-normal people.

It is this idea that anger, resentment, and vengeance can, under the right circumstances, reside in even the most even-tempered, pleasant person that makes Todd Field’s debut so memorable. He went on to direct the wonderful Little Children in 2006; a film that would continue to explore the rotten core of otherwise good people.

Like Insomnia, I find this film to be fascinating because it reminds me that, while it is easy to look at murderers and rapists and thieves with judgment, I am just as capable of these horrors as anybody else. All somebody need do is take away the thing I love most in the world, and the potential is there.