Down the Rabbit Hole We Go

Rabbit Hole is a 2010 drama film directed by John Cameron Mitchell, starring Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart. The film is an adaptation of the 2005 play of the same name, and revolves around a couple dealing with the death of their son in a car incident. Kidman stars as Becca, a woman attempting to cope with her grief and move on from her sons death. Becca want's to give away all his clothes and toys, sell the house and move on with her life, her husband, Howie is more maudlin, and wants to keep his sons' room exactly as it was, and resents Becca's attempts to move on.

The couple struggle on for a few months, Becca want's to sell the house though Howie attempts to stop this, he tries to resume sexual relations with Becca in the hope of having another child, however she rebuffs his advances. Later in the film the couple attend a self help group for grieving couples, but Becca finds the group tiresome and contemptible. Howie attends without her, finding solace in the meetings, and begins to bond with the other attendees. Becca meets with Jason, the driver of the car that killed her son. Howie resents her meetings with Jason, but he shows her a comic he is writing about parallel universes called Rabbit Hole, which she thinks is wonderful.

The film endeavors to dissect the differences between the way they process their grief. Becca takes a more typically masculine approach, she compartmentalizes her feelings and avoids all interaction with her husband, becoming detached and depressed, but managing to function relatively normally. Howie on the other hand takes a more conventionally feminine approach, keeping his sons room exactly as he left it, making no changes as if he expects him to return, becoming agitated when Becca attempts to alter anything, clinging emotionally to the last video taken of him, becoming distressed when Becca accidentally deletes it.

The film is superbly acted, led by Nicole Kidman who is incredible as Becca, a woman racked by grief, yet making all attempts to hide it, seeking to function and rebuking all suggestion from her mother that any other situation could be like hers. Attempting to appear normal and buoyant to the outside world when she is screaming and crying in the depths of her mind. Rabbit Hole is a film which should be depressing, however unlike August Osage County which sucked all the humor out of it's original play, there is a sense of hope left in Rabbit Hole, even if much of the humor of the original play is lost, there is still the possibility of redemption.

Rabbit Hole is a rare film, one with a subject matter so depressing, that it should make it's viewers feel positively suicidal, yet the whole film is an exercise in atonement and emotional restitution, it features a masterful performance by Nicole Kidman leading a fine cast, in a challenging film dealing with a difficult subject. Rabbit Hole is a rare film, one that inspires contemplation. Rating: B

Becca: Somewhere out there I'm having a good time.