The Woodsman

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
The Woodsman
Directed by Nicole Kassell
Produced by Lee Daniels
Marvet Britto
Written by Steven Fechter
Nicole Kassell
Starring Kevin Bacon
Kyra Sedgwick
Mos Def
Benjamin Bratt
Eve
David Alan Grier
Music by Nathan Larson
Distributed by Dash Film / Universal Pictures
Release date(s) December 2004
Running time 87 min
Country USA
Language English
Budget less than $3,000,000

The Woodsman is a 2004 film directed by Nicole Kassell. The movie stars Kevin Bacon as a convicted child molester who must adjust to life after prison.

Contents

[edit] Plot

Bacon plays Walter, a convicted child molester returning home to Philadelphia after a 12-year stint in prison. Walter finds that his friends and family have abandoned him, with the exception of his brother-in-law, Carlos (Benjamin Bratt). He gets a job at a lumber mill, where he meets Vicki (Kyra Sedgwick), one of the few women working at the mill, who quickly sleeps with him. She initially rejects him after learning of his past, but eventually becomes his girlfriend, convinced that he is a good man at heart.

Walter receives frequent visits from a verbally abusive cop named Lucas (Mos Def), whose role is to make sure Walter is staying away from children.

Now that he is out of prison, Walter must learn to deal with the community's contempt and avoid temptation, including an elementary school across the street from his apartment and a young bird-watcher, Robin (Hannah Pilkes). He also comes to suspect that a man he has seen watching children near his apartment building is also a child molester. Over the course of the film, Walter observes the man (Kevin Rice) offering young boys candy, chatting them up, and abducting them. Walter nicknames the man "Candy".

Walter's life takes a further downturn when a suspicious coworker (Eve) learns of his crimes and alerts the entire mill. Seeking "relief", Walter goes to the park intending to molest Robin — who confides in him that her father is abusing her. Finally realizing the damage he has caused, Walter changes his mind and tells her to go home. As she leaves she hugs him. On his way home, he sees Candy dropping off a young boy at his school at night. In a fit of rage and self-hatred, Walter beats Candy so badly he fractures his jaw.

Soon after, Lucas visits Walter's apartment as he is packing to move in with Vicki and tells him that a man was beaten across the street the night before, asks if he heard anything. He tells Walter that the boy can make a positive ID of the assailant, and that the victim is wanted in Virginia for raping a young boy, clearing Walter's conscience. Walter later meets his sister, who he hasn't seen in years, and she becomes very angry and leaves him. As the movie closes, in a voiceover discussion with his therapist (Michael Shannon), Walter explains that he understands and accepts her anger, and expresses optimism for his own future.

[edit] Production

The movie was shot in Philadelphia, which is the hometown of cast members Kevin Bacon, and Eve, as well as the birthplace of director Nicole Kassell, and producer Lee Daniels. Due in whole or in part to this, Bacon chose to speak with a thicker Philadelphia accent than he has, because he thought it was essential to the character.

[edit] Response

The film was well-received critically, with Bacon's performance in particular drawing praise. It was nominated for the "Grand Jury Prize" award at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, won the "Jury Special Prize" at the Deauville Film Festival, and was a featured film at the 2005 Traverse City Film Festival.

The film's release in the U.S. was limited, reaching a peak of 84 theaters. Despite being advertised in cinemas in the UK for several months, the film had a very limited release in the UK due to its sensitive nature. Its gross in the US was $1.5 million, while its worldwide gross totaled $4.5 million.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Woodsman"