In the Bedroom is an astonishing little film. I say "little film" not because of its small budget, low-wattage stars and small town setting; but because it focuses on little moments and little gestures that speak volumes. In this film, a shrug here or a sigh there does more to realistically convey true feelings than the grand speeches and "clever" dialogue that screenwriters often rely on.

The drama is set in a New England fishing village. Matt (Tom Wilkinson) is a 50-something doctor. His wife, Ruth (Sissy Spacek), is a high school choir director. Their only son is home on summer break from college when he falls in love with an older woman (Marisa Tomei), who's divorced with two small kids. When the woman's ex-husband steps back into the picture, things get ugly -- and a horrible tragedy ensues.

Watching the family deal with their pain is wrenching. But there's no melodrama. They don't carry on about what happened. Speaking about it would be too painful. Instead, their subdued anguish is more emotionally real. We watch them as they morosely sit and watch television in silence. Each staring away at the TV. The actors don't say anything -- they don't have to. Until, that is, the rage they've bottled-up boils over in the final act.

Wilkinson, perhaps best known for his role in The Full Monty, does extraordinary, understated work. Spacek is also wonderful. You can feel her suffering. Tomei also makes a nice comeback in a smaller, but showier role. But the breakout performance here is from William Mapother, who is truly scary in the role of the ex-husband. If William Mapother looks familiar it's because he's had a few small roles in movies made by his cousin, Thomas Mapother, better known to you as Tom Cruise.

Also magnificent is the subtle, understated direction of Todd Field (a sometimes actor best known as Nick the piano player in Eyes Wide Shut). He fills the movie with ordinary moments -- which help give the movie a highly realistic feel. It also helps that the dialogue is spoken so naturally, it almost feels improvised. This realism comes in handy when the movie bends toward a suspense thriller in the last act. It's a great piece of work.
(c) Copyright 2002