The Cider House Rules 1999

Roger Ebert, At the Movies: It's not a story so much as a reverie about possible stories. Read more

Susan Stark, Detroit News: Read more

Philip Wuntch, Dallas Morning News: Guided by Mr. Hallstrom and anchored by Mr. Irving, The Cider House Rules achieves a lovely unity that's rare in such an episodic movie. Read more

Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune: A deliberately old-fashioned picture that succeeds in nearly everything it tries to do. Read more

Stephen Holden, New York Times: Easily the finest film realization of an Irving novel. Read more

Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: Read more

Steve Murray, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Irving is lucky in his cast -- especially Caine and Lindo as the flawed father figures. Read more

Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times: A far better film than other film adaptations of Irving's work. Read more

Jeff Millar, Houston Chronicle: A bit too still, and so predictable that some part of me kept saying I had read the book when memory told me I hadn't. Read more

Paul Tatara, CNN.com: The Cider House Rules isn't one film at all. It's two films, only one of which is successful. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: The first screenplay Irving wrote from his own book, and the job suits him. Read more

Andrew Sarris, New York Observer: Mr. Irving remains a disturbingly facile spinner of yarns in which the most sordid facts of life are glossed over into comfortably didactic homilies about the innate goodness of people. Yet, I was somehow moved... Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: A motion picture of visual splendor and emotional depth. Read more

Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com: The picture moves with a grace and clarity that never wobbles into predictability. And no one in the ensemble of actors ever missteps: There's nothing overdone or overwrought. Read more

Bob Graham, San Francisco Chronicle: [It] is a fable that turns into a 1940s New England variation on Charles Dickens. It is also one dickens of an American movie. Read more

Time Out: Hallstrom's humanism is possibly a little low key and romantic given such tough themes as abortion and incest. Read more

David Rooney, Variety: Hallstrom's film could have used more dramatic muscle but is nonetheless a touching, old-fashioned charmer that ultimately satisfies. Read more

Amy Taubin, Village Voice: As paternalistic, puffed-up, and dull as a congressional debate about abortion rights. Read more