In class we talked about films that are based upon stage plays and discussed whether they can truly be adapted for the screen. Although Night of the Iguana fits the bill, I wanted to apply it to a more modern film. In that vein, I chose John Mitchell’s 2010 film Rabbit Hole, based upon a stage play by David Lindsay-Abaire. Both the play and the film focus on a married couple, Howie and Becca, eight months after the passing of their four-year-old son.
The first thing I noticed about the film was the star appeal. Howie is played by Aaron Eckhart, best known for his recent appearance as Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight. Released in 2008, The Dark Knight‘s high grossing figures are an indicator of the many people that saw the film. Those same people watching Rabbit Hole would likely recognize Eckhart in a heartbeat. I’ll confess that my first exclamation of the film was, “It’s Harvey Dent!” Not to mention Nicole Kidman, who is a well-known actress. It’s likely that the producers of the film capitalized on Eckhart’s popularity and Kidman’s more serious roles. Audience members who liked Kidman’s performance in her more critically acclaimed movies, such as Cold Mountain and The Hours, would watch in expectance of another top-notch performance.
Eckhart and Kidman live up to the producers’ expectations for them, and it’s a good thing too, because they are on screen for much of the film due to the nature of the storyline. Kidman and Eckhart’s characters each grieve in different ways; Kidman shines as the stoic, introverted griever, and Eckhart’s need for external grief clashes in an effective execution of family drama.
Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart play a grieving couple who recently lost their young child.
The only downside I picked up on was the limitation of the source text. Perhaps my prior knowledge swayed my viewing, but I could tell the film was based upon a play. Though some action takes place in the outside world, much of it occurs in the couple’s house. It felt to me like the producers were scrambling to come up with ideas for other locations, and the best they could come up with was a bowling alley, a park bench, or someone else’s house. Although it made it feel like a play to me, I don’t think the lack of locations was a complete failure. The couple’s child died right outside their house, and the house serves as a constant reminder of the child’s absence. In this way, because much of the action occurs there, the house suffocates both the couple and the audience.
Overall, I thought the casting choices, acting, and location combined to make a successful adaptation from play to screen. Sometimes I guess you can have your cake and eat it too.
togreatacclaim 