In The Bedroom

By EWAN McDONALD

(Herald rating: * * * * )

Frank Fowler (Nick Stahl) is leaving his Maine village to study architecture at a good university in a few months. Meantime he's in love with Natalie Strout (Marisa Tomei). She's in her 30s, has two children, is separated from Richard (William Mapother, Tom Cruise's cousin), a rich kid and abusive husband.

Frank's parents, Ruth (Sissy Spacek), who teaches the choir at the local high school, and Matt (Tom Wilkinson), the doctor, are not happy about the affair. They pride themselves on being intelligent, open-minded and able to talk about things with their son, no matter that he does not want to talk about anything with them.

Something happens (it's okay, no plot spoiler here), and the film reveals that it is really about the marriage of Matt and Ruth; not about what has happened to them, but why.

We see Ruth slumped in front of late-night talk shows and killing time by smoking, rather than embroidering, in bed; Matt prefers to work longer hours than talk about what has happened.

Spacek and Wilkinson (a Brit, possibly best remembered from The Full Monty, playing the Smalltown, USA, doctor to a T) are marvellous. Each understands their character and doesn't overplay. The struggle is fought, mostly, beneath the surface of their days and nights.

Directed and largely written by Todd Field, better known as an actor (Woody Allen's Radio Days, Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut), the movie made its debut at the Sundance Festival, caught the critics' word-processors, and went on to a slew of nominations at the Academy Awards, Baftas, American Film Institute and a number of European circles.

Intelligent, grown-up, and therefore the sort of movie that you don't associate with Hollywood. Well, haven't until now.

Rental video, DVD: Next Thursday

• DVD features: movie (130min); not a lot else.