Rabbit Hole

Howie and Becca are the model couple on the outside. Eight months ago they lost their four-year-old son, Danny. On the inside, the couple is falling apart. Rabbit Hole gives us a glimpse of their lives in the months after Danny’s death.

Rabbit Hole was touching. It knew what emotions to play at any given time, and created a realistic world of two grieving parents. The film is based on the play by David Lindsay-Abaire, and felt very much like a stage production, which was a good thing. It focused more on the dialogue, but remembered that actions and non-verbal communication can give just as much insight.

I appreciated the depth of the characters ranging from the leads to even the most minor part. Miles Teller is somewhat of a newcomer, and he blew me away with his performance. Likewise, the talent of Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart and Dianne Wiest was beyond evident. I’d be surprised if at least one of them didn’t nab an Oscar nomination.

With a heavy topic such as this one, Rabbit Hole didn’t take the story anywhere it didn’t need to be. The characters weren’t overly dramatic, and we didn’t see many flashbacks.  I was also impressed that director John Cameron Mitchell didn’t force us to witness Danny’s life as it was stripped from his parents. It was respectful to the situation, and didn’t make it melodramatic as it occasionally inserted nice moments of comedy.

Unlike other films where the relationships are obviously doomed, Rabbit Hole never let it go to a point of destruction. There was one emotionally charged argument that wrapped up everything the characters were feeling. Other than that, it was a series of ups and downs, as the couple figured out how to cope, and what should come next.

The ending was ideally suited; making it feel like the entire story comes around full circle. I admired everything that Rabbit Hole accomplished, and for that, it was darn near perfect.