The Woodsman

Starring:Kevin Bacon, David Alan Grier, Eve (II), Kyra Sedgwick, Benjamin Bratt, Carlos Leon, Michael Shannon, Kevin Rice, Mos Def, Hannah Pilkes, Jessica Nagle, Liam Daniels, Joey Hazinsky, Clara Infinity Daniels, Ashley C. Coombs, Floriane Maniscloux, Aunt Dot, Spencer Ross, Nicole Gibson, Laura Kirby
Director: Nicole Kassell
Studio: Sony Pictures
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Kevin Bacon gives one of the best, most nuanced performances of his career in The Woodsman, a daring and thought-provoking drama he co-produced with his wife, Kyra Sedgwick. In portraying a convicted pedophile named Walter, recently released from prison and struggling to rebuild his life, Bacon and writer-director Nicole Kassell (making her feature-film debut) do a remarkable job of exploring all facets of this troubling yet very human character, from his continuing criminal impulses to the despair he feels over having to conceal his horrible past. Sedgwick costars as the one woman who appears willing to accept Walter, secrets and all, and while The Woodsman takes a few regrettable shortcuts in illustrating Walter's quest for the good man he can be, the film deserves to be seen and discussed as a provocative yet admirably humane study of an individual whom society may too quickly label a "monster." The film allows for different interpretations, and that complexity--along with Bacon's performance--makes it worthy of a wide and hopefully understanding audience. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Pointless.......2007-04-05

I found this movie pointless, devoid of story, dull and sick. I couldn't feel for the poor sick, child molesting man. I couldn't like the woman for caring about him. And when the molester wanted the little girl to sit on his lap, I wanted to jump into the film. Please avoid this film. There is much better in the sea of movieland than this stinker.

The movie attempts to build sympathy for a child molester. One scene the molester is trying to entice a child, and the next the molester beats up another molester.

Regarding Kevin bacon's acting performance - the entire movie he remains quiet, looking depressed. That's it. Very few lines.

This film left me sick to my stomach and bored to tears.

Kevin Bacon is such a good actor.......2007-03-13

This film really deserved better press and exposure than it got.
Kevin Bacon is just sensational in this film.

I really wish that all the deleted scenes would have been left in,I think
they tied up the film in more of a complete film.

It really is one of the top acting jobs of the season,yet was virtually
ignored. The soundtrack was very,very good also.
I don't think that Mos Def is an actor..how on earth does he get film roles??

Kevin and his wife were just so good and believable,and really looked good together in this film.
The close up filming of this film was so good in studying Kevin's face,the folks that made this film deserve alot of credit on that.

the past isn't over.......2007-01-25

Not until the final sentence or two of this film does The Woodsman reach anything like dramatic resolution, and even then it is a resolution of the sort befitting the deep complexity and ambiguity of its subject matter. The film begins when Walter is released from serving 12 years in prison for his conviction as a sex offender, and he tries to make a new life for himself. He takes an apartment across the street from an elementary school (yes, a bad choice), and rides the bus to his job at a lumber yard. Except for his therapist, all those outside of and around Walter ostracize him as a monster and a freak. His sister refuses to talk to him or allow him to see his niece, a detective monitors his every move, and when his work colleagues discover his past they "out" him in a most bizarre way. Within himself another war rages. Neither Walter nor the viewer really knows to what extent he has moved beyond his past and is, therefore, safe. Involuntary hallucinations plague him, and poor choices born of habit implicate him. Three important sub-plots, all revolving around child molestation, contribute to Walter's unfolding narrative. Watching this film I was reminded of Faulkner's unnerving observation that "the past isn't gone; it isn't even past." Still, and not to reveal too much, this incredibly tense and powerful film ends on a hopeful note that is nevertheless sobering for all of us who seek redemption this side of eternity.

Not worth the money.......2007-01-04

This movie is somebodies idea of what it would be like to be a person with this type of horrible past. It has no bearing on reality. Do not waste your money unless you have money to waste.

excellent casting--an intensive character study.......2006-11-15

This is one of those small movies that comes out with a very intriguing cast. Most notable, of course, is Kevin Bacon, who has been showing us since _Murder in the First_ that he is quite a capable actor and is likely to show up just anywhere...and his appearance here does not quash that image at all. Kyra Sedgewick also stars, as well as Benjamin Bratt. But there are also other recognizable names--Eve, David Alan Grier and Mos Def--though these are a surprise for showing up in a film that is so serious and a little dark as well. They are also a surprise for how competent they are.

_The Woodsman_ focuses on Walter (Kevin Bacon), a released child molester out to move onward with his life. He gets a job at a lumber yard and quickly stirs interest in how withdrawn he is, how damaged. Kyra Sedgewick is a co-worker who develops an interest for Walter, maybe partly attracted to the fact that he is 'damaged goods.'

But of course, life on the outside isn't easy for Walter. Though he has a tight relationship with his brother-in-law (Benjamin Bratt), his sister and neice do not want to have any contact with him, and a detective (Mos Def) is keeping a close eye on every move he makes. Walter, of course, has his own struggles, for he knows how likely his type is to repeat offend, and in his thinking he had 'never harmed' any of his victims. Also, he lives across the street from an elementary school, so temptation presents itself regularly.

The film itself is a good study of the struggles of this character to move onward with his life, though there are plenty of incentives, both interior and exterior, to give up any impulse to change. Kevin Bacon is wonderfully reticent though not emotionless, presenting well a tortured soul still trying to determine what is right and wrong. In the course of this movie, we find out that many characters are damaged in many ways, making the issue of the film not an investigation of who is damaged, but how people sort out the damage in their own lives. Even Mos Def's character, who may seem a little belligerent and bordering on persecutorial at first, only wants to end pain in the world.

The ending of _The Woodsman_ is a little too well wrapped-up and feels a little easy, but the rest of the film is a thorough study of characters who feel very fleshed-out and actual. They don't always make the best decisions, but that is what makes them so sympathetic. Most of all, it is clear that the casting for this film was extraordinary, as well as the directing--the act of making a child molester a sympathetic character is challenging, and this film pulls this off well.

Average customer rating:

So you want to be a Woodsman?
Starring: Brown Paper Company
Director: Northeast Historic Film
Manufacturer: Northeast Historic Film
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Special Interests | Genres | DVD | Video

Documentary | Independently Distributed | Stores | DVD | Video

Special Interests | Independently Distributed | Stores | DVD | Video

Independently Distributed | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B0006UN7K4
Release Date: 1996-04-08

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