THE DOOR IN THE FLOOR

US, 2004, 111 minutes, Colour.
Jeff Bridges, Kim Basinger, Jon Foster, Mimi Rogers, Elle Fanning, Bijou Phillips.
Directed by Tod Williams.

There have been a number of versions of John Irving novels: Hotel New Hampshire, World According to Garp, Simon Birch. Irving himself wrote the screenplay (and won an Oscar) for The Cider House Rules. He has given his blessing to this version of the first third of his novel, Widow for a Year.

This is the kind of film that is described as independent. It is not a studio film and it does not rely on a happy ending.

The focus of the film is on a sixteen year old (a believable performance by Jon Foster) who spends a summer as an assistant to a celebrated writer of somewhat eerie children's stories - like the story of the sound of someone trying not to make a sound. The film ends in a squash court with the writer literally going down through the door in the floor.

The author and his wife have not recovered emotionally from the deaths of their sons in a car accident - and, it is dramatically effective that we do not see the accident scene until the end of the film. The writer has become hardened, is alienated from his wife who is less able to cope. He is dependent on the young man for typing, chores around the house and, especially, for driving. In the meantime, the inexperienced youngster is infatuated with the wife. What follows is a sexual initiation, something of a blend of the quiet care of Tea and Sympathy and the exploitation by Mrs Robinson of The Graduate. The writer, meantime, is involved in a grim affair with a woman he is sketching.

The description makes these goings on sound sordid. In many ways they are. But that is not the whole point. Traumatised people act in unpredictable and often destructive ways. This is clearly what is happening to these characters. The events are sometimes bizarre, but they need a moral and emotional sensitivity to the complexities rather than a righteous dismissal.

Jeff Bridges is the writer and gives yet another interesting and complex performance, a blend of the genial, the controlling, the desperate and the vicious. Kim Basinger is the grief-stricken mother who leads on the willing young man. Mimi Rogers has the difficult role of the artist's model, victim of the writer's degrading her. The young daughter is played by Elle Fanning (younger sister of Dakota Fanning).

This is a film of moral dead ends and byways, where people are trapped, trap themselves and can escape only through their door in the floor.

1.The popularity of John Irving’s novels? Adapted for the screen? Themes: family, marriage, children, grief, estrangement, sexuality, betrayal? Art and creativity?

2.The title, reference to children’s stories, imagination and language? Ted as a storyteller? The end and his going through the door in the floor in the squash court?

3.The New England settings, the coast, the beach, the house, the town, homes? Audiences able to identify with places and characters – with the touch of affluence? The musical score?

4.Storytellers, art and imagination, the nature of stories? Ted seeing himself in this vein? The line of a sound like someone trying not to make a sound? The mythic tones of the film?

5.The accident, audiences seeing the photos of the boys, people talking about the accident, seeing the devastating effects, the gradual revelation about what happened, the final visualising of the accident? Ted and his graphic depiction of the accident, of Tom’s death, of Tim and the loss of his leg, Jessica finding the shoe…?

6.The opening with Ted and Jessica, sitting, the estrangement, the discussion about the pool, the separation? The arrangement, the two houses, their daughter moving between the two, the workplace, the role of the nanny?

7.Eddie, young, his being the focus of the film, his letter and admiration of Ted, his parents urging him to go for the summer? Ted’s motives in employing him, the resemblance to his son, the athlete photo, his interest in writing, a possible apprenticeship, his needing a driver because of the police taking his licence? Did he have in mind someone for his wife? Eddie’s arrival, the awkwardness, his praise of Ted’s writing, Ted and his lack of inhibitions, the outside shower, driving for Ted?

8.Eddie’s story, age, background, college, wanting a role model, wanting to write? His being introspective? Driving for Ted, accompanying him, seeing his writing, editing, typing? The affair with Mrs Burns and the drawings? The bond with Jessica, talking with her, her explaining Ted’s motivations for employing him, his memories of her cardigan, the masturbation sequence, his being disturbed by Jessica, her sitting down and talking with him?

9.The affair, the Mrs Robinson style of experience, the more gentle seduction, Eddie willing? The long-term effect, the visualising of the encounters? Ted knowing? The effect on Eddie, in love with Jessica, his notes for the shop owner, giving them to Ted, their being torn up? Playing squash, Ted’s brutality and violence towards him? Innocence, the loss of innocence, changing, a loss of a sense of right and wrong, the effect on him, his repeating Jessica’s words to Ted, giving him the messages yet feeling abandoned by her?

10.The little girl, as compensation for the loss of the two boys, the ability of each parent to relate, inability? Her age, nightmares, talking with her father, the frank language, his nakedness? The stories? With Alice, relating to the nanny, playing with her? Relating to Eddie? Her tantrum in the night, wanting her mother? Play, precocious? The photos of her brothers, their feet, the cutting of her hand, the stitches and their coming out, going to the shop, wanting the photo reframed? To be abandoned by her mother?

11.Ted, age, experience, success as a novelist, his reading his stories, the appreciative audiences? The effect of the accident, of Jessica’s estrangement? His own emotions, his being driven, the drafts, change of punctuation, the typewriter, not having a computer? Needing a driver? With Eddie, the squash games? The relationship with Mrs Burns?, Jessica’s description of the stages of the relationship, the humiliation of Mrs Burns while sketching her? His angers? Wanting to break the relationship, his being chased along the beach, scattering the drawings, returning and seeing the mess she created? Mrs Burns' character, her posing for the drawings, the sense of shame, the humiliation, the final anger?

12.The gardener, his work, helping Ted escape, his being sacked, asking Ted for work, being employed, the swimming pool, his wife as housekeeper and nanny?

13.The sketch of Alice, type, young, work with the little girl, the effect of being in the household, her wanting to leave? Her relationship with Eddie – and the touch of looking down on him?

14.Eddie, this experience in his life, emotions, understandings of human nature? Learning, Ted and his critique of his story? The emphasis on the exact detail? His being sacked, the discussion with Ted, listening to the description of the accident? Going back home? His future?

15.Jessica’s departure, packing, the messages through Eddie, her abandoning everyone?

16.Ted, the end, purging his emotions, accepting them, the grief for his sons, going to the squash court – and going through the door in the floor – where?