Rabbit Hole

Based on the play of the same name, Rabbit Hole is the story of a struggling couple,played by Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart, whose young son has tragically died.They struggle balancing their grief for their son with their relationships witheveryone else in their lives, particularly each other. The film is directed by JohnCameron Mitchell and written by Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire. NicoleKidman personally produced this mostly depressing but also uplifting film.

Rabbit Hole relies heavily on its lead actors. Although the script is very deep andthorough, there are very few supporting characters with significant screen time.Kidman and Eckhart rise to this challenge like pros. Kidman nails the hollow,ghostliness of a mother who has just lost her son and is therefore not veryinterested in her husband anymore. Eckhart is equally divisive as the husband;choosing a side as an audience member is difficult because of how relatably eachcharacter is portrayed.
Lindsay-Abaire’s script is written in such a way that such an unappealing themeremains interesting for all 92 minutes. Such a deeply personal topic for many whohave lost loved ones is treated respectively and never once feels tacky or pandering.Lindsay-Abaire also manages to adapt a play to film effectively, keeping a well-structured plotline. However, the brief moments of humor in Rabbit Hole could havebeen better utilized by spreading them out more evenly throughout the movie. Theheavy film becomes mildly taxing to sit through by the end, and a few of the laughsfrom the beginning could have fixed that problem.
Rabbit Hole is a sad film that is still watchable thanks to its well-adapted script andexcellent actors. It doesn’t reach its potential as one of the years best films, likemany tragedy-themed films seem to do, but it may offer award recognition for itslead actors, Kidman and Eckhart.

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