Tagline: The most dangerous secrets are the ones we’re afraid to tell ourselves.
The Door in the Floor explores the complexities of love in its brightest, most mysterious, and darkest corners. The Door in the Floor is directed by Tod Williams, whose screenplay is adapted from John Irving’s best-selling novel A Widow for One Year.
Set in the beach community of East Hampton, New York, the film chronicles one pivotal summer in the lives of famous children’s books author Ted Cole (Jeff Bridges) and his beautiful wife Marion (Kim Basinger). Their once-great marriage has been strained by tragedy.
The Coles lovingly parent their surviving child, bright 4-year-old Ruth (Elle Fanning), who takes everything in stride as perhaps only a child can. But Marion’s equation of love with loss, coupled with Ted’s infidelities, points towards a much-needed change in the relationship. That may come in the form of Eddie O’Hare (Jon Foster), the young man Ted hires to work as his summer assistant – and, Ted hopes, the catalyst to invigorate the Coles’ bond of marriage.
Eddie idolizes Ted, but Ted’s erratic work habits soon leave Eddie to his own devices. Marion becomes an object of desire for Eddie, rekindling in her some surprising emotions as a mother and as a woman. To Eddie’s surprise and delight, his yearning is potently reciprocated.
As he becomes passionately entwined with the seemingly fragile yet increasingly bold Marion, Eddie comes to realize that, similarly, Ted’s surface fecklessness hides something deeper within. As the summer draws to a close, Marion and Ted must make difficult decisions about the future of their family.
The Door in the Floor is a 2004 American drama film written and directed by Tod Williams. The screenplay is based on the first third of the 1998 novel A Widow for One Year by John Irving.
Jeff Bridges was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Lead Male but lost to Paul Giamatti for Sideways. Tod Williams was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay but lost to Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor for Sideways, and was nominated for the Golden Shell at the San Sebastian Film Festival but lost to Bahman Ghobadi for Turtles Can Fly. The film received the National Board of Review Award for Excellence In Filmmaking.
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The Door in the Floor (2004)
Directed by: Tod Williams
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Kim Basinger, Jon Foster, Elle Fanning, Bijou Phillips, Mimi Rogers, Mike S. Ryan, Rachel Style, Libby Langdon, Amanda Posner
Screenplay by: Tod Williams
Production Design by: Thérèse DePrez
Cinematography by: Terry Stacey
Film Editing by: Affonso Gonçalves
Costume Design by: Eric Daman
Set Decoration by: Nick Evans
Art Direction by: Nicholas Lundy
Music by: Marcelo Zarvos
MPAA Rating: R for strong sexuality and graphic images, and language.
Distributed by: Focus Features
Release Date: July 14, 2004
Visits: 74
