The Cider House Rules (1999)

Screen It! is not attempting to rate the movie as good or bad but to give parents the tools to decide whether it's appropriate for their kids.

This movie has been screened for objectional content in 15 areas. Click for a detailed look.

OUR WORD TO PARENTS:
The following is a brief summary of the content found in this PG-13 rated drama. For those opposed to or upset by such actions, several abortions take place in the film (at a time when they were illegal), one caused by a father's incestuous relationship with his own daughter, with another due to unseen sexual activity. Other sexual activity is implied, including that of the main character and a young woman who cheats on her boyfriend who's off in the war. Some related activity is seen, as is nudity (that also occurs in a nonsexual context). A violent act occurs off camera (with bloody results), while several characters threaten and mildly wound each other with knives in another scene. Minor profanity is present along with a few colorful phrases. Several characters smoke while one is addicted to ether and is seen several times inhaling it before passing out. Beyond that and some thematic issues of children in orphanages (including a sick one who dies), the rest of the film is mostly void of any other major objectionable content. Nonetheless, should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, we suggest that you take a closer look at the more detailed content listings.

QUICK TAKE:: Drama: After growing up in an orphanage where he assisted the resident doctor, a young man sets out to see and experience the world.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: Unless they're fans of someone in the cast or of author John Irving, it's not very likely.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13: For mature thematic elements, sexuality, nudity, substance abuse and some violence.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:: TOBEY MAGUIRE plays a reserved young man who practices obstetrics without any formal training and then heads off to see the world. He ends up having an affair with a young woman and performs an abortion on another woman who's pregnant due to incest. Beyond that, he's a friendly, hard working and modest sort.
MICHAEL CAINE plays the orphanage's resident doctor who delivers babies, cares for the kids and performs the occasional, and at the time, illegal abortion (so that women would have it done correctly and not be butchered by others or themselves). He acts as a father figure for Homer, teaching him about medicine and life, but isn't happy when Homer decides to leave to see the world. He's also addicted to ether.
CHARLIZE THERON plays a young woman who cheats on her boyfriend (who's off in the war) with Homer. We first see her when she arrives at St. Clouds for an abortion.
PAUL RUDD plays a WWII aviator who gets Homer a job at his mother's apple orchard before heading off to war. We also learn that he got Candy pregnant.
DELROY LINDO plays the head of the orchard crew, a hard working man who turns out to be having an incestuous affair with his own daughter.
ERYKAH BADU plays one of the orchard workers who turns out to be pregnant by her father and has an abortion before stabbing her father on her way out of his life.; MICHAEL CAINE plays the orphanage's resident doctor who delivers babies, cares for the kids and performs the occasional, and at the time, illegal abortion (so that women would have it done correctly and not be butchered by others or themselves). He acts as a father figure for Homer, teaching him about medicine and life, but isn't happy when Homer decides to leave to see the world. He's also addicted to ether.
CHARLIZE THERON plays a young woman who cheats on her boyfriend (who's off in the war) with Homer. We first see her when she arrives at St. Clouds for an abortion.
PAUL RUDD plays a WWII aviator who gets Homer a job at his mother's apple orchard before heading off to war. We also learn that he got Candy pregnant.
DELROY LINDO plays the head of the orchard crew, a hard working man who turns out to be having an incestuous affair with his own daughter.
ERYKAH BADU plays one of the orchard workers who turns out to be pregnant by her father and has an abortion before stabbing her father on her way out of his life.; CHARLIZE THERON plays a young woman who cheats on her boyfriend (who's off in the war) with Homer. We first see her when she arrives at St. Clouds for an abortion.
PAUL RUDD plays a WWII aviator who gets Homer a job at his mother's apple orchard before heading off to war. We also learn that he got Candy pregnant.
DELROY LINDO plays the head of the orchard crew, a hard working man who turns out to be having an incestuous affair with his own daughter.
ERYKAH BADU plays one of the orchard workers who turns out to be pregnant by her father and has an abortion before stabbing her father on her way out of his life.; PAUL RUDD plays a WWII aviator who gets Homer a job at his mother's apple orchard before heading off to war. We also learn that he got Candy pregnant.
DELROY LINDO plays the head of the orchard crew, a hard working man who turns out to be having an incestuous affair with his own daughter.
ERYKAH BADU plays one of the orchard workers who turns out to be pregnant by her father and has an abortion before stabbing her father on her way out of his life.; DELROY LINDO plays the head of the orchard crew, a hard working man who turns out to be having an incestuous affair with his own daughter.
ERYKAH BADU plays one of the orchard workers who turns out to be pregnant by her father and has an abortion before stabbing her father on her way out of his life.; ERYKAH BADU plays one of the orchard workers who turns out to be pregnant by her father and has an abortion before stabbing her father on her way out of his life.

DETAILED CONTENT LISTING:
Click on a category for specific details or scroll through the page for a broader overview.

ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE: HEAVY (Return to Summary Chart): Larch is addicted to ether and we see several scenes of him inhaling the fumes of it (by placing drops on a surgery mask) and then passing out/falling asleep.

ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE: HEAVY (Return to Summary Chart): Larch is addicted to ether and we see several scenes of him inhaling the fumes of it (by placing drops on a surgery mask) and then passing out/falling asleep.

BLOOD/GORE: MODERATE (Return to Summary Chart): We see some bloody sheets as well as surgical gloves and an apron after a medical procedure.
Although we don't see the contents and don't learn of their identity until later, we see Homer taking aborted embryos out to an incinerator.
We hear the sound of a boy vomiting.
We see Rose Rose sewing up the open and somewhat bloody gash on Mr. Rose's palm (from where he was knifed).
A man is bloody after he's been stabbed (his front and hands) and the sheets beneath him are bloody as well.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE: EXTREME (Return to Summary Chart): Those who oppose abortions will probably take offense at the film with Larch performing many of them (with them being illegal at the time) and later Homer performing one on a young woman pregnant by incest. In addition, Candy has an abortion.
In an introductory flashback, we're told that Homer's second adoptive family beat him (not seen), and thus the orphanage retrieved him from them.
Some soldiers accost Mary Agnes at the train station.
We learn that Larch has forged some documents to protect others and later fakes Homer's medical school history to try to fool the orphanage's board of directors into thinking he's a real doctor.
Larch also belittles Homer (for selfish and paternal-like reasons) for wanting to leave and see the world.
An older orchard worker is mean toward everyone.
Jack, one of the orchard workers, has a bad work attitude and throws a cigarette butt into a batch of cider and then refuses to get it out. He then tries attacking Mr. Rose with a knife.
Despite Candy being Wally's girlfriend, she and Homer eventually become lovers.
We learn that Rose is having an incestuous affair with his daughter and has got her pregnant.

FRIGHTENING SCENES: MILD (Return to Summary Chart): Jack tries attacking Mr. Rose with a knife (after the latter reprimands him) and ends up cutting his hand (Rose then defends himself with a knife and slices Jack's clothes).

GUNS/WEAPONS: MILD (Return to Summary Chart): Bombs: Seen in newsreel footage in a movie theater.
Knives: Used by Jack and Mr. Rose to threaten each other.
Knife: Used to stab someone (not seen).

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR: MINOR (Return to Summary Chart): Phrases: "Moron(s)" "Jerk," "Bastard" and "Niggers" (said by a black man).

JUMP SCENES: NONE (Return to Summary Chart): None.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE): NONE (Return to Summary Chart): None.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE): NONE (Return to Summary Chart): None.

PROFANITY: MINOR (Return to Summary Chart): At least 3 hells, 1 ass, 1 damn and 2 uses of "Oh God" and 1 use each of "G-damn" and "God" as exclamations.

SEX/NUDITY: HEAVY (Return to Summary Chart): Although the sexual activity that got them pregnant isn't seen, such activity is implied by the many women who come to St. Clouds to deliver babies or have abortions. We also see a few shots of Larch between women's spread legs as he works on them (although no nudity is seen).
Mary Agnes somewhat suggestively sticks her tongue out at Homer.
We learn that Candy is several months pregnant by Wally (she has an abortion).
We see an orchard worker's bare butt as he comes out of an outdoor shower (along with a brief glimpse of full frontal, but from a side view).
In the woods, Homer and Candy kiss and then lay down on the ground with him on top of her. She works on his belt as both do some heavy breathing and more passionate kissing. We then see him between her legs on the ground, and while we don't see any nudity or movement, they apparently have sex.
We see Candy lying fully nude on a bed (and thus see her bare butt and part of the side of her bare breast). Homer then gets on the bed with her, but we don't see anything else happen (although it's implied that they continue with their sexual relationship).
When Wally's mother comes by to check on Homer, we see Candy hiding and standing off to the side with just a sheet covering her. Later, when the orchard workers return for the season, they nearly catch Homer and Candy in the act and we see her adjusting her shirt.
We learn that Rose is pregnant by her father. Homer then confronts him and asks, "Are you sleeping with your own daughter" and "You had sex with your daughter?" Mr. Rose denies it.

SMOKING: MODERATE (Return to Summary Chart): Candy smokes a few times, Homer smokes once and some of the orchard workers, including Muddy, Peaches and Jack smoke one or more times.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES: MODERATE (Return to Summary Chart): The kids in the orphanage don't have real families and one of the little boys sadly announces that nobody wants him. Buster states that sometimes he would like to meet his real parents to show them what he can do, but at others he wants to meet them so that he can kill them (although he adds that he would never really kill anyone).
We learn that Mr. Rose is having an incestuous relationship with his daughter and has got her pregnant.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT: MODERATE (Return to Summary Chart): Abortions and the fact that back then when it was illegal, women would perform them on themselves or have botched ones (a character here has done that and dies) and that's the reason that Larch performs them, despite them being illegal.
Children left and/or growing up in orphanages.
The fact that Homer delivered babies and later performs an abortion without any formal medical training.
Incest.
Why Fuzzy had to sleep in a plastic tent (he's sick with bronchitis).
The fact that the rest of the orchard crew can't read.

VIOLENCE: MODERATE (Return to Summary Chart): In a scene from the movie "King Kong," Kong thrashes a dinosaur.
Seeing Homer leave, Mary Agnes slaps herself.
We see some bombs dropping in WWII newsreel footage playing at a theater.
Jack tries attacking Mr. Rose with a knife (after the latter reprimands him) and ends up cutting his hand (Rose then defends himself with a knife and slices Jack's clothes).
We learn that a character has stabbed another and that the victim then worsened the wound by stabbing himself again. He later dies of the wound.
A person dies from an accidental overdose of ether.