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Heartbreak and loss are pretty common topics in film—especially during award season, when every other new release seems to depict some kind of tragedy, in hopes of attracting the attention of award voters with its emotional story and moving performances. Time and time again, moviegoers watch as characters endure the death of a loved one…or a broken marriage…or a life-threatening illness. But rarely do filmmakers show what happens months after the tragedy, as director John Cameron Mitchell does in Rabbit Hole.
It’s been eight months since Becca (Nicole Kidman) and Howie (Aaron Eckhart) lost their four-year-old son, Danny. Since then, they’ve both been grieving—but their grief manifests itself in very different ways.
Each day, Howie gets up and goes to work. He goes to the gym to play squash. He faithfully attends their support group. He seems well-adjusted and sometimes even happy. But, every night, he sits on the couch and replays an old video of Danny on his phone.
Meanwhile, Becca’s life lacks the distractions that keep Howie busy. She spends her days alone at home, where she’s faced with Danny’s paintings on the fridge, his cups in the cupboard, his toys still strewn around his room. Her closest friend has stopped calling, and her family doesn’t know what to say to her.
After months of being constantly haunted by Danny’s memory, Becca and Howie both start taking steps toward recovery—and it begins to tear them apart.
Rabbit Hole is a thoughtful and honest film, offering an uncommon perspective on a classic story. This isn’t the same old movie about a couple losing a child. Instead, it’s a story about what happens to that couple after the flowers have wilted, the well-meaning friends have stopped bringing meals, and the house has become unbearably quiet. It’s an emotional drama about grief and recovery—about learning to move on, one step at a time. But it’s also about marriage—about supporting each other “through worse,” even when your partner’s needs and remedies differ from your own.
Adapted from writer David Lindsay-Abaire’s play, Rabbit Hole is a simple film—free of contrived plot twists, flashy effects, or elaborate set pieces. Instead, it allows its characters to stand in the spotlight—and they don’t disappoint. Becca and Howie are lovingly developed, and Kidman and Eckhart both give riveting performances—skillfully depicting their characters’ grief, their uncertainty, and their struggle to find happiness again.
Though the subject matter is heavy, however, Rabbit Hole isn’t the devastating drama that you might expect. Lindsay-Abaire sprinkles the story with moments of humor—as well as some of those normal, everyday experiences that begin to return to the characters’ lives. So although it’s certainly heartbreaking at times, Rabbit Hole is a beautiful, even hopeful film—an unforgettable look at loss and healing.
