I feel bad for not even mentioning The Door in the Floor until now, which is easily one of the best movies of 2004 and should land some acting nominations as long as voters bother to watch it.

A character-driven film all the way, Jeff Bridges stars an eccentric writer who takes in a student who admires his work for a sort of summer intership. What ensues is hardly a lesson in writing so much as a demonstration of the kind of bizarre behavior that would be perfect to put in a book.


You see, Bridges' writer is currently on the outs with his wife, played by Kim Basinger - a result of a tragedy in which both of their sons were killed. This event is what drives the whole movie, and it's fascinating because we don't actually know what happened until the very end, creating a suspenseful curiosity throughout.

While the characters and drama are quite effective, where The Door in the Floor excels is with its unique brand of offbeat humor. There are a few scenes in this film that are downright hilarious and truly original. I would give some specifics of the plot and where these moments fit in, but I'd rather not spoil them for you. Perhaps you didn't even bother to rent this film because, I'll admit, on its surface it looks like some dull drama, but you should definitely give it a chance - you won't be disappointed.

Posted December 21, 2004 | link