Down the Rabbithole

It has been eight months since married couple Becca (Nicole Kidman) and Howie's (Aaron Eckhart) young son was killed after he ran out on to the road in front of their house. The couple's relationship, though loving, is strained as they struggle to find purpose in their life minus the apple of their eye. Becca struggles to cope with the news that her sister is pregnant and lashes out in a parental grieving group. After a failed attempt at trying to reignite her career, she unexpectedly starts a friendship with the teenager who was driving the car that hit her son that fateful day - Jason (Miles Teller). Howie, desperate to move on, tries to push Becca into starting a family again and instead ends up developing a bond with a woman in their grief group. But as the results of their actions play their course, they begin to edge ever so slightly out of the dark tunnel of grief they were lost in.

Rabbithole is directed by John Cameron Mitchell and is based on a play of the same name by David Lindsay-Abaire. Cameron-Mitchell has swapped the visually confronting material of his last film Shortbus, which attempted to integrate realistic sex scenes into mainstream cinema, for emotionally confronting material in this mature drama. He has a charming visual style, which positions dialogue laden scenes against simpler ones that rely on images and movements to get the message across. It's used to great effect here, namely when Becca is shown frozen in front of her son's drawings on the fridge or when Jason is sketching his comic book. Cameron Mitchell also slips in some dark comedic moments, which provide a humorous reprieve from the heavy themes. For a film that examines grief and the nature of loss, it's reliant on solid performances from the ensemble cast - particularly Kidman and Eckhart who are both convincing as parents experiencing grief in very different ways. Although Kidman scored a Golden Globe nomination for her performance, Eckhart is just as deserving (arguably more so) as his portrayal is gutsy and relentless. The standout is undoubtedly newcomer Teller as the quiet and thoughtful teenager still haunted by the accident. His interpretation of the character is stoic and powerful, creating some of the most moving moments in the film. Dianne Wiest, Tammy Blanchard and and Sandra Oh are also strong in minor roles.

Despite Rabbithole's merits, this is territory we've been before. The film's examination of parental love and the full reach of grief isn't any more insightful than films with similar themes such as The Sixth Sense, Dead Man Walking, My Sister's Keeper, Beaches or The Lovely Bones. It doesn't shed any new light, lead us to any new realisations or make us feel any differently about what is clearly a horrible experience to go through. Although the performances are solid, the technical aspects well handled, by the end of the film you can't help but ask; other than providing a snapshot of one particular couple's experience of grief, what was the point?Rabbithole is out Thursday, February 17.