The Woodsman (2004)
Average Rating: 7.3/10
Reviews Counted: 130
Fresh: 114 | Rotten: 16
Kevin Bacon's performance as a pedophile who is trying to start fresh has drawn raves from critics, who have praised the Woodsman as compelling, creepy, complex and well-crafted.
Average Rating: 7.5/10
Critic Reviews: 35
Fresh: 32 | Rotten: 3
Kevin Bacon's performance as a pedophile who is trying to start fresh has drawn raves from critics, who have praised the Woodsman as compelling, creepy, complex and well-crafted.
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Average Rating: 3.5/5
User Ratings: 19,913
Movie Info
Writer/director Nicole Kassell makes her feature film debut with the drama The Woodsman. Co-written by Steven Fechter, the original script won first place at the Slamdance Screenplay Competition in 2001. Kevin Bacon plays Walter, a child molester who gets out of prison after serving a 12-year sentence. He returns to his old town and tries to start over by working at a woodyard. Fortunately, his brother-in-law (Benjamin Bratt) helps him get a place to live. He even strikes up a relationship with
Cast
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Kevin Bacon
Walter -
Kyra Sedgwick
Vickie -
Eve
Mary-Kay -
Mos Def
Det. Lucas -
David Alan Grier
Bob -
Benjamin Bratt
Carlos -
Michael Shannon
Rosen -
Hannah Pilkes
Robin -
Carlos Leon
Pedro -
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The Woodsman Trailer & Photos
All Critics (140) | Top Critics (37) | Fresh (114) | Rotten (16) | DVD (25)
A lean and unapologetic piece about a type of person too often rendered in simplistic 'monster' colors.
Top Critic[Ms. Kassell and Mr. Fechter] trick up Walter's character with so many conflicting moods and impulses and then place him within a post-prison society that is itself alternately oppressive and permissive.
An involving, intense but ultimately confused portrait.
To watch this picture is to feel, and what you're feeling is an intense swirl of conflicting emotions -- disturbed, creeped-out, sorry, and, yes, even moved.
A flawed film that's well worth seeing.
It is both difficult to watch and compelling.
A really intelligent and amazing piece of real filmmaking...
Debut director Nicole Kassell compassionately explores the troubled psyche of a former pedophile struggling with inner demons and external obstacles to lead a normal life.
A bold and poignantly told tale, nestling into its characters to draw out raw and candidly revealing performances.
(...) Aún con su intensidad a medio camino, The Woodsman es un drama maduro, desafiante y revelador de lo que estamos dispuestos a tolerar y/o a perdonar (nos) los seres humanos.
deals with one disturbing phenomenon in an honest and humane way
There's certainly a sensitivity and intelligence that went into this psychodrama.
Look past the seemingly unpleasant subject matter and you'll be able to appreciate this insightful character study quite easily.
An uneasy, sometimes difficult film to watch - rare at the movies these days. But as a study in pedophilia, there is plenty to be said for the conversation it ignites.
... not full of uplift, but it has about it a kind of unholy truth, a worrying seed that isn't rinsed away in a triumphant final act.
It's a brave choice for an actor, a masterful balancing act by Bacon that makes The Woodsman as insightful as it is disquieting.
Kevin Bacon makes you feel something unexpected: sympathy for a pedophile.
Bacon, who's a tragically underrated actor, unpeels Walter in layers that are by turns creepy, fascinating, poignant and disturbing.
The Woodsman is a difficult movie to watch, but it's one that cannot be turned away from.
The Woodsman does not offer a pleasant night at the movies, but it does provide a thought-provoking experience.
This astonishingly accomplished first feature by director and co-writer Nicole Kassell, with an unnerving performance by Kevin Bacon, will haunt you for days.
As distasteful as the concept may be, it's approached with surprising sensitivity and taste.
Unfolds in exactly the way you expect a sensitive Sundance indie to handle this distasteful subject matter...
Kevin Bacon delivers a haunting performance in Nicole Kassell's impressive feature-directorial debut "The Woodsman." **
Kevin Bacon anchors the film with his deeply humane, but never sentimental performance
Audience Reviews for The Woodsman
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
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- Walter: I may seem sympathetic but you've never seen me ravaging a child.
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Latest News on The Woodsman
February 3, 2006:
Better Late Than Never: The Slamdance '06 Awards!What with all the busy, crazy, and hectic rigamarole that follows any high-end film festival, I...
December 16, 2004:
Free Screening of The Woodsman in L.A.You and one guest are invited to a special advance screening of The Woodsman. Please print out the...
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Featured
Movie: ID: 13229 Title: The Woodsman Release Date: 2004-12-24 00:00:00.0 MPAA: 4 Status: 1
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