Rabbit Hole (2010)

Eight months into the death of their four year old son, a couple (Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart) still haven't come to terms with both his death and their grieving. Based on the Pulitzer and Tony winning play by David Lindsay-Abaire (who also did the screenplay adaptation) and directed by John Cameron Mitchell (HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH), the film is both simplicity itself in its execution yet complex and layered at its emotional core with some dynamic performances. Nicole Kidman gives a stunning performance as the mother who can't seem to move forward and once again proves she's one of the best actresses of her generation. She's evenly matched with Eckhart (in his best work to date) and a jewel of a performance by Dianne Wiest as Kidman's mother. Mitchell is smart enough to let the material speak for itself and doesn't get in the way of either the story or his actors. The film could have been a major downer but for all its pain, it's a story of hope without exploiting sentiment. With Miles Teller, excellent, as the teen-aged boy responsible for their child's death, Sandra Oh and Tammy Blanchard.