I saw that, starting from this movie, there has been an interesting discussion about how sex offenders are integrated back into society. I just wanted to comment about the movie itself, though, so I thought I would start a new thread.
The Woodsman is an excellent film. It is about a sex offender that is released from prison and is trying to integrate back into society. It is not a warm-fuzzy movie, as the most discerning of you may have already guessed , but it is not as dark as, say, Fargo or 8mm.
Except for the therapist, the movie is extremely accurate. I think the movie has angered some people because it makes the sex offender into a real person that you can care about on some levels. It doesn't, though, excuse or minimize any of his behavior. It is gripping simply because it is true. It shows his thinking errors, how people respond to him, how he struggles with relapse, and so much more. The lady who becomes his partner is exactly a woman with the kind of issues that would keep her with an offender.
When you get to one of the scenes in the park, you will probably feel extremely uncomfortable, but keep watching, it's very powerful. On the DVD you can watch an extended park scene, and I really wish they would have used that one instead, but it is very good as is.
And the therapist? *sigh* I won't go on a rant, but that is NOT what therapy is like at all (I do therapy with sex offenders). Overall, though, it is powerful because the rest is so true to life. I'm going to edit out some of the steamy sex scenes and use it for my sex offender group.
Anybody else see it? What did you think of the movie?
Posted by KarlEd (Member # 571) on :
I haven't seen it yet, but it's in my Netflix queue. (It's behind season 2 of Dead Like Me so it might be a couple of weeks before I get to it.)
Posted by DarkKnight (Member # 7536) on :
I heard a really good interview with Kevin Bacon about this movie on NPR
Posted by JonnyNotSoBravo (Member # 5715) on :
I saw the movie and liked it. I was torn between sympathy with Bacon and horror about him, especially with the park scene. It's kind of horrifying what he seems to see in Benjamin Bratt, too. It gives me the impression that sex offenders (child molesters in particular) need to be very very closely watched, like drug addicts.
Mos Def is friggin' awesome in this movie.
Posted by CStroman (Member # 6872) on :
I've seen it and it is interesting. Kevin Bacon portrays his character very well although everyone surrounding him is VERY stereotypical (Brother in Law, Secretary at work, Cop, etc.)
The film most definately portrays him as a "human being" simply because he's the main character and the story revolves around him.
However portraying the whole rest of society with "bad people" stereotypes as if he's fighting his own demons and all of society is against him, kind of put it over the edge.
Posted by JonnyNotSoBravo (Member # 5715) on :
*mild SPOILERS*
I don't agree with "everyone surrounding him is VERY stereotypical". Not many brothers-in-law would go have a drink with their wife's brother who is a pedophile when they have their own 12 year old girl. Or talk about chicks with him. Or tease him with pictures of them.
The girlfriend doesn't seem terribly stereotypical either. She stayed with him after he told her.
Mos Def is not the stereotypical cop either. He looks the other way about the guy being beat up. He doesn't take Bacon in for questioning after Bacon missed the bus. He tells the story of Little Red Riding Hood. You think your average cop does things like telling children's fairy tales (and it seems from the telling of this that Mos knows about the girl in the red hooded jacket, and doesn't bust his balls for it)?
Posted by Valentine014 (Member # 5981) on :
Glad I'm not the only one who enjoyed this film. I started a thread over a month ago about it with regards to sex offenders in the workplace.
Kevin Bacon never ceases to amaze me. I was really surprised that it never popped up on my radar until I saw it listed on the On Demand menu. Perhaps because of the nature of the character's crimes and it looked a little lower budget.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
I haven't seen it yet, but now I will make a note to do so.
When I was working in the mental health field and in an MSW program, I knew that the one population I couldn't work with would be sex offenders. Intellectually I realize that they are human beings as well, despite their faults. And that realization is why I didn't feel it responsible of me to try to work with that population--I'd be doing a disservice to them and their recovery. So, Dread Pendragon, it's awesome that you can work with that population.
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, but it is not as dark as, say, Fargo or 8mm.