In the Bedroom

Spacek and Wilkinson are a middle age couple who lose their son to violence. The numbing grief, paralyzing emotional swirl, and long-simmering but long-denied marital resentments that follow combine to drastically alter their marriage and lives. Field's impressive, if gut-wrenching directorial debut shows trust for the script and in the actors by not overplaying the obvious emotional moments, or the dramatic twists. This trust is rewarded with exceptional performances by Spacek, Wilkinson, and Tomei (in her best performance to date), and by a film that doesn't miss a chance to be subtle when it's called for, or explosive when it's needed.