Opened: December 17, 2010

Directed by: John Cameron Mitchell

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, Dianne Wiest, Miles Teller, Tammy Blanchard, Sandra Oh, Giancarlo Esposito & Jon Tenney

Though the plot and the characters will feel familiar from other family dramas, Rabbit Hole finds ways to transcend its formula, which gives it a fresh feeling.

Becca (Nicole Kidman) and Howie (Aaron Eckhart) are grieving the loss of their young son. Becca has decided that support group therapy is not for her and ends up connecting with Jason (Miles Teller), who was the one driving when her son was hit.

Kidman brings astonishing honesty to the role allowing viewers to sympathize with Becca. She has partnered scenes with almost every main character, which allows you to see the levels of grief that Becca’s experiencing.

While there are moments that could be easy traps for a story of this nature, David Lindsay-Abaire’s script and John Cameron Mitchell’s direction allow for those new routes to be taken.

Final say: Deeply affecting. ★★★★☆