Plot
The film is set in the Mid-Coast town of Camden, Maine. Dr. Matt Fowler (Tom Wilkinson) and Ruth Fowler (Sissy Spacek) enjoy a happy marriage and a good relationship with their son Frank (Nick Stahl), a recent college graduate who has come home for the summer. Frank has fallen in love with an older woman with children, Natalie Strout (Marisa Tomei). Frank is also applying to graduate school for architecture, but is considering staying in town to work in the fishing industry and be near to Natalie. Natalie's ex-husband, Richard Strout (William Mapother), whose family owns a local fish-processing and delivery business, is violent and abusive. Richard actively tries to find a way into his ex-wife and son's lives, going to increasingly violent lengths to get his intentions across to Natalie. Ruth is openly concerned about Frank's relationship with Natalie, while Matt sees past his wife's worries.
Midway through the film, Richard kills Frank during a confrontation at Natalie's house, following a domestic dispute. Though equally devastated, Matt and Ruth grieve in different ways with Matt putting on a brave face while Ruth becomes reclusive and quiet. Richard is set free on bail, paid by his well-to-do family, and both Matt and Ruth are forced to see Richard around town. The tension between the pair increases when they learn that the lack of a direct witness to their son's shooting allows the killer to avoid murder charges, since the district attorney may have difficulty proving that Richard killed Frank intentionally, as opposed to accidental manslaughter in a struggle which defense attorney Marla Keyes (Karen Allen) argues. The silence between the couple erupts in an argument where each is confronted with the truth about each parent's relationship with their son: Ruth was overbearing and Matt let him get away with everything. With the strain between them broken, the couple is finally able to find a common ground in their grief. However, both realize that the court will not bring the justice to Richard that he deserves.
Unable to live with Richard walking free and determined to heal himself and his wife, Matt abducts and kills Richard. He and a friend dispose of the body in the woods. Matt returns home to Ruth, who waits for him patiently. Ruth goes to make coffee and Matt pulls a band-aid from his finger, showing that he is finally ready to heal from the tragedy of his son's death on his own.
Read more about this topic: In The Bedroom
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