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The Woodsman
After twelve years in prison, Walter returns home. His family has abandoned him, save for his brother-in-law. Few know he's a sex offender and pedophile. Walter finds an apartment and is regularly visited by his parole officer. He gets a job at a lumber mill and starts seeing a coworker. Then his new world begins to unravel; as his past becomes known, he strikes up a high-risk friendship with a young girl and realizes that a man loitering near a schoolyard is a child molester prowling for his next victim.
2004 · Directed by Nicole Kassell · 87 min · Drama · Crime · Screenplay in the scene database · 5 frames
Tagline
Nothing can undo the past.
Plot
Walter, a convicted child molester, returns home to Philadelphia after serving 12 years in prison. His friends and family have abandoned him, with the exception of his brother-in-law, Carlos. Walter's apartment is just across the street from an elementary school—an obvious source of temptation. He gets a job at a local lumber mill and meets Vicki, one of the few women working there. After sleeping with Vicki, Walter tells her that he molested little girls, but rationalizes his crimes by saying "I didn't hurt them." Vicki is clearly shocked and disturbed by this new information, but before she can consider how to respond, Walter tells her to leave his apartment.
Walter receives frequent visits from a verbally abusive police officer named Lucas, who makes it clear that he is waiting to catch Walter reoffending. Watching the school, Walter sees a man offering candy to little boys. He realizes that this man, whom he nicknames "Candy", is another child molester. Walter also meets an apparently lonely young girl named Robin who is a birdwatcher. Walter sees Candy abduct a boy, but does not report this to the police. Walter's life takes a further downturn when a suspicious coworker, Mary-Kay, learns of his conviction. She prints out his police record and posts it on the bulletin board at the mill for everybody to see. Some of the employees attack Walter, but Vicki and the boss of the mill come to his defense.
Ostracized and frustrated, Walter leaves his workplace and goes to the park. Vicki, fearing the worst, begins to search for him. Walter ends up meeting with Robin at the park. As they talk, he begins to succumb to his desires and invites Robin to sit on his lap. She politely refuses, but then begins to confide in him. As she starts to cry, Walter realizes that she is being molested by her father. In her anguish, and sensing a similarity between her father and Walter, she offers to sit on Walter's lap, wanting his approval. Walter finally understands the pain he caused his victims, and tells Robin to go home; as she leaves, she gives him a hug. On his way home, he sees Candy dropping off a young boy near the school at night. In a fit of rage and self-hatred, Walter beats Candy up. He then goes to Vicki's home, and she accepts him.
Plot summary from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.
Crew
- Screenplay: Steven Fechter, Nicole Kassell
- Cinematography: Xavier Grobet
- Edited by: Brian A. Kates, Lisa Fruchtman
- Music: Nathan Larson
- Production design: Stephen Beatrice
- Produced by: Lee Daniels
Cast
- Kevin Bacon as Walter
- David Alan Grier as Bob
- Kyra Sedgwick as Vicki
- Eve as Mary-Kay
- Benjamin Bratt as Carlos
- Carlos Leon as Pedro
- Michael Shannon as Rosen
- Nicole Gibson as Girl with Red Ball
- Kevin Rice as Candy
- Yasiin Bey as Sgt. Lucas
Production
- Country: United States of America
- Language: English
- Studios: Lee Daniels Entertainment, Dash Films
- Budget: $4,000,000
- Box office: $4,700,000
- Themes: pedophilia, work, ex-detainee, girlfriend, police officer, threat, parole officer, woman director, emotions, swear
On this film
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