The Cider House Rules (1999), directed by Lasse Hallström and adapted from John Irving’s 1985 novel, is a deeply moving drama that explores complex themes of morality, choice, and human compassion. Set against the backdrop of a New England orphanage, the film follows the life of Homer Wells, an orphan raised by Dr. Wilbur Larch, the kind yet morally conflicted director of the orphanage. Through Homer’s journey from an innocent, sheltered boy to a young man struggling with questions of ethics and personal responsibility, the film delves into the challenges of navigating right and wrong, love and loss, and the intricacies of human nature.

The story is set in the 1940s at St. Cloud’s orphanage, a facility that serves as both a home for orphaned children and a place where women can receive abortions in a time when the procedure was illegal. Dr. Larch (played by Michael Caine) is a fatherly figure who takes in Homer Wells (played by Tobey Maguire), the young boy who has never been adopted. As Homer grows up, Dr. Larch trains him to be his apprentice, teaching him both the medical skills needed to perform abortions and his own complex views on life, love, and the moral ambiguity of the work they do. Although Dr. Larch serves as a mentor to Homer, he struggles with his own deeply held beliefs about the value of life and the ethical dilemmas surrounding abortion.