The Woodsman

Challenging and provocative drama follows pedophile Walter (Kevin Bacon) as he takes a job at a Philadelphia-area lumber mill after his release from prison. Attempting to put his crimes behind him, he is befriended by the tomboyish Vickie (Kyra Sedgwick) while being shadowed by a suspicious police sergeant (Mos Def). But can Walter truly redeem himself in a society that refuses to forgive his hateful acts? With Benjamin Bratt, David Alan Grier, Eve. 87 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English DTS Surround, Dolby Digital 5.1; Subtitles: English; audio commentary; deleted scenes; extended scenes; featurette.

Kevin Bacon gives one of the best, most nuanced performances of his career in The Woodsman, a daring and thought-provoking drama he co-produced with his wife, Kyra Sedgwick. In portraying a convicted pedophile named Walter, recently released from prison and struggling to rebuild his life, Bacon and writer-director Nicole Kassell (making her feature-film debut) do a remarkable job of exploring all facets of this troubling yet very human character, from his continuing criminal impulses to the despair he feels over having to conceal his horrible past. Sedgwick costars as the one woman who appears willing to accept Walter, secrets and all, and while The Woodsman takes a few regrettable shortcuts in illustrating Walter's quest for the good man he can be, the film deserves to be seen and discussed as a provocative yet admirably humane study of an individual whom society may too quickly label a "monster." The film allows for different interpretations, and that complexity--along with Bacon's performance--makes it worthy of a wide and hopefully understanding audience. --Jeff Shannon