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.
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TMDB Reviews
6 years ago
Great psychological study
Released in 2004, "The Woodsman" tells the story of Walter (Kevin Bacon) who's trying to make a life for himself in Philadelphia after spending 12 years in prison due to his abnormal predilection for 10-12 year-old girls. When news gets out of why he was in prison it causes problems with his girlfriend (Kyra Sedgwick) and at his new job. Walter desperately seeks healing from his condition even while he occasionally flirts with his sick desires. On top of this is Walter's parole officer who doesn't believe the ex-con can be trusted in conventional society. Meanwhile Walter spots a pedophile preying on kids near the local elementary school. What should he do? And is there any hope for him to escape his condition?
There are two things potential viewers should know up front: Walter is aware of his problem and desires freedom from it. In other words, he's repentant: He WANTS to turn from his negative desires and channel his sexual energy positively and responsibly. Secondly, it becomes clear that Walter is not guilty of raping any girls but rather molesting them. Yes, it's still bad, but not as bad as raping or killing. These are important points which help the viewer have compassion on Walter and root for his success (because, if he was impenitent or guilty of actually raping or killing girls, then please fry his butt and get it over with; or, at least, lock him up and throw away the key).
As noted in the title blurb, the film is a dramatic psychological study. It spotlights the classic struggle of flesh & spirit or id & superego. It's dialogue-driven and plot-driven rather than action-driven or cgi-driven. In other words, this is a thinking-person's drama.
In a way, Walter's struggle is universal and most of us can relate to it on one level or another. For example, we may not have a predilection for tweenage girls but we might struggle with other destructive tendencies, like alcoholism, drugs, adultery, fits of rage, porn add...
