The Woodsman
with Kevin Bacon

The Woodsman is an excellent film. It is about a sex offender that is released from prison and is trying to integrate back into society. It is not a warm-fuzzy movie, as the most discerning of you may have already guessed, but it is not as dark as, say, Fargo or 8mm.

Except for the therapist, the movie is extremely accurate. I think the movie has angered some people because it makes the sex offender into a real person that you can care about on some levels. It doesn't, though, excuse or minimize any of his behavior. It is gripping simply because it is true. It shows his thinking errors, how people respond to him, how he struggles with relapse, and so much more. The lady who becomes his partner is exactly a woman with the kind of issues that would keep her with an offender.

When you get to one of the scenes in the park, you will probably feel extremely uncomfortable, but keep watching, it's very powerful. On the DVD you can watch an extended park scene, and I really wish they would have used that one instead, but it is very good as is.

And the therapist? *sigh* I won't go on a rant, but that is NOT what therapy is like at all (I do therapy with sex offenders). Overall, though, it is powerful because the rest is so true to life. I'm going to edit out some of the steamy sex scenes and use it for my sex offender group.