The Best Marisa Tomei Movie Isn’t My Cousin Vinny, But Rather, It’s One Of The Darkest Movies You’ll Ever Watch

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I love My Cousin Vinny, but I’m convinced that 2001’s In the Bedroom is Marisa Tomei’s best movie.

This sentiment is shared by someone who, much like yourself, admires the character in “The Wrestler,” a standout film by Darren Aronofsky. However, “In the Bedroom” is an incredibly grim and disheartening piece that you find difficult to turn away from, despite its somber nature. (It’s so dark and depressing that it draws you in, even though you might want to look away!)

Drawing inspiration from Andre Dubus’ 1979 short story “Killings,” the movie In the Bedroom centers around a family whose world is shattered when their son is brutally killed by his girlfriend’s former spouse. However, before delving into other aspects of the plot, let me discuss Marisa Tomei, who portrays the girlfriend at the heart of this tragedy.

Tomei Gives The Performance Of Her Career In This Drama

When Tomei clinched the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for “My Cousin Vinny,” many were taken aback, sparking whispers that Jack Palance, the presenter, accidentally announced her name as the winner and she hadn’t actually won. This notion, however, is unfounded (I can’t help but wish it weren’t true that “Crash” outshone “Brokeback Mountain,” but that’s a different topic for another day). Despite its inaccuracy, this rumor lingered for years.

Despite finding Tomei’s performance in “Vinny” amusing, I must admit that I believe she delivered an even more powerful portrayal in “In the Bedroom.” In this film, she plays a character named Natalie, a single mother who is tormented by her ex-husband’s jealousy.

In the movie, Tomei develops a romantic interest in a recent college graduate named Frank, portrayed by Nick Stahl. Frank’s parents hold varying opinions about their relationship: his mother, Ruth (Sissy Spacek), expresses concern for her son, while his father, Matt (Tom Wilkinson), perceives it as merely a temporary affair. Tomei skillfully depicts Natalie as deeply enamored with Frank, but she harbors fear towards her former partner who is growing progressively aggressive.

On a tragic day, Frank is murdered by Tomei’s ex-husband. Her character’s emotional turmoil leads her to provide contradictory accounts of the incident, allowing her ex-husband to avoid murder charges. The film shows Tomei’s character evolving from being smitten, to heartbroken and tormented by guilt. While she was nominated for an Academy Award for this performance, I firmly believe that she deserved another award as well, given the exceptional quality of her acting in this role.

The Scene Where Richard Kills Frank Is Almost Unbearable To Watch

In a previous piece I penned about heart-wrenching movie deaths, I felt compelled to include Frank’s demise in “In the Bedroom”. His passing is almost too agonizing to bear witness to.

Natasha is petrified by her former spouse, Richard (William Mapother), who visited her home previously and nearly wrecked it beyond recognition. Upon hearing one of Natasha’s kids call Frank, he hurries to the residence to comfort her, but Richard manages to re-enter the house again.

Natasha hurries her children up the stairs, but then hears a gunshot echoing through the house. Startled, she rushes back down to discover Frank lying fatally wounded on the kitchen floor, while Richard is seated at the table.

The situation is incredibly intense, made even more heart-wrenching because Frank followed all the right steps. He arrived when summoned, attempted to calm Richard down through the locked door, yet tragically lost his life. This tragic event is accentuated by Tomei’s emotional cries. It’s some truly grueling material, a stark contrast from the laughter-filled moments of My Cousin Vinny.

The Quiet Moments Of Grief Are Painful To Sit Through

Instead of focusing on the central characters as a single mother, her new partner, and her ex-husband, this movie surprisingly revolves around the grieving parents of the deceased man, each coping with loss in distinct manners.

In the year 2023, when we sadly lost Tom Wilkinson, he portrayed Matt, Frank’s father. Overwhelmed by guilt after the demise of his son, as he had dismissed his wife’s concerns about his son’s relationship, he chose to cope with his loss in a subdued manner, turning to alcohol and avoiding discussions on the matter with his spouse. However, an emotional outburst occurs in one scene where they both confront each other, revealing their deep-seated emotions.

Instead, Sissy Spacek, who has significantly evolved since her role in the 1976 movie “Carrie,” appears to have been dealing with more overt bouts of sadness. She’s been harboring her sorrow and struggles to comprehend how her husband could resume work so soon after their son’s passing. In this sense, both parents are grappling with grief, but they seem unsure about how to communicate their distress to each other.

The unspoken tension between them is heavy and noticeable. When they eventually discuss their feelings, it feels liberating, as if a weight has been lifted off their shoulders. It’s as if you can hear a collective sigh of relief. However, the anticipation leading up to that moment is almost suffocating to endure.

Plus, The Miscarriage Of Legal Justice Is Infuriating To Watch Play Out

What adds to the grim atmosphere of this movie is the stark contrast between reality and the legal system, since it’s clear that Richard has committed murder, yet the jury remains unaware of this fact.

Natalie wasn’t present when her ex-husband allegedly killed Frank. Instead, she was upstairs with her children at the time. When the police arrived, she initially claimed to have witnessed the murder. However, during Richard’s trial, his lawyers managed to make her retract that statement. It turned out she didn’t actually see the murder; instead, she had only heard the gunshot. This revelation has cast doubt on her entire testimony.

Indeed, it’s infuriating that Richard, who deliberately took Frank’s life, is able to walk freely on the streets before his next trial, with Frank’s parents witnessing this. It’s hard to bear that such a vile criminal isn’t being imprisoned as we all know he should be.

As a parent, I sometimes find myself longing for the justice system depicted in my beloved comic book movie, Dredd. In that fictional city, law enforcement officers serve as both judge and jury, swiftly enforcing punishment without the delays and complications we often encounter in reality. The legal process in our world can be incredibly frustrating at times, and while I know this is only a film, it’s disheartening to see how lawyers can sometimes manipulate the system to secure reduced sentences, much like in this movie, which always leaves me feeling angry.

By The End, You Don’t Feel Any Better, Despite Matt’s Revenge

Is it possible that Frank’s family will eventually find justice for his death? The conclusion can be interpreted in various ways. You see, Matt and his companion, Willis, abduct Richard under duress, concocting a tale that Matt wants Richard to jump bail and depart from town permanently, so they never cross paths again.

It’s clear that Richard is fully aware his life is at risk, but he’s powerless to change it. Fate pushes him towards an isolated location, where Matt ends Richard’s life by firing a gun because his patience had worn thin. As a parent myself, I can’t help but understand his actions.

Yet, upon his return home, finding his wife privy to his plans, he is left feeling hollow. Interestingly, a joyous image of Richard and Natalie in Richard’s apartment stirred feelings of guilt within him. This scene underscores the film’s message that while revenge may ignite passion, it doesn’t mend the wounds that initially drove the vengeance, making the movie even more somber and challenging to endure.

Despite In the Bedroom not making it to our top 100 films of the 2000s, I firmly believe that it is one of the decade’s finest, and it stands out as my personal choice for Marisa Tomei’s best performance, even though I hold a special affection for her portrayal of Aunt May in Spider-Man.

What do you think? Have you watched In the Bedroom? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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2025-08-06 17:32