The Cider House Rules is a 1999 drama film, directed by Lasse Hallström, based on The Cider House Rules, a 1985 novel by John Irving. The film won two Academy Awards. John Irving documented his involvement in bringing the novel to the screen in his book My Movie Business'.

Plot

Homer Wells, an orphan, is the film's protagonist. He grew up in an orphanage directed by Dr. Wilbur Larch after being returned twice by foster parents. His first foster parents thought he was too quiet and the second parents beat him. Dr. Larch is also secretly an abortionist and trains Homer in the realm of gynaecology and abortions as an apprentice, despite Homer never even having attended high school.

The film continues as Homer decides to leave the orphanage with Candy Kendall and her boyfriend Wally Worthington, a young couple who work at the Worthington family apple orchard, who come to the clinic to have an abortion. Wally leaves to fight in World War II. While Wally is away, Homer and Candy have an affair. Later, Wally's plane is shot down and he is paralyzed from the waist down. When he returns home, Candy takes care of him and leaves Homer.