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(1984) The Hotel Of New Hampshire DRAMA/ COMEDY

Co-written and directed by Tony Richardson which is supposed to be a faithful adaption of the John Irving novel, centering on a eccentric family or the oddest family standing by their fathers ambitions involving running a hotel calling it "The Hotel New Hampshire". Some of the oddest situations also include, the bear who rides bikes, incest, girl (Natassia Kinski) wearing a bear suit, the girl who never grows but has ambitions to become a famous writer and more.... all interwoven into this movie with the only thing they have in common is that it centers on them.

Plenty of very bizarre situations similar to Monty Python comedy sketches as well as films, but goes to many directions I'm incapable to understand. Actor John (Rob Lowe) does the narration and Jodie Foster plays his sister, Franny and the father is played being played by Beau Bridges.

This is a story about life and the many facets of love, dreams and aspirations, and the journey of discovery we all have to make in our own way in our own time. But the single thread that runs through the film and ties the characters and their lives together is sorrow; and in this instance, using an extremely overt metaphor, `Sorrow' is the family pet-- a dog-- who comes to symbolize a seemingly prevalent condition of the Berry family in `The Hotel New Hampshire,' written for the screen and directed by Tony Richardson, adapted from the novel by John Irving. The story centers on the Berry family, a close but eccentric clan, and is told from the perspective of John (Rob Lowe), who tries to make sense of his too familiar relationship with his sister, Frannie (Jodie Foster), his gay older brother, Frank (Paul McCrane), his literally `little' sister, Lilly (Jennifer Dundas) who `isn't a midget,' but who stopped growing too soon, the youngest of the bunch, Egg (Seth Green), his grandfather, Iowa Bob (Wilford Brimley) and his parents (Beau Bridges and Lisa Banes).

John's father, Win, was a dreamer, or as Lilly called him, a `Gatsby,' always looking for something better, for `it.' Win and Mother Berry had met one summer working together at a hotel, and when Win tires of his job as a school teacher, he decides their town needs a hotel. So he buys an abandoned building that suits his needs perfectly, and transforms it into a hotel, the Hotel New Hampshire, owned and operated by the entire Berry family. And it is here that the memories of his formative years are made for John; memories like struggling with his love for his sister while she lives through a particularly traumatic experience that involves a boy of whom she is enamored, Chip Dove (Matthew Modine), and tasting love himself for the first time with a waitress at the hotel (Joely Richardson). It is also at this time that he experiences a death in the family for the first time. And, as it is in life, it won't be the last; nor will it be his final encounter with tragedy and sorrow.

In this film, Richardson touches upon a number of themes that at one time (and not that long ago) would have been considered taboo in a film: Homosexuality, incest and interracial relationships. And he does it successfully by weaving them into the story naturally and objectively, without expounding upon or exploring them simply to enhance the drama. This is simply the story of the Berry family, for better or worse, with John telling it like it is while refraining from any sensationalism or judgment calls, to which the likes of a film of this nature would ordinarily be disposed.

Lowe gives a convincing performance as John-- arguably some of the best work he's ever done-- and he underscores his role of narrator by making the story as much about the others as about himself, which is generous, and a good piece of acting. Foster, who would've been twenty-one or twenty-two when this was filmed (1984), displays an insight, poise and maturity well beyond her years, with a performance that is intuitively discerning and believable, and which serves the character so well while bringing her vividly to life. There is such a natural quality to Foster's acting that it makes her a joy to watch, and it makes Frannie a memorable character. The young Dundas is also very impressive in the role of Lilly and, like Foster, manages to bring the necessary maturity to the character that makes her entirely credible.

The supporting cast includes Wallace Shawn (Freud), Dorsey Wright (Junior), Cali Timmins (Bitty), Anita Morris (Ronda Ray) and Walter Massey (Texan). The film is by turns poignant, funny and disturbing; one could say a succinct reflection of life. And, diverse as this story is, thematically, there will undoubtedly be one aspect of it or another to which just about anyone will be able to relate. Because that's what life is; a journey we all share, but which we take on different roads that sooner or later are bound to intersect, and which becomes the point at which we realize something that's inescapable and possibly the most important thing we will ever learn: That we are not alone in this. And, in the final analysis, that is what `The Hotel New Hampshire' is all about. And that's the magic of the movies. I rate this one 7/10.

I can't believe no one ever bothered writing about this wonderful film. Though it is in many way American – most cast and the author of the book on which the book is based are American – but this is one of the least American films I know. It is so European – the director, the locale that is half the time Europe – and the very daring subject matters simply make this a real gem. It is a story of a family with the oddest characters and the most horrible disasters. And yet they persevere. `Keep Passing the Open Windows" – the motto that represents both danger of suicide and hope.

It is funny, sad, emotional and insightful. The course of events may be too quick for some, but as in life – it's so very unexpected.

I love `The World According to Garp' as well, as movie and book and these two share a lot in common. And how can anyone resist watching a film with such a wonderful cast – Rob Lowe, Jodie Foster, Paul McCrane, Beau Bridges, Wallace Shawn, Matthew Modine, Wilford Brimley, Nastassja Kinski and Amanda Plummer… And Rob Lowe and Jodie Foster never looked cuter. The story spans many years and places, and would touch on subject matters such as raising children, music, incest, homosexuality, communism, psychology, terrorism, writing, racism, hotel management and the recurring subjects with John Irving – at least in what I read – airplanes and bears (see Garp again for these too).

A film that leaves you with a feeling of hope and a wish that you also knew these wonderful people. Don't miss it.

Well, no that is probably hyperbole. I thought this movie was disjointed and difficult to grasp. Whereas Garp was a strange movie, indeed, it at least managed to capture some essence of flow. Hotel New Hampshire was choppy and more like a series of stories than one whole story. The elements that dragged the pieces together, like the Dog Who Would Not Go Away, etc, gave a comical lift to the otherwise tragic and painful story.

On an off note, the ratings for this movie listed its R rating as being caused by Language, Violence, and Nudity. It neglected to mention the rape. For those who have no desire to witness something on those lines, here's your warning should you have not read the book.

Okay, this was officially an insane film. The dysfunctional families in The Royal Tenenbaums or Little Miss Sunshine have got nothing on this lot.

Rob Lowe and Jodie Foster are a teenage brother and sister who harbor blatant incestuous desires for each other. Jodie gets gang-raped (a test run for The Accused, perhaps) and then falls for the guy who spearheaded her rape. Matthew Modine has a double role as the head rapist and the perverted leader of a radical terrorist gang who want to blow up a Viennese opera house. Nastassja Kinski pops up halfway through as an insecure lesbian in a bear suit, and gets it on with both Rob and Jodie. Amanda Plummer plays a virginal Austrian chambermaid/terrorist known only as Miss Miscarriage. Beau Bridges is the patriarch, a teacher who dreams of setting up a hotel and gets blinded by an exploding bomb. There's also a child authoress (Jennie Dundas), a weightlifting grandfather (Wilford Brimley), a real bear and a dog with "terminal flatulence".

Tony Richardson is obviously going for a type of bizarre, surreal, epic black comedy, and he has faithfully adapted John Irving's sprawling, near-unfilmable 1981 novel. Both the tone and the narrative are faithful, but it's certainly not as successful an adaptation as The World According to Garp two years earlier. The cast is game and there are some rich, funny moments along the way, but there is clearly too much going on, too many characters and wild globe-hopping vignettes, and the overdose of quirk becomes wearisome well before the end. It's an utterly chaotic mess, then, but it remains one of those morbidly fascinating films you can't tear your eyes away from, if only to see what the hell happens next.

Unlike "The World According to Garp," which was translated to the big screen brilliantly, "The Hotel New Hampshire" (which is probably my favorite John Irving novel) is a disaster. The filmmakers are much too faithful to the novel, which causes them to rush through the story in an attempt to get everything in. Consequently, not enough time is given the parts of the story which are essential, and everything of value is lost. A number of good actors are badly served by this film, which could have been so much better than it turned out to be.

Win Berry (Beau Bridges) and his wife have five kids, John (Rob Lowe), Franny (Jodie Foster), Frank, Lilly, and Egg (Seth Green). Win and his wife worked at a summer New England hotel where they met Freud (Wallace Shawn) and his bear before the war. Freud left for war leaving the bear with Win and telling the couple to get married. After the war, the hotel is abandoned and the bear gets killed by mistake. The family is a rambunctious bunch with farting dog Sorrow. The Berry kids get picked on by Chip Dove (Matthew Modine) especially since Frank is gay. Lilly has stopped growing. Win buys an abandoned school and turns it into a hotel. Frank and Franny pay waitress Ronda Ray to take away John's virginity. On Halloween, John and Franny are running to get an ambulance for a cop who had a heart-attack. Chip Dove and his friends catch them, and they gang-rape Franny. Junior Jones and the other black students come to the rescue. Frank had Sorrow stuffed. Their grandpa Iowa Bob (Wilford Brimley) dies. Freud invites the family to help run his Vienna hotel. Win had taken one of Freud's story making "Keep passing the open window" as the family motto. Of course, the tragedies keep coming. Mother and Egg are killed on the plane over. The Berrys find Freud blinded and Susie the Bear (Nastassja Kinski) working at the rundown hotel populated by hookers and revolutionaries like Miss Miscarriage and Ernst who looks exactly like Chip Dove. The family stays and renames the place Hotel New Hampshire.

This is adapted from the John Irving novel who also wrote "The World According to Garp". The two movies have very similar sensibilities. This one has more main characters. It does have a feel of being overstuffed. Every character has some strange aspects. However, this movie is filled with memorable scenes and turns. These unforgettable characters are played by some very interesting actors.

This offbeat and quirky comedy is a bit too pretentious to work. It's an interesting cast, and most try but none of the characters are likable. They are too dysfunctional and bizarre and director Tony Richardson never develops them past the superficial characters they are. It goes on way too long for a film of this type. It's very disjointed and never appeals to the viewer like it should. And even though the humor is dry, I was rarely amused. Richardson's quest to be avant-garde and original misfires and we are left with a cold film with no substance. Rob Lowe is in over his head, Jodie Foster is quite good though, and Paul McCrane and Wilford Brimley do well. The rest of the cast is unremarkable.

I must say I'm surprised by all the strongly unfavourable reviews. I saw this one back in 1984 when it was first released and I loved it for the very reasons that some people here seem to hate it. It was deliciously weird. Our heroes are in an incestuous relationship, and the movie is uncritical of this. That gets the brain working from the start. Then you discover the other bizarre characters and their relationships and the movie becomes, to me at least, extremely lovable.

Admittedly, Rob Lowe's acting isn't up to much, and that's glaringly obvious here, but it doesn't destroy the film, and there's great work, as usual, from Jodie Foster to compensate.

Basically, this is a light-hearted, feel-good film that I would expect to have mass appeal. To top it off, it achieves this effect without being overly sentimental. That's rare. If you haven't seen it, give it a whirl. If you don't like it, keep on passing open windows.

I watched this movie because I enjoyed "The World According to Garp" a great deal. But I was disappointed with it. Instead of creating a mood and focusing on the story, this movie takes its cues directly from the book, which is a mistake. Irving's books are wacky and intricate - to follow them to the letter would be ludicrous, as it is here. But I know it's possible. "Garp", at least, had a coherent story.

The makers of this film must have thought that stringing together various scenes that appear in the book would be enough to hold a movie together because Irving obviously knows what he's doing, right? Unfortunately, he does, but they don't. I read the book and the movie is pretty faithful to it, but that's the problem.

Slowly I realize what Homer Simpson meant when he said: "I wanna be John Irving!" No, seriously, that was just supposed to be a joke. The ONLY movie I know "The Hotel New Hampshire" can be compared to is "The World According to Garp" - as this one based on a novel by John Irving.

Sometimes this movie makes you think that it's a mediocre and senseless one. That it's gross and abnormal. But that is John Irving! Like in "Garp", sex plays a central role in "New Hampshire" - and it's turned upside down. In "Garp", Glenn Close *raped* a dying man. In this movie, Jodie Foster is raped, she and her brother (Rob Lowe) want to make love and know that they will eventually - and they tell each other. They also tell each other everything about their sexual relationships, they talk about whom they fancy and how they should make love with them. Sex is always present in the development of the characters, but at another level as normally, i.e. as the most normal thing of the world, basically.

The main reason why that strange movie works is that the characters are very interesting. They are grotesque, alright, but something makes them real. The point is, that the characters in this movie are allowed to dream and even to be really mad. However, there are frontiers to their freedom, it's just not the same frontiers as we know. They make the frontiers themselves. Their frontiers allow the siblings to make love - on ONE single looong afternoon. And that scene is not as disturbing as it is kind of beautiful and touching, because THESE characters CAN do this! It's the *radicals* in Vienna who bring us back to the real world - still in a grotesque way. Well, and there are sooo many important characters in this movie - that makes it!

The actors are fabulous. Jodie Foster can never be bad, Rob Lowe is believeable and Amanda Plummer is as good as always. A real stand-out is young Jennie Dundas. About twelve or how old she was then, she looks so adult in terms. She does not have to hide opposite stars of Jodie Foster's kind here, she is really great. What she does is make a quite unreal character come to life - quietly but impressive and likeable. Well, it's no normal movie and there should not be many more of its kind. But, though confusing and gross, there are so many things that you must see. The characters, the actors, the freedom to be mad. Almost as good as "Garp"; there may be worse movies that I rated 8 out of 10.

This is deceptively packaged as a caring and sharing, romantic tale of endeavour, and goodness only knows what those snuggling down on a rainy Sunday afternoon would make of it. This is not a very American style film even if we do get American football and cheerleaders at the start. This is far more noticeable for it's scenes of attempted rape, male and female gang rape, bestiality, voyeurism, lesbianism, whatever the word for older woman/younger guy, a bear riding a bicycle and a central relationship running throughout that is an incestuous one between brother and sister AND that is consummated at great length. I am not a fan of either Beau Bridges or Jodie Foster but they perform well enough, it is just regrettable that Natasha Kinski spends most of the film in a bear costume. The film loses some direction in Vienna but it is an enjoyable enough very unusual movie.

I was disappointed in this movie for many reasons. Minute details of the book were crammed into the movie, which would make the movie very hard to follow if the viewer did not read the book. A lot of Irving's books have strange sexual themes, which sometimes do not translate to the big screen, and "Hotel New Hampshire" is one of those books. While it is one of Irving's best books, and gives a lot of history for each character, the movie left the characters shallow and undeveloped. Too bad, because a wonderful acting job by Jodie Foster was wasted on a phrenetic, nonsensical movie. Rob Lowe's performance (or lack thereof) really hurts the movie, but the adaptation of Irving's novel to the big screen (unlike Cider House Rules) left much to be desired.

This is a perfect example of why good, literary novels shouldn't be made into films. I read this book (along with his other best-sellers "World According to Garp" and "Cider House Rules") back in the 80's when they were published, and I thought they were great, serious works of fiction full of colorful, off-the wall characters fleshed out in engaging prose. Unfortunately, all of this is lost in this film adaptation.

I don't know who Tony Richardson is, and if he directed any other movies, but if they are as poorly-lit, badly-recorded, ineptly edited, and haphazardly narrated as this one is, I'll pass.

Although the movie sticks pretty closely to the original, it just doesn't work on the screen. The first third of the book, dealing with the first Hotel New Hampshire, is truncated into a five minute, voiced-over series of vignettes under the opening credits. This is all of the movie you need to see, because the director uses his entire bag of tricks here.

We seem to enter in the middle of a story, one everyone (except you) seems to already be familiar with. Random characters and situations are thrown at you, with no apparent continuity, sense, or narrative flow. When the story gets dark or uncomfortable, the director resorts to cheap gimmicks like fast-action photography. It may have been funny when the Keystone Kops did it, but it is most definitely UNfunny here.

Wallace Shawn, sporting a bad wig, motorcycle jacket and towing a performing bear, shows up and just as suddenly, disappears. (We do encounter him later in the film, but now he's bald and blind, and although he's back in his native Vienna, his German accent seems to come and go mysteriously. It's also 10 or 15 years later, apparently but somehow he's the only one who is any older.) Rob Lowe looks pretty and vapid. Jodie Foster looks sexy, talks dirty, and acts tough. Beau Bridges just looks befuddled most of the time. And the actress (whoever she is ) who plays the mother has such a tiny part that she barely registers.

Incest, rape, murder, accidental death, suicide, radical German nihilists with bombs, pornography, and a lesbian in a bear suit are all in this movie, and it's all BORING.

All I can recommend is that you read the book. Everything that is confusing, depressing, and just plain weird in this movie makes great, if quirky, sense in the book.

At first, writer-director Richardson seems an odd choice here – until one sees the jokey approach in action, redolent of his much earlier TOM JONES (1963); incidentally, despite being an American film, he brought along top exponents of the "British New Wave" such as cinematographer David Watkin and production/costume designer Jocelyn Herbert. Based on a celebrated satirical novel by John Irving (author of THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP [1982] – which I guess I should get to now), it garnered mixed reactions but I found it quite engaging apart from the occasional heavy-handedness; that said, having read the source material for myself, I have to say that the film falls short of extracting its full potential. There is no real plot to speak of, but a plethora of oddball characters – not just the central family (among them Beau Bridges, Jodie Foster and Rob Lowe…not to mention their compulsively farting dog[!]) but also Wallace Shawn as a cycle-riding Dr. Freud with a bear companion, Nastassja Kinski as the latter's 'replacement' after it is killed(!) and Amanda Plummer as a gawky teen dubbed "Miss Carriage". The film touches on some potentially controversial subjects such as incest (Lowe is obsessed with Foster), homosexuality (of both sexes) and rape (Foster falls foul of Lowe's football buddies, led by a young Matthew Modine – who actually plays two roles!). The acting is uniformly good, with Foster and Kinski (despite a limited role) coming off best. Reportedly, the rock band Queen was supposed to contribute to the soundtrack - with the song 'Keep Passing The Open Windows' (a much-repeated phrase in the film) eventually finding its way onto their album "The Works" from the same year.

Given the people involved here, this is one of the most fascinating screen train wrecks I've ever seen. It's plain obvious that even if you, like myself, haven't read John Irving's novel which this is based on, a TV series must be the only way to adapt this, if anything to fit in its vast content. I have no other explanation for this anarchistically surreal, whirlwind mess of a 110 min' film: The saga of a large family of eccentrics trying to make it in the hotel business both on the American east coast and Vienna - oh, apart from all their sexual shenanigans, encounters of counterpart weirdos and inexplicable hang-ups about circus bears, of course...

From the word go, I'm told not to take anything seriously (sort of like in a Fellini-world), so I don't... which has the effect that when dramatic, supposedly emotionally engaging incidents occur (gang rape, terrorism...) - I still don't! The characters feel randomly thrown into a huge tumble-dryer, spun around, taken out, some discarded, put back, spun around, etc until nobody cares, because although SO much indeed is happening, nothing is invested in them with this sloppy irregularity - not even a laugh.

Too boot, we get poor sound effects (a farting dog? Hilarious... maybe for a 5-year-old!) & editing, fast-motion slapstick á la the old Benny Hill Show and over-acting to match, although Jodie Foster is always watchable. In most aspects, a truly terrible movie. Anyone think you're up for this challenge? You WOULD seriously be better off watching an old Benny Hill episode!

2 out of 10 from Ozjeppe.

God, I hated this movie! I registed on IMDB just so I could bash it. Man, where do I start? The characters are completely uninteresting, not a one of them did I care about, simply because none of them did anything that made any logical sense. Maybe the book went a little deeper into all of these characters' motivations, but I just saw a bunchy of people inexplicably doing stupid things. What is the deal with the damn bears?! Where the hell did that come from?! Does anyone know? Why would they make such a fuss over bears? Especially the character, Suzie the Bear? What was her deal? She said like three lines, and we are supposed to care about this character? I DIDN'T! Don't get me started on that little girl either; man, i just wanted her to shut up! The whole impression of her not growing might have meant something if the director was able to actually convey the passage of time!!! There was so much pointless melodrama stuffed down your throat, I had to go vomit it up after I finished the movie. This movie sucked! Watch at your own peril!

I just purchased this film on a Norwegian home video, and the cover bragged about the ratings it had gotten in Norwegian newspapers (5 out of 6 in the major papers). I thought this had to be a good movie, so I checked it out on this site, and was surprised to see how bad the reviews were here.

Now I've seen the film and I must say that I agree much more with the Norwegian reviewers than the users of this site (except those who gave it a good review). This movie is brilliant. Almost as good as The World According To Garp, which happens to be one of my favourite movies of all time.

The excellence of these films is that they're so focused on the main characters in the movie, that you really start to know them, and care about them. This is something you don't see in many movies. Here you follow the whole family from they're young 'till they're old, and you start understanding how they've become the way they are, and why they act the way they do.

As Garp, this movie is also very much focused on sex and love, and in the most bizarre ways possible. But so what? In the world there are many types of persons, why should a book or a movie just focus on the "normal" ones? The fact that the persons in these films are not "normal" makes them more acceptable and believable to the average viewer. "Normal" in movies normally means perfect, and very few persons are perfect... In Garp and New Hampshire the characters are not perfect, and that's what makes the films perfect...

The cast also does an excellent work with their characters, everybody is believable. And the director has done an excellent job pacing the film in a way that it doesn't move too fast, and it never bores you by going to slow.

All in all: an excellent movie that I'd recommend to anyone who hasn't yet been completely brainwashed by Hollywood's image of perfectionism. Almost as good as Garp. If you liked Garp, you'll love this one too. And vice versa. I give this film an 8 (almost 9) out of 10.

As my father used to say: if all say something is great, you still may not like it. If all are booing, we must be missing something.. When a work gets reactions so diverse as Hotel New Hampshire, it is truly not to be missed ! Indeed, this film is elusive; funny and sad and hilarious and heart-wrenching. Humour without a tear is nothing. This film, after an even better book, is fantastic. Form an opinion. See this film !!

I'll start by saying that this movie is not for everyone. It is completely and utterly bonkers. It's about a dysfunctional family, fame, growing up, incest, buggery and bears. Based on the novel by John Irving, most people would say that the film is too faithful to the book. It has an impressive cast, the acting is okay, but the dialogue is pretty poor and it does the actors no favours. Having said that, there is a innocent charm and quirkiness that I really liked. Worth attempting to see, but you might turn it off after 20 minutes.

Sixteen years ago, as a young, pregnant mother of a toddler, I rented this movie, and could not believe anyone could make a picture with so many problems, and still have a career. Last night the movie was on Showtime, and out of morbid curiosity and insomnia, I watched the entire film again, wondering if it was still the saddest attempt at entertainment I had ever seen. My daughter watched it with me, incredulously. Just like the first time, when I carried her in my belly, she kicked me and fell asleep.

Today, as a middle aged mother of four, I tried to be fair. I racked my brain to find good things in this film, as a personal challenge. The only really great moment, is when the older brother says (without revealing anything of the movie) "I am you know", and his siblings warmly and without comment say that they know. That was sweet, simple, warm and believable, revealing depth of character never again seen. Instead we get bizarre and inane scenes, sappy music, slapstick comedy, hundreds of plots thrown in a blender, and sad attempts at drama.

There are so many issues, and possible themes here, familial violence, homosexual assault, gang rape, interracial relationships, pedophilia (waitress and John, come on, both sexes can be abused and confused by it!), prostitution, bestiality, incest, violent death, family relations, terrorism, promiscuity, pornography, sexual confusion...blah blah blah. I don't want a story handed to me on a platter, with all the strings tied. I like multiple issues and confusion and ambiguity. But if your going to take me on an acid trip, at least make it interesting. Its like they put it all in a snow globe and shook it up, adding their ridiculous and inane attempts at gross humor. As for the drama, beloved family members die, and the survivors sit around looking like someone peed in their Kool-Aid. If only they had added Jodie's character humping her stuffed Sorrow, I might have laughed.

You know, it is so bad, I may have to watch it again. Could that be the director's intent? Pure genius!