Cider House Rules is packed with talented actors, and it is slickly filmed. Its philosophical message, however, has been regarded by some as abhorrent. Cider House Rules tackles the concept of moral relativism, covering such "gray" issues as abortion, adultery, and incest. The moral of the story comes from the mouth of the incestuous father: "These rules ain’t made for us," he says. "We're the ones who are supposed to make our own rules. And we do. Every single day."
The title refers to the rules posted in the cider house by the man who built the house, who, we are given to understand, doesn’t know anything about the real world these characters inhabit and therefore is in no position to demand obedience from them. Instead, these characters need to make their own rules day by day. The cider house is a microcosm for the world, and the absent builder might be interpreted as a stand-in for God, with the cider house rules serving as a kind of Ten Commandments. Our hero Homer begins the film with some semblance of a moral code, but as he grows and matures he learns the necessity of making his own rules, rather than living his life by the standard of an absolute moral code. As a consequence of this new outlook on life, he has an affair and ultimately performs an abortion, an act portrayed as courageous in the film.
The moral relativism of the film, epitomized in the characters’ rejection of the "cider house rules," results in an unwanted pregnancy, incest, and general misery. Critics object that the filmmakers fail to indicate that these sad affects might imply the value of having an absolute moral law. Instead, they argue, the film repeatedly suggests that it is naïve to maintain an absolute moral standard and that issues of conscience must be dealt with on a purely personal and circumstantial basis.
Whether you are offended or impressed by the film will likely depend upon how much you agree or disagree with the concept of moral relativism.