September 19, 2006:

The film is about male abuse of women. It is not in favor of male abuse of women.

Think of Reverend Hood and his wife. "A book well worth reading," he says to her acidly, mirroring David's intellectual contempt for Amy.

It's interesting that the only male character who's depicted showing respect to women is the town child molester. The killing of Janice Hedden is a consequence of his ineffectuality, not malice.