Nick Rolfe

Based on the novel by Russell Banks, AFFLICTION is a sobering, absorbing psychological study of the precarious relationship between an abusive father and his two sons. Wade Whitehouse (Nick Nolte) is a middle-aged ineffectual sheriff in a small New Hampshire town, where he and his brother, Rolfe (Willem Dafoe), were raised. When events shatter the quiet of his small town, Wade is forced to confront the past and reexamine his life, attempting a reconciliation with his abusive, alcoholic dad, Glen (James Coburn), by moving back home to look after him. This quietly intense, haunting, and beautifully filmed story unfolds against the harsh snow-white backdrop of a town where everyone knows each other.

Wade (Nick Nolte) is drawn into recalling a childhood moment when his drunk and abusive father Glen (James Coburn) forced him and his brother Rolfe (Willem Dafoe) to break up a frozen pile of wood.

Wade (Nick Nolte) speaks with his brother Rolfe (Willem Dafoe) over the phone. Wade has a conspiracy theory involving a hunting accident.