What Lies Beneath (2000)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Robert Zemeckis

Writers (WGA):

Sarah Kernochan (story) and
Clark Gregg (story) ...

Release Date:

21 July 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

He was the perfect husband until his one mistake followed them home.

Plot:

The wife of a university research scientist believes that her lakeside Vermont home is haunted by a ghost -- or that she's losing her mind.

Plot Keywords:

Ghost | Vermont | Ouija Board | Ouija | College

Awards:

4 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Harrison Ford	...	Dr. Norman Spencer
Michelle Pfeiffer	...	Claire Spencer
Diana Scarwid	...	Jody
Joe Morton	...	Dr. Drayton
James Remar	...	Warren Feur
Miranda Otto	...	Mary Feur
Amber Valletta	...	Madison Elizabeth Frank
Katharine Towne	...	Caitlin Spencer
Victoria Bidewell	...	Beatrice
Eliott Goretsky	...	Teddy
Ray Baker	...	Dr. Stan Powell
Wendy Crewson	...	Elena
Sloane Shelton	...	Mrs. Templeton
Tom Dahlgren	...	Dean Templeton
Micole Mercurio	...	Mrs. Frank

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for terror/violence, sensuality and brief language.

Runtime:

130 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Brazil:14 | Japan:R | Iceland:16 | Hungary:16 (TV rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | Colombia:18 | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-14 | France:-12 | Germany:16 (w) | Hong Kong:IIB | Hungary:18 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:M | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | Mexico:B | Philippines:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Burlington, Vermont, USA

Company:

DreamWorks SKG

Trivia:

Claire and Norman's sailboat is called "Good Genes".

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: The picture that keeps breaking is a newspaper clipping of the same celebration that Madison attended. While the clipping reports the search to be "intensifying" and Madison didn't go missing for three days, the report could have been from a weekly newspaper.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Claire Spencer: Good morning, Beauty. Let's go or we'll never leave on time.
Caitlin Spencer: I'm totally ready.
Claire Spencer: Come on. I'll make you some waffles.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Chacun son cinéma ou Ce petit coup au coeur quand la lumière s'éteint et que le film commence (2007)

Soundtrack:

The Four Seasons: Autumn

Suspense is what lies beneath

This is the most suspenseful thriller I have seen in the past year. As a refreshing change to more formulaic chillers, WLB takes its time to build the suspense. It is allowed to do this by virtue of Harrison Ford, and, especially, Michelle Pfeiffer, who, I feel, deserved an Oscar nomination for her convincing portrayal of a happy, but suddenly lonely, wife. It is just about as Hitchcockian as you can get, and I rate the bath sequence as gripping (pardon the pun) as taking a shower at the Bates Motel. The plot is thin and the action is played out sedately. Yet it seems perfectly timed in setting the mood of the whole piece. I particularly liked the music,and the supporting actress Diana Scarwid, whose lighthearted attitude during the seance scene made it all the more chilling. A perfect example of good film-making with only a slight plot. I am sure this movie will mature with age until it is rightfully regarded as a modern classic. Count the number of times you jump!