Paperhouse (1988)

Director:

Bernard Rose

Writers:

Catherine Storr (novel)
Matthew Jacobs (screenplay)

Release Date:

17 February 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

A drawing that became a dream. A dream that became reality.

Plot:

Anna is becoming lost in the loneliness of her own world when she discovers she can visit another, a...

Plot Keywords:

Dream | Fantasy World | Nightmare | House | Father

Awards:

3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Charlotte Burke	...	Anna Madden
Jane Bertish	...	Miss Vanstone
Samantha Cahill	...	Sharon
Glenne Headly	...	Kate Madden
Sarah Newbold	...	Karen (Anna's school friend)
Gary Bleasdale	...	Policeman
Elliott Spiers	...	Marc
Gemma Jones	...	Dr. Sarah Nicols
Steven O'Donnell	...	Dustman
Ben Cross	...	Dad Madden
Karen Gledhill	...	Nurse
Barbara Keogh	...	Hotel receptionist

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

West Germany:12 | Iceland:16 | Australia:M | UK:15 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Devon, England, UK

Company:

Working Title Films

Trivia:

Despite playing the lead character in this film, Charlotte Burke never appeared in any film ever again.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: When Anna is lying in bed, the boom mic visible in top center of screen.

Quotes:

Dad Madden: Anna... you're going to be all right. Just stay where you are. Daddy's here.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Animaniacs: Video Review/When Mice Ruled the Earth (#1.47)" (????)

Fantastic

I was absolutely stunned while watching this fantasy/horror film. The original plot has Anna (an eleven year old girl with glandular fever) sketching the crude drawing of a house during the opening scene. As her fever worsens, she repetedly dreams of the same house on an open field. In her dreams, the house is brilliantly lit up and really looks like a child's drawing, which I found a rather frightening image. Anna dreams of adventures in the house with a boy named Marc, and these adventures turn more sinister as her illness becomes more serious. There seems to be a link between her illness and the evil she must face in the house, but like many things in the movie, this is only hinted at.

In many ways I found this movie better than the book, Marianne Dreams by Catherine Storr. Although the book does contain some subtle horror, it is basically for children. However, the movie offers some real scares as well as an underlying atmosphere of suppressed horror. There is something unnerving in the scenes when Anna is exploring the empty house that is difficult to put your finger on.

Perhaps the reason this amazing film wasn't a huge commercial success was because it's difficult to determine it's intended audience. While the character of Anna might appeal to pre-teens, some scenes (in particular the one when the father tries to break into the house with a hammer) are far to intense for young children. Most adults may be put off by the plot, but if they're at all interested in child or dream psycology, or just want to see something different, I'd throughly reccomend it.