Stir of Echoes (1999)

After being hypnotized by his sister in law, a man begins seeing haunting visions of a girl's ghost and a mystery begins to unfold around her.

Director:

David Koepp

Writers:

Richard Matheson (novel), David Koepp (screenplay)

Stars:

Zachary David Cope, Kevin Bacon, Kathryn Erbe

3 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Zachary David Cope	...	Jake Witzky
Kevin Bacon	...	Tom Witzky
Kathryn Erbe	...	Maggie Witzky
Illeana Douglas	...	Lisa Weil
Kevin Dunn	...	Frank McCarthy
Conor O'Farrell	...	Harry Damon
Lusia Strus	...	Sheila McCarthy
Stephen Eugene Walker	...	Bobby
Mary Kay Cook	...	Vanessa Damon
Larry Neumann Jr.	...	Lenny
Jennifer Morrison	...	Samantha Kozac (as Jenny Morrison)
Richard Cotovsky	...	Neighborhood Man
Steve Rifkin	...	Kurt Damon
Chalon Williams	...	Adam McCarthy
Liza Weil	...	Debbie Kozac, the Babysitter

Storyline

Tom's a regular guy, a utilities lineman, married, with a young son, his wife is pregnant; he hangs out with long-time pals in a Chicago neighborhood. At a party, his sister-in-law hypnotizes him, and he goes into a deep trance. Before waking him, she suggests that he keep his mind open. That night he sees flashes of violence and the ghost of a young woman. His young son, too, is "a receiver," but while the boy is calm and coherent in his conversations with spirits, Tom is confused and agitated. Over time, the young woman's story comes to the surface, and Tom begins a hunt for her body that puts him and his usually understanding wife, Maggie, in grave danger.

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Plot Keywords:

ghost | party | neighborhood | disappearance | hypnosis | 

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Taglines:

Some doors weren't meant to be opened.

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Genres:

Thriller | Horror | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, sexuality and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 September 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ecos mortales

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£221,500 (UK) (26 May 2000)

Gross:

£818,213 (UK) (16 June 2000)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Artisan Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

During the scene in the Witzky's backyard where Tom is digging, the actor Kevin Bacon was in a lot of pain as he had pulled a muscle in his neck. Several "prop" lightweight picks were tested for the scene to try and ease his suffering but in the end it was opted to use the real (and heavier) pick as the swings and impacts didn't look real enough on screen.

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Goofs

In the beginning of the movie, Tom is getting his little boy out of the bathtub. He sticks the towel down into the water to grab the boy, but when he brings the boy out and is drying him off, the towel is mysteriously dry.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Jake Witzky: [to someone] Okay. Guess who came over to play...
[singing]
Jake Witzky: Superheros. I was Black Power Ranger. He was Batman.
Tom Witzky: Jake, you okay in there buddy?
Jake Witzky: I'm okay.
[to whoever else]
Jake Witzky: Can I ask you a question?
Tom Witzky: Okay, time to hit the sack.
[coming into the bathroom]
[...]

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Connections

References The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)

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Soundtracks

"Rio de Generic"
Performed by The Mighty Tartans
Written by Danny Pelfrey and Mark Stephen Ross
Published by Amusicam Publishing (EMI) and Tonalvision Music (ASCAP)
Courtesy of Amusicom Records

User Reviews

Had the bad luck it was released right after "The Sixth Sense".

Before 1999 this type of supernatural thrillers/horror didn't really existed. This all changed after the release of "The Sixth Sense". It was an huge hit and the movie was the talk of the year. It launched a totally new genre of movies. Every movie of the same 'type' released after "The Sixth Sense" was considered by everyone lame, unoriginal and a rip-off and a movie to quickly cash in after the success of "The Sixth Sense". "Stir of Echoes" was released only a month after "The Sixth Sense" and people wanted to know nothing of it. Completely unfair, also since I thought that the script was even being written before "The Sixth Sense" was and I also thought that filming completed earlier but yet it was released later in cinemas. Who knows what would have happened to this movie if it was released before "The Sixth Sense...It surely would had been appreciate more than it was now.

I'm glad that the movie by now is finally starting to receive the credit it deserves.

You also have to remember that in 1999 these type of movies were still fresh and new, so everything about it was original. However by todays standards the movie perhaps doesn't really seem that original anymore, since dozens like this sort of movie are being made every year now.

The story is greatly written by David Koepp, who really is one of the best writers in the business. Everything is build up perfectly slowly and mysteriously. You never know what is going to happen next and the movie offers more than enough surprise. In the beginning you really don't know what the movie is going to be about or were its trying to head to. You don't know if its real what is happening or is it just the main character imagining things. It provides the movie with mystery and an uneasy atmosphere.

The movie above all is a supernatural thriller (that also definitely has some similarities by the way with "The Sixth Sense", which also might be a reason why it was received so coolly) but the movie also features some real horror elements. And remember again, this was all quite new and refreshing for 1999 standards. I was actually quite blown away by the movie when I first saw it, which must have been in 2000 or something.

Kevin Bacon is really know for being the biggest Hollywood lead and he normally plays supporting roles, especially before this movie. This movie is perhaps the first one that truly allows Bacon to shine and show his skill as an actor and proof to the world that he can really carry a movie. It was nice and refreshing to see Kathryn Erbe in something different than "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" for a change. She plays such a different character. It shows how good as an actress she actually is.

The movie is well directed by David Koepp himself and he knows how to bring his own story to the screen. The movie further more features some nice special effects, that are used only in the right places. The movie is still definitely much better and more refreshing than most genre movies being released today.

Deserves to become a real genre-classic!

9/10

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