The Haunting (1999)

When Eleanor, Theo, and Luke decide to take part in a sleep study at a huge mansion they get more than they bargained for when Dr. Marrow tells them of the house's ghostly past.

Director:

Jan de Bont

Writers:

David Self (screenplay), Shirley Jackson (novel)

Stars:

Liam Neeson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Owen Wilson

2 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Liam Neeson	...	Dr. David Marrow
Catherine Zeta-Jones	...	Theo
Owen Wilson	...	Luke Sanderson
Lili Taylor	...	Nell
Bruce Dern	...	Mr. Dudley
Marian Seldes	...	Mrs. Dudley
Alix Koromzay	...	Mary Lambetta
Todd Field	...	Todd Hackett
Virginia Madsen	...	Jane
Michael Cavanaugh	...	Dr. Malcolm Keogh
Tom Irwin	...	Lou
Charles Gunning	...	Hugh Crain
Saul Priever	...	Ritchie
M.C. Gainey	...	Large Man
Hadley Eure	...	Carolyn Crain

Storyline

A remake of the classic 1963 movie "The Haunting" about a team of paranormal experts who look into strange occurrences in an ill-fated house. Through the course of the night some will unravel, some will question, and all will fight for their lives as the house fights back.

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Plot Keywords:

fear | mansion | experiment | haunting | insomnia | 

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Taglines:

Ghosts with the most.

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Genres:

Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for intense horror sequences

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 July 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Legend of Hill House

Filming Locations:

Belvoir Castle, Belvoir, Leicestershire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$80,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£1,562,169 (UK) (24 September 1999)

Gross:

£5,625,789 (UK) (29 October 1999)

Company Credits

Production Co:

DreamWorks SKG, Roth-Arnold Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX SDDS DTS-ES

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the time of its release, it was widely rumored that Steven Spielberg either directed some scenes or participated in post production because he didn't like the rough cut he saw. This was, however, never confirmed.

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Goofs

The curtains of Nell's room clearly aren't long enough to be over the bed as shown at the first night.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Jane: You already owe two months worth of rent.
Eleanor "Nell" Vance: It's mine, and you're not taking it away.
Jane: Read the will, Nell. It states in plain language, the executor shall have the right to dispose of any and all personal property, as he shall see fit.
Eleanor "Nell" Vance: He's not even real family.
Jane: Yeah, maybe not, but clearly mother thought Lou would be better off dealing with these unpleasent details than you.
Eleanor "Nell" Vance: [angrily] Unpleasent details? What have I been dealing with for the past eleven years? I've cooked, I've ...

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Crazy Credits

Hill House briefly appears in the blackness of the screen just before the title appears.

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Connections

References Teletubbies (1997)

User Reviews

Subtle chills....what's that???

Well, my goodness, am I disappointed. When I first heard news of a remake of Robert Wise's 1963 film, "The Haunting", I had a fear that it would be ruined by an abundance of summer-movie sized visual effects. But, deep down, I had faith. Surely, with such a talented cast intact...De Bont and company will not ruin a film, who's original was a fantastic and frightening movie that understood the delicate art of subtlety. Well, subtlety, where are you now!!?? My fears have manifested...a promising movie has gone wrong. Yes, Eugenio Zannetti's production design is jaw-dropping; the movie is wonderfully photographed; and composer Jerry Goldsmith can never EVER do wrong. But, the script puts it's fine actors to the test..asking them to deliver the kind of stilted dialogue that is only spoken in movies. In the end, the always wonderful Lili Taylor is the only performer to escape with some dignity...and that's just barely. But, the crime of all crimes is that the horror is shown to us. We can no longer use our imaginations, feel that horrible dread of fear of the unknown. No, we get some visual effects to SHOW US what we're supposed to be afraid of...and you know what? As wonderfully realized as they are...the visual effects come off as sort of silly. And the climax is a phantasmogoric mess...but things had gone terribly wrong long before that.

Everything in The Haunting is overdone and overblown. I'm afraid there are no real thrills or creaks in this old haunted house monstrosity...only groans. Check out the original instead.