The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1999) (TV)

Director:

Pierre Gang

Writers:

Washington Irving (story)
Joe Wiesenfeld (written by)

Release Date:

23 October 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Horror | Mystery | Drama | Fantasy

Tagline:

The headless horseman rides again.

Plot:

Ichabod Crane, a Yankee wanderer, arrives in Sleepy Hollow and becomes the new schoolmaster. He meets Katrina Van Tassel...

Plot Keywords:

Headless Horseman | Ghost | 18th Century | Romantic Rivalry | Based On Short Story

Awards:

4 nominations

Cast

Brent Carver	...	Ichabod Crane
Rachelle Lefevre	...	Katrina Van Tassle
Vlasta Vrana	...	Mr. Van Tassle
Kathleen Fee	...	Mrs. Van Tassle
Paul Lemelin	...	Brom Bones
Michel Perron	...	Mr. Van Ripper
Dawn Ford	...	Mrs. Van Ripper
Lisa Bronwyn Moore	...	Mrs. Van Ecke
Richard Jutras	...	Mr. Van Ecke
Samuel Holden	...	Ernest Van Ecke
Michael Rudder	...	Pastor Van Der Veen
Danette Mackay	...	Mrs. Van Der Veen (as Danette MacKay)
Brendan McClarty	...	Brom Crony
Martin Kevan	...	Aaron
Paul Hopkins	...	Knickerbocker
John Dunn-Hill	...	Old Man, Tavern
Terrence Labrosse	...	Old Man, Tavern (as Terence La Brosse Ross)
Victor Knight	...	Old Man, Tavern
Norris Domingue	...	Old Man, Tavern
Elan Zafir	...	Linnart
Renee Madeline Le Guerrier	...	Innkeeper's Wife (as Renée-M. Le Guerrier)

Directed by
Pierre Gang

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Washington Irving		story
Joe Wiesenfeld		written by

Produced by
Steven Hewitt	....	executive producer
Michael Prupas	....	executive producer
Danièle Rohrbach	....	producer

Original Music by
Denis Larochelle

Cinematography by
Serge Ladouceur		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Debra Karen

Casting by
Lucie Robitaille

Production Design by
Normand Sarazin		(as Normand Sarrazin)

Set Decoration by
Kenneth Gagné

Costume Design by
Nicoletta Massone

Makeup Department
Réjean Forget	....	hair stylist
Ginette Lajeunesse	....	hairdresser
Félix Larivière	....	extras hairdresser
Joan Patricia Parris	....	makeup artist (as Joan-Patricia Parris)
Cécile Rigault	....	key makeup artist
Delphine Rigault-Noël	....	makeup artist: extras
Daniel Jacob	....	assistant makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Karl Archambault	....	unit manager
Ghislain Pensa	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Geneviéve Duguay	....	third assistant director (as Geneviève Duguay)
Sean Dwyer	....	first assistant director
Tanya van Blokland	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Francis Back	....	storyboard artist
Robert Bourdeau	....	scenic painter
Denis Caspar	....	graphic artist
Jean-Manuel Costella	....	sketch artist
Jean-Marie Francoeur	....	key set decorator
Michèle Gagnon	....	assistant props buyer
Patrice Gagné	....	props buyer
Louis Gascon	....	set props master
Oscar Lopez	....	scenic technician
Jean-Phillipe Marsan	....	scenic technician
Françoise Pauquet	....	art department coordinator
Régis Pelletier	....	scenic painter
Marianne Vézina-Méthé	....	assistant set props
Jean-Andre Carriere	....	set designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Pascal Beaudin	....	boom operator
Michel B. Bordeleau	....	sound
Diane Boucher	....	adr supervisor
Jo Caron	....	sound recording engineer
Michel Charron	....	sound
Michel Descombes	....	sound
Jérôme Décarie	....	foley artist
Gavin Fernandes	....	sound
Guy Francoeur	....	foley assistant
Marc Gagnon	....	sound effects editor
Daniel Lagacé	....	assistant sound
Sylvie Masse	....	sound effects editor
Mireille Morin	....	dialogue editor
Sylvain Richard	....	sound assistant
Bruno Ruffolo	....	sound re-recording engineer
Michel B. Bordeleau	....	supervising sound editor (uncredited)
Michel Descombes	....	sound mixer: Covitec (uncredited)
Gavin Fernandes	....	sound mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Yvon Charbonneau	....	special effects technician
Pierre Côté	....	special effects technician
Pierre 'Bill' Rivard	....	special effects coordinator (as Pierre 'Bill' Rivard)
Philippe Roberge	....	special effects technician
Sebastien Roussel	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Yves Béland	....	visual effects
Frederic St-Arnaud	....	visual effects (as Frédéric St-Arnaud)

Stunts
Joel Belley	....	stunts
Ben Gauthier	....	stunts (as Benoit Gauthier)
François Gauthier	....	stunts (as Frank Gauthier)
Minor Mustain	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Brian Baker	....	gaffer
Sebastien Cassou	....	clapper loader (as Sébastien Cassou)
Stephan Charron	....	best boy (as Stéphan Charron)
Ron Diamond	....	set photographer (as Ron S. Diamond)
Gilles Filion	....	Steadicam operator
Daniel Guy	....	focus puller
Normand Hamilton	....	generator operator (as Normen Hamilton)
John Harris	....	electrician (as John John Harris)
Edith Labbe	....	focus puller (as Edith Labbé)
Jan Mark Lapointe	....	key grip (as Jan-Mark Lapointe)
Denis-Noel Mostert	....	Steadicam operator
Richard Paré	....	electrician
William Ross	....	best boy (as William Ted Ross)
Maurice Roy	....	camera operator
Daniel Thivierge	....	grip
Danielle Turgeon	....	clapper loader
Christian Vezina	....	grip (as Christian Vézina)
Pierre Beaulieu	....	electrician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Catherina Chamberland	....	assistant costume designer (as Caterina Chamberland)
Julie Chenard	....	assistant wardrobe (as Julie Chénard)
Catou Gelinas	....	key dresser (as Catou Gélinas)
Marie-Maude Grenier	....	dresser
Hélène Lussier	....	assistant wardrobe
Alice Mayeux	....	dresser: extras
Marie-Hélène Ménard	....	assistant wardrobe
Catherine Gélinas	....	key dresser (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Isabelle Bismuth	....	post-production coordinator
Jean-Sébastien Durocher	....	on-line editor
Paul Gagnon	....	post-production consultant
Michaël Karen	....	off-line assistant editor (as Michael Karen)
Marc Lussier	....	colorist
Martin Ross	....	on-line editor

Music Department
Marc Larochelle	....	additional music orchestrator
Luc Papineau	....	music mixer

Transportation Department
Christian Biron	....	driver
René Brisson	....	driver
Patrice Bujold	....	driver
Marc Bélanger	....	driver
Bertrand Calmeau	....	driver
Nicola Corbo	....	office driver
Jean-Yves Dolbec	....	transportation coordinator
Massimo Gallizzi	....	driver
Jean Simard	....	driver
Jose Uria	....	driver captain (as José Uria)

Other crew
Helene Birade	....	production coordinator (as Hélène Birade)
Jesabelle Boileau	....	assistant craft service (as Jézabel Boileau)
Sylvie Boily	....	production coordinator
Diane Boisvert	....	location coordinator
Pascale Brault	....	production assistant
Daniel Charbonneau	....	production assistant
Christiane Charpentier	....	craft service
Danielle Delbecque	....	security
Stéphane Doyon	....	production assistant
Éric Fauteux	....	security
Irénée Gagné	....	security
Marie-Lynne Gleeson	....	receptionist
Patrick Lacerte	....	security
Sylvie Laurin	....	production accountant
Sophie Longpre	....	animal wrangler (as Sophie Longpré)
Brigitte Lévesque	....	location manager
Jim Lévesque	....	set production assistant
Claudette Messier	....	script supervisor
Betty Palik	....	unit publicist
Marjolaine Perron	....	assistant accountant
Manon Quenneville	....	set runner
Danny Raie	....	paramedic
Danette Smith	....	assistant accountant
Denis Veillette	....	assistant animal wrangler

Thanks
Geraldine McDonald	....	special thanks
John McDonald	....	special thanks
Kevin Tierney	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit (CPTC) (produced with the participation of) (as The Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit)
• Hallmark Entertainment (presents)
• Muse Entertainment Enterprises (as a MUSE Entertainment Production)
• Quebec Film and Television Tax Credit (produced with the participation of) (as Québec Film and Television Tax Credit)

Distributors

• Alpha Filmes (Brazil) (video)
• Future Film (2006) (Finland) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Intrigue (special effects)

Other Companies

• Entertainment Partners Canada  payroll services (as Bulloch Entertainment Services)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

Brazil:105 min | Germany:94 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Finland:K-7 | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit (CPTC)

Quotes:

Brom Bones:[about Katrina] I love her more than life itself. I don't believe he loves her. Not like I do.

Movie Connections:

Featured in A Trip to Sleepy Hollow (2009)

Interesting adaptation of Washington Irving's tale, but one with some significant casting, acting, and script problems

1999 was the year the loose adaptation of Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", entitled "Sleepy Hollow" and directed by Tim Burton, came to the silver screen, which resulted in a successful theatrical run. What many people who have seen that movie may not realize is that a made-for-TV version of the story was released the same year. I saw some of this film in October 1999 (I guess when it first aired), but I think I only saw the first little bit of it. After watching the Tim Burton version a couple months ago, I couldn't remember enough of the audio book I heard a number of times in my childhood, and decided to actually read Irving's famous short story in book form. After doing that, I watched this version, with mixed results.

In the late 18th century, after the American Revolutionary War, Ichabod Crane is a man from Connecticut who comes to a quiet little town called Sleepy Hollow and soon becomes this town's new schoolmaster. He fears there is evil around him when he is outside at night, a lot different from during the day. He falls in love with Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter and only offspring of a wealthy farmer. However, in order to win Katrina's heart, he will have to compete with an oafish young man named Brom Bones. The schoolmaster also hears stories from inhabitants of Sleepy Hollow while staying in this town, including one about the Headless Horseman, the ghost of a Hessian from the American Revolutionary War who was killed in battle when his head was removed, and is now believed to appear at night and endanger those travelling out in the dark!

The starring role of Ichabod Crane is assumed here by an actor named Brent Carver. I haven't seen him in too many roles, but understand that he has done a number of Broadway performances during his acting career. This is not surprising looking at his performance here, with his overacting. This may work on Broadway, but not in a film like this. It's sometimes ridiculous how high his voice gets, and he just seems too excited. If Carver's portrayal of the character is supposed to be funny, it's not. There are other unsatisfactory performances in this adaptation, including Rachelle Lefevre as Katrina Van Tassel and especially Paul Lemelin as Brom Bones. This version of Bones is certainly not how I imagined the character while reading Irving's story. I did NOT imagine a stereotypical arrogant teenager, which is what Lemelin's version seems like! Not only does this made-for-TV film have severe acting and casting flaws, it also has some script problems, with some ridiculous scenes showing Ichabod's imagination, and the script can't quite carry the film consistently throughout.

I haven't seen every film adaptation of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", but since this and the Tim Burton version were released the same year, and I have now seen them both, it's obviously hard not to compare them. Without a doubt, this television adaptation is a much more faithful one than the successful theatrical 1999 version, and some viewers praise it for that. However, I know many hardcore fans of the original story by Washington Irving who have seen this version would disagree, but I think Burton's film is far superior, and comparing the two really shows that following the source material isn't everything. Despite this TV version's major flaws, it somehow kept me watching, without wanting to turn it off before the end. This was probably because I at least found mild suspense, plus this version has some nice cinematography and I guess I found the story fairly intriguing for the most part. Still, they could have done better with this made-for-TV movie in more than one way.