Spider (2002)

A mentally-disturbed man takes residence in a halfway house. His mind gradually slips back into the realm created by his illness, where he replays a key part of his childhood.

Director:

David Cronenberg

Writers:

Patrick McGrath (novel), Patrick McGrath

Stars:

Ralph Fiennes, Miranda Richardson, Gabriel Byrne

12 wins & 22 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ralph Fiennes	...	Spider
Miranda Richardson	...	Yvonne / Mrs. Cleg
Gabriel Byrne	...	Bill Cleg
Lynn Redgrave	...	Mrs. Wilkinson
John Neville	...	Terrence
Bradley Hall	...	Spider Boy
Gary Reineke	...	Freddy
Philip Craig	...	John
Cliff Saunders	...	Bob
Tara Ellis	...	Nora
Sara Stockbridge	...	Gladys
Arthur Whybrow	...	Ernie
Nicola Duffett	...	Barmaid
Jake Nightingale	...	Large Man
Alison Egan	...	Flashing Yvonne

Storyline

Dennis Clegg is in his thirties and lives in a halfway house for the mentally ill in London. Dennis, nicknamed "Spider" by his mother has been institutionalized with acute schizophrenia for some 20 years. He has never truly recovered, however, and as the story progresses we vicariously experience his increasingly fragile grip on reality.

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Plot Keywords:

halfway house | reality | schizophrenia | key | spider | 

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Taglines:

Watashi no haha wa korosareta [Japan]

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexuality, brief violence and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Canada UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 December 2002 (Canada)

Also Known As:

Pajak

Filming Locations:

Cinespace Film Studios, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$189,350 (USA) (28 February 2003)

Gross:

$1,641,788 (USA) (25 July 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Odeon Films, Capitol Films, Artists Independent Network

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min 94 min (DVD edition)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Chosen by "Les Cahiers du cinéma" (France) as one of the 10 best pictures of 2002 (#08, with "Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi")

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Goofs

Camera is reflected in broken window of asylum.

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Quotes

Terrence: Clothes maketh the man; and the less there is of the man, the more the need of the clothes.

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Connections

References Images (1972)

User Reviews

A quiet atmospheric character study of a disturbed man watching his childhood play out again before his eyes.

We watch Spider (Ralph Fiennes) at the present time, trying to live at a boarding house which takes pity on people who should legally be in mental institutions, and, in parallel action, watch him reliving his childhood, doomed to stand watching those events play out again and again, an observer as impotent as he felt when they originally happened.

This film is a mystery into the character and history of Ralph Fiennes' character. Its a little film, dealing with the mind of one troubled little man, and a patient film. Its also a very mature film from Cronenberg, where he has done away with the shock tactics of the past, and the results are delightful. But if you don't like patient films (and you might see it as a slow film - don't expect big action, expect to watch a fascinating character - and maybe discover why he's so troubled), watch any of Cronenberg's previous efforts instead.

Its not a very big or important film - not one of the most essential films of 2002, but if you've seen those more important choices, and are looking for something different, Spider may just be an interesting, atmospheric experience for you.

8/10. Maybe I was just in the perfect mood for it, but i loved Spider. I thought it was a beautiful and atmospheric character study. Spider is a real unique character, brought to life vividly by Ralph Fiennes.