The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)

Director:

Mark Waters

Writers (WGA):

Karey Kirkpatrick (screenplay) and
David Berenbaum (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

14 February 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Family | Fantasy

Tagline:

Their World Is Closer Than You Think

Plot:

Upon moving into the run-down Spiderwick Estate with their mother, twin brothers Jared and Simon Grace, along with their sister Mallory, find themselves pulled into an alternate world full of faeries and other creatures.

Plot Keywords:

Merrian | Salt | Hill Giant | Magic | Dual Role

Cast

Freddie Highmore	...	Jared Grace / Simon Grace
Sarah Bolger	...	Mallory Grace
Nick Nolte	...	Mulgarath
Mary-Louise Parker	...	Helen Grace
Joan Plowright	...	Aunt Lucinda Spiderwick
David Strathairn	...	Arthur Spiderwick
Seth Rogen	...	Hogsqueal (voice)
Jordy Benattar	...	Young Lucinda
Martin Short	...	Thimbletack (voice)
Andrew McCarthy	...	Richard Grace
Tod Fennell	...	Helen's Co-Worker
Mariah Inger	...	Nurse
Jeremy Lavalley	...	Tow Truck Driver
Lise Durocher-Viens	...	Mrs. Spiderwick
Tyler Patrick Jones	...	Additional Performer

Also Known As:

The Spiderwick Chronicles: The IMAX Experience (USA) (IMAX version)

MPAA:

Rated PG for scary creature action and violence, peril and some thematic elements.

Runtime:

107 min (unrated version) | USA:97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Sonics-DDP (IMAX version) | SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:PG | South Africa:10M | Finland:K-11 | Germany:6 | Peru:PT | Ireland:PG | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Ontario) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG | Singapore:PG | Malaysia:U | Sweden:11 | South Korea:All | Norway:11 | USA:PG (certificate #43900) | Portugal:M/12 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Philippines:G (MTRCB) | Argentina:Atp | Netherlands:6 | Canada:G (Manitoba/Quebec)

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

Kennedy/Marshall Company, The

Trivia:

Film prints were shipped to some theaters under the fake title -- "Widow".

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When it first appears that the goblins are roasting a cat, the fire is moving in reverse motion.

Quotes:

[from trailer]
Taxi Driver: [after running over an invisible monster] Did I hit someone?
Jared Grace: Yes! Thank you!

Movie Connections:

References The Addams Family (1991)

It's no bedtime story.

Spiderwick Chronicles is a dark delight of Harry Potter-type goblins, ghouls, and griffins with violence enough to make it a howler for the nine year old but a sleepless night for the seven.

Arthur Spiderwick decades ago wrote a private field guide to faeries, a much sought after tome by gremlins who hate them.

Besides the usual CGI gymnastics is the now common dad-is-gone-by-divorce-and-mom-is–frazzled motif, along with the usual nobody-believes-me-but-I-can-see-them suspense builder. The production design of the old mansion is Psycho-worthy, and the ever serviceable James Horner provides the right chilling music.

Not to be missed, however, is the shape-shifting leader of the baddies played by Nick Nolte, whose freaked out visage eclipses the shock of his infamous California mug shot.