The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)

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.

Director:

Mark Waters

Writers:

Karey Kirkpatrick (screenplay), David Berenbaum (screenplay),

Stars:

Freddie Highmore, Mary-Louise Parker, Sarah Bolger

1 win & 7 nominations.

Cast

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

Storyline

Once upon a time, 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. Unable to explain the strange disappearances and accidents that seem to be happening on a daily basis, the family blames it all on Jared. When he, Simon and Mallory investigate what's really going on, they uncover the fantastic truth of the Spiderwick estate and of the creatures that inhabit it.

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Plot Keywords:

closing credits sequence | actor playing multiple roles | magic | elf | troll | 

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Taglines:

Their World Is Closer Than You Think

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Genres:

Adventure | Family | Fantasy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [br] Official site [es]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 February 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Spiderwick Chronicles: The IMAX Experience

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$90,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£2,555,791 (UK) (21 March 2008)

Gross:

£10,530,519 (UK) (23 May 2008)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies, Kennedy/Marshall Company, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min 107 min (unrated)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS DTS Sonics-DDP (IMAX version)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The facial features of the brownie Thimbletack bear an uncanny resemblance to those of the great Laurence Olivier. This is most apparent in the scene where Aunt Lucinda (Joan Plowright, Olivier's widow) calls him "my little guardian angel".

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Goofs

When Mallory and Jared are fighting at the beginning, Jared can be clearly seen to mouth Mallory's words.

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Quotes

Hogsqueal: Do birds live in these little houses?
Jared Grace: Yeah.
Hogsqueal: Oh my gosh, that's genius! Who thought of that? You can stick your tongue right in it!
[begins slobbering over a birdhouse]

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Crazy Credits

In Loving Memory of Scott Rathner

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Connections

Featured in Troldspejlet: Episode #39.10 (2008)

User Reviews

Their World Is Closer Than You Think

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.

I've made up a theory: People who have read books that are turned into movies will be more harsh to judge the films unlike people who see movies without reading the book. I think this theory is right. I was disappointed by Harry Potter 5 at first, but watching it now for a year later and nearly forgetting about the book, I found it the best in the series.

The same might as well go with this film. I was disappointed. If you don't know, this film is based on 5 books. However, the movie ignores the 4th book, which is probably because of budget issues and/or limited running time. Still, I can't help but complain. There could've been more creative production designs to see, more action, and more magical creatures.

Apart from that, I felt that the film was well put together, especially the fact that they skipped a lot in the books. The special effects are very good, as well as the action scenes. I also may feel this film pushed the PG rating. It certainly is not as intense as Harry Potter 3 but there might be about 2 to 3 scenes that could make this film a PG-13 rating.

The performances here are decent, although not captivating. The film may be a bit fast paced, if you asked me. Overall, this is a decent adaption to another fantasy book. If you have read the books, you might be disappointed. If you have not, enjoy it.