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 [Brazil] Official site [Spain]

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

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

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Goofs

While fighting the goblins in their house, Helen (Jarred, Mallory, and Simon's mother) does not have the sight. Half way through the fighting, the seeing stone disappears from her face, yet she can still see all of the creatures and continue fighting.

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Quotes

Simon Grace: [refusing to help Mallory attack Jared] I'm a pacifist.

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Crazy Credits

In Loving Memory of Scott Rathner

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Connections

Spin-off The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)

User Reviews

Special-Effects Make It Fun

This is another of those fantasy films that serves its purpose in that it entertains, no matter what the age. It's not among the elite in its genre, but it is a story that hooks you in by the 20-minute mark and you just go along for the ride, mainly to see how things will turn out.

There is good suspense in here, enough to make adults care about what happens, not just kids. There also are some scary scenes that are probably too much for small kids, but fine for teens on up. In all, you get a good mix of horror, comedy, fantasy and drama all rolled into one odd (fantasy) story.

Child acting star Freddie Highmore, who seems to get cast in a lot of these fantasies (Charlie And The Chocolate Family," "August Rush," "Arthur And The Invisibles," and "The Golden Compass") has a dual role in here, playing brothers "Jared"and "Simon Grace." Freddie is a fine actor, so no problem in that department. I hate to hear child actors, using God's name as exclamations, though, but that's not Highmore's doing. The only other annoyance is the frequent shouting with an older sister. However, once the adventure kicks into high gear, the arguing stops as the kids try to solve their major dilemma as a unit.

Nick Nolte plays the big villain, "Mulgarath." but his role is surprisingly small. It's all those ugly, nasty little creatures who surround the house, who are the "bad guys." There are a number of somewhat scary scenes involving them, enough to entertain the post-pre-adolescent crowd.

The star of the film isn't Freddie or the actors, or the story.....it's the special-effects, which are very good and a lot of fun to watch, from little beings to monsters to fairies to whatever. I saw this on Blu-Ray and it really looks good. All of it is very colorful and entertaining to view, making this a film fun for both kids and adults.