The Haunting in Connecticut (2009)

After a family is forced to relocate for their son's health, they begin experiencing supernatural behavior in their new home, which turns out to be a former mortuary.

Director:

Peter Cornwell

Writers:

Adam Simon, Tim Metcalfe

Stars:

Virginia Madsen, Kyle Gallner, Elias Koteas

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Virginia Madsen	...	Sara Campbell
Kyle Gallner	...	Matt Campbell
Elias Koteas	...	Reverend Popescu
Amanda Crew	...	Wendy
Martin Donovan	...	Peter Campbell
Sophi Knight	...	Mary
Ty Wood	...	Billy Campbell
Erik J. Berg	...	Jonah (as Erik Berg)
John Bluethner	...	Ramsey Aickman
D.W. Brown	...	Dr. Brooks
John B. Lowe	...	Mr. Sinclair
Adriana O'Neil	...	Chemo Nurse
Will Woytowich	...	Cop
James Durham	...	Matt's Cell Mate
Darren Ross	...	Paramedic #1

Storyline

Charts one family's encounter with the dark forces of the supernatural. When the Campbell family moves to upstate Connecticut, they soon learn that their charming Victorian home has a disturbing history: not only was the house a transformed funeral parlor where inconceivable acts occurred, but the owner's clairvoyant son Jonah served as a demonic messenger, providing a gateway for spiritual entities to crossover. Now terror awaits when Jonah, the boy who communicated with the dead, returns to unleash horror on the innocent and unsuspecting family.

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Plot Keywords:

cancer | mortuary | reverend | funeral parlor | vomit | 

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Taglines:

What if the only explanation for what you saw was unbelievable?

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of terror and disturbing images

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 March 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Extrañas apariciones

Filming Locations:

Teulon, Manitoba, Canada

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

£1,127,679 (UK) (27 March 2009)

Gross:

$55,325,526 (USA) (8 May 2009)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lionsgate, Gold Circle Films, Integrated Films & Management

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min 102 min (extended cut)

Sound Mix:

SDDS DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the original story, the one trapped in the bathroom curtain is Sara and not Wendy.

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Goofs

The movie takes place in 1987 and features Ward 13.

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Quotes

[Matt and Wendy sitting at the table looking at things they found in the floorboards]
Wendy: [looking at Matt] What?
Matt Campbell: [Looking at a picture of Jonah] Nothing.
Wendy: [to Matt] Matt come on, just give me a chance.
Matt Campbell: [Showing her the picture of Jonah] I've seen him.
Wendy: [to Matt] Shut up.
Matt Campbell: [Putting away the picture of Jonah] Gave you a chance.
Wendy: [to Matt] I'm sorry okay just, go on.
Wendy: [to Matt] Please.
Matt Campbell: [Continuing to show Wendy the picture of Jonah] I thought that I was hallucinating, but i have seen this kid, almost everyday since...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Duplicity/Knowing/I Love You, Man (2009)

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Soundtracks

"Peter's Tavern"
Written by Tom Elkins
Performed by Tom Elkins

User Reviews

In the Borderline of Two Worlds

Matt Campbell (Kyle Gallner) has a terminal cancer and is submitted to an experimental treatment in the St. Michael's Hospital Goatswood in Connecticut. The responsible for the trial, Dr. Brooks (D.W. Brown), advises that if Matt starts seeing things, he should drop from the trial. His religious mother Sara (Virginia Madsen) drives almost eight hours with her son since he has nausea and needs to vomit during the travel. She proposes her husband Peter (Martin Donovan), who had trouble with booze, to rent a house in Connecticut to be close to the hospital despite their second mortgage. Sara finds an old house with an affordable price and she questions the catch to the owner and he explains that the house has a history, since it was a funeral home in the past. Sara hides the truth to Peter and the family moves to the house. While in the treatment, Matt befriends Reverend Popescu (Elias Koteas), who has also cancer. When Matt has weird visions and nightmares from the past, he calls Popescu that tells him that an evil entity is trapped in the house and they are able to see him because they are in the borderline of the worlds of the living and the dead.

"The Haunting in Connecticut" is an above average movie of haunted house since it blends a very well developed family drama with spooky scenes of a ghost story. There are many realist situations like the bad financial situation of the Campbells that are usually forgotten in American movies. Further, there is a beautiful message of faith, and Sara truly believes that God works in a mysterious way. The drinking problem of Peter and how it affected the relationship with Sara is just glanced and could be better explored. I do not like the sensationalism that highlights on the cover of the DVD that the story is based on a true event since this movie is better than that. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Evocando Espíritos" ("Evoking Spirits")