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

Although the film states that the house was destroyed in a fire and rebuilt, there was never a fire and the original house still stands today.

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Goofs

When the family is huddled on the bed, you can see reflections in the brass rails. (There is no fireplace lit [fire reflection] and no ghosts are present at that time.)

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Quotes

Matt Campbell: Mom, if I die...
Sara Campbell: No! You won't.
[she turns and hurries out of the room]
Matt Campbell: [under his breath] ... it's not your fault.

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Connections

Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Saw VI/Cirque du Freak/The Vampire's Assistant/Amelia (2009)

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Soundtracks

"Kiddie Tune"
Written by Tom Elkins
Performed by Tom Elkins

User Reviews

Haunting in Connecticut keeps Casper in Wyoming

I really did hesitate to see this movie because I had not seen many that have interested me since the days of Poltergeist - one exception being The Exorcism of Emily Rose. I loved both despite the obvious difference in style.

I found The Haunting In Connecticut disturbingly fun. It definitely had its own style which at times made me wonder when the signs of it bombing were going to appear. I think that was part of why I enjoyed it because it never did disappoint me. This mixture of reality and the supernatural kept me on the edge of my seat. Was it the trauma of cancer causing so much grief for this family or the chilling(yet burning), hidden secrets of the dead in this funeral home that kept expectations from settling on one aspect or the other? The fact is both were enough to draw attention away from the other while we try to make our own conclusions.

An innocent, everyday family deals with the possible, yet probable death of young Matt, who at times suffers excruciatingly from dealing with the unknown and death that he is convinced is his destiny. Squeezed between what is and may be real was enough, but then deal with the likes of a stranger who claims to be a reverend...c'mon, this is classic stuff. You can't take all this in without suffering a little, especially when the family itself starts to fall apart when they need to stick together.

While there are some questions that may not be answered, the story itself was more than satisfying. Special effects were kept to a minimum but used effectively and when needed. Acting was not Oscar worthy but good enough to make it all seem real. Fun when you want it and scary when you need it.

It's definitely a 7/10