Release CalendarDVD & Blu-ray ReleasesTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsIn TheatersComing SoonMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysAPA Heritage MonthSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)

What Lies Beneath

  • 20002000
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 2h 10m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
125K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,115
986
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
What Lies Beneath (2000)
Home Video Trailer from Dreamworks
Play trailer0:31
2 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Drama
  • Horror
  • Mystery

The wife of a university research scientist believes that her lakeside Vermont home is haunted by a ghost - or that she is losing her mind.The wife of a university research scientist believes that her lakeside Vermont home is haunted by a ghost - or that she is losing her mind.The wife of a university research scientist believes that her lakeside Vermont home is haunted by a ghost - or that she is losing her mind.

IMDb RATING
6.6/10
125K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,115
986
  • Director
    • Robert Zemeckis
  • Writers
    • Clark Gregg(screenplay)
    • Sarah Kernochan(story)
  • Stars
    • Harrison Ford
    • Michelle Pfeiffer
    • Katharine Towne
Top credits
  • Director
    • Robert Zemeckis
  • Writers
    • Clark Gregg(screenplay)
    • Sarah Kernochan(story)
  • Stars
    • Harrison Ford
    • Michelle Pfeiffer
    • Katharine Towne
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 745User reviews
    • 158Critic reviews
    • 51Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 7 wins & 7 nominations

    Videos2

    What Lies Beneath
    Trailer 0:31
    What Lies Beneath
    What Lies Beneath
    Trailer 2:31
    What Lies Beneath

    Photos324

    Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer in What Lies Beneath (2000)
    Harrison Ford in What Lies Beneath (2000)
    Michelle Pfeiffer in What Lies Beneath (2000)
    Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer in What Lies Beneath (2000)
    Michelle Pfeiffer in What Lies Beneath (2000)
    Harrison Ford in What Lies Beneath (2000)
    Harrison Ford in What Lies Beneath (2000)
    Michelle Pfeiffer in What Lies Beneath (2000)
    Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer in What Lies Beneath (2000)
    Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer in What Lies Beneath (2000)
    Michelle Pfeiffer in What Lies Beneath (2000)
    Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer in What Lies Beneath (2000)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Harrison Ford
    Harrison Ford
    • Norman Spenceras Norman Spencer
    Michelle Pfeiffer
    Michelle Pfeiffer
    • Claire Spenceras Claire Spencer
    Katharine Towne
    Katharine Towne
    • Caitlin Spenceras Caitlin Spencer
    Miranda Otto
    Miranda Otto
    • Mary Feuras Mary Feur
    James Remar
    James Remar
    • Warren Feuras Warren Feur
    Victoria Bidewell
    Victoria Bidewell
    • Beatriceas Beatrice
    Diana Scarwid
    Diana Scarwid
    • Jodyas Jody
    Dennison Samaroo
    Dennison Samaroo
    • PhD Student #1as PhD Student #1
    Jennifer Tung
    Jennifer Tung
    • PhD Student #2as PhD Student #2
    Eliott Goretsky
    • Teddyas Teddy
    Rachel Singer
    Rachel Singer
    • PhD Student #3as PhD Student #3
    Daniel Zelman
    Daniel Zelman
    • PhD Student #4as PhD Student #4
    Ray Baker
    Ray Baker
    • Dr. Stan Powellas Dr. Stan Powell
    Wendy Crewson
    Wendy Crewson
    • Elenaas Elena
    Amber Valletta
    Amber Valletta
    • Madison Elizabeth Frankas Madison Elizabeth Frank
    Joe Morton
    Joe Morton
    • Dr. Draytonas Dr. Drayton
    Sloane Shelton
    Sloane Shelton
    • Mrs. Templetonas Mrs. Templeton
    Tom Dahlgren
    Tom Dahlgren
    • Dean Templetonas Dean Templeton
    • Director
      • Robert Zemeckis
    • Writers
      • Clark Gregg(screenplay) (story)
      • Sarah Kernochan(story)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

    More like this

    Stir of Echoes
    6.9
    Stir of Echoes
    The Hand that Rocks the Cradle
    6.6
    The Hand that Rocks the Cradle
    Stigmata
    6.2
    Stigmata
    Flatliners
    6.5
    Flatliners
    The Mothman Prophecies
    6.4
    The Mothman Prophecies
    Sleeping with the Enemy
    6.2
    Sleeping with the Enemy
    What Lies Beneath
    7.5
    What Lies Beneath
    Death Becomes Her
    6.6
    Death Becomes Her
    The Skeleton Key
    6.5
    The Skeleton Key
    Presumed Innocent
    6.9
    Presumed Innocent
    The Fabulous Baker Boys
    6.9
    The Fabulous Baker Boys
    One Fine Day
    6.5
    One Fine Day

    Storyline

    Edit
    Norman Spencer, a university research scientist, is growing more and more concerned about his wife, Claire, a retired concert cellist who a year ago was involved in a serious auto accident, and who has just sent off her daughter Caitlin (Norman's stepdaughter) to college. Now, Claire reports hearing voices and witnessing eerie occurrences in and around their lakeside Vermont home, including seeing the face of a young woman reflected in water. An increasingly frightened Claire thinks the phenomena have something to do with the couple living next door, especially since the wife has disappeared without apparent explanation. At her husband's urging, Claire starts to see a therapist; she tells him she thinks the house is being haunted by a ghost. His advice? Try to make contact. Enlisting the help of her best friend, Jody, and a ouija board, Claire seeks to find out the truth of What Lies Beneath. —Eugene Kim <genekim@concentric.net>
    • hitchcockian
    • death by drowning
    • small village
    • pick up truck
    • entity
    • 195 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • He was the perfect husband until his one mistake followed them home.
    • Genres
      • Drama
      • Horror
      • Mystery
      • Thriller
    • Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
      • Rated PG-13 for terror/violence, sensuality and brief language
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The theatrical trailer was criticised for spoiling plot twists, including the identity of the ghost.
    • Goofs
      The bite Claire takes out of the apple is gone when she forces Norman to take a bite out of it.
    • Quotes

      Jody: [showing off her new convertible] It's a beautiful thing, alimony. You lose a husband, you get a car. Think it'll help me pick up dudes?

      Claire Spencer: [later] Pick up any dudes yet?

      Jody: I have one in the trunk!

    • Crazy credits
      When the movie title first appears on screen, the word 'Lies' appears just before the rest of the title.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: X-Men/The Five Senses/The Eyes of Tammy Faye/Chuck & Buck (2000)
    • Soundtracks
      Too Late
      Written by J.C. Brandy (as Justine Brandy), Katie Harris, Lissa Beltri, Claudia Rossi & Doug DeAngelis

      Performed by Lo-Ball (as LoBall)

      Courtesy of Doug DeAngelis

    User reviews745

    Review
    Top review
    Don't Believe the (Bad) Hype!
    I spent hours last week on the net, reading reviews, and boy, were they rough on this flick. Most reviewers went out of their way to say it was boring, stupid, unoriginal, a waste of time, how Harrison Ford looked so old he should retire (more on that later), and one critic even went so far as to compare it to "Battlefield Earth" for Godssake! Needless to say, I had such low expectations that I went to see it by myself (not wanting to subject friends or family members after hearing how awful it was). I even considered skipping the first half because I heard Harrison Ford wasn't on screen much for the first hour. While WLB was not the scariest or most exciting movie of all time, I left the theater glad I saw it. Unfortunately for me, a careless reviewer gave away 99% of the 'twists' in the story line, and the trailers already gave 75% of it away anyway, so there was only one real surprise.

    The surprise turned out to be that I actually had fun. I think everyone already knows the set-up and plot by now, so I won't bother with a sypnosis. I will say that every seat was full (another surprise) and there were more screams from the audience than I've heard during a movie in years. We're talking over a dozen times where half the audience yelped/jumped in shock and a handful of moments where everyone screamed. Loudly. We are talking adults here too, not nervous little kids. In all fairness, many of the jumps are the 'fake' kind that you are all too familiar with if you've seen enough horror/suspense films, i.e. "OH GOD! You almost scared me half to death sneaking up on me like that". The movie also frequently employs the device where a character is in frame, the camera pans along with them out of frame for a second, then we pan back and someone/something has suddenly appeared in the frame behind them-cheap shot, but it works. Many reviewers complained that the score was overdone, with a loud blast of music in the scare scenes to ensure everyone jumped. Honestly, I couldn't tell whether or not this was the case, because the audience's yelling covered it up! There is one *very* big unexpected jump-trust me, you'll know it when you see it-that will probably end up on a lot of 'scariest moments' lists, I am ashamed to say I SCREAMED at the top of my lungs like a little girl, and so did everyone else in the theater, including grown men. (note: if you do decide to see this movie, see it with a group of friends or at least a significant other, because you will have much more fun (I found that it's pretty embarrassing sitting there all by yourself and suddenly yelling and spilling your candy).

    On the negative side, there are many cliched horror movie moments, and the dialogue wasn't exactly brilliant. There were also parts where they over-did the foreshadowing to the point of insulting my intelligence. Example: "Call on the cell phone, we're running late" "Oh, the cell phone doesn't work" "That's right, the cell phone won't work in the middle part of this bridge." "Yes, I forgot about the fact that the cell ph--" OKAY! WE'VE GOT IT NOW! THANK YOU! So, the script could have used a polish, but not enough to ruin the movie. Another complaint I've heard is that the movie "rips off" Hitchcock's films (a collapsing character pulls a shower curtain down off the hooks with her, a character is named Norman, etc) but I do know the difference between a ripoff and a loving tribute, and Zemeckis knows what he's doing, I highly doubt he was trying to trick the audience into thinking these were his original ideas. For the record, Harrison Ford still looks great with his shirt off, better than some actors in their 30's. He has recently reached the point where he can not pass for a man in his early 40's, but compared with other actors in their late 50's, he still looks mighty fine, especially without that unflattering "angry brush" spiky hair style he's had in his last couple of films. Let's just say there were plenty of women there with biiig smiles on their faces during the love scenes. When he gives that sexy crooked boyish grin, about 20 years instantly drop from his face.

    OK, enough rhapsodizing about Harrison Ford, back to the movie. Diana Scarwind as Claire's best friend is funny and lightens up the tone. Michelle Pfieffer is wonderful, making some of the corny dialogue sound genuine. Many less talented actresses would simply go into "woman in peril" mode, but her acting is very impressive, and even the critics who really hated the movie gave her credit for that. Oh, and speaking of aging well, there were plenty of males in the audience looking pretty happy during the love scenes too. So guys, if your date or wife votes to see this "chick flick", don't make her drag you- you'll have a much better time than you think. Sure, this movie is no all-time horror classic, but it is a fairly intelligent, entertaining, thrill ride of a movie that deserves a much better chance than the critics are giving it.
    helpful•12
    5
    • Rusty-61
    • Jul 24, 2000

    FAQ11

    • Why didn't the production acknowledge its source material Of Ghosts and Angels (from which too many elements were borrowed to be pure coincidence) from Charlie's Angels?
    • What is 'What Lies Beneath' about?
    • Is 'What Lies Beneath' based on a book?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 21, 2000 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Hồn Ma Báo Oán
    • Filming locations
      • Lake Champlain, New York, USA
    • Production companies
      • Dreamworks Pictures
      • Twentieth Century Fox
      • ImageMovers
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $100,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $155,464,351
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $29,702,959
      • Jul 23, 2000
    • Gross worldwide
      • $291,420,351
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 10 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

    Related news

    Michelle Pfeiffer Headlines ‘Wild Four O’Clocks’ By ‘The Batman’ Writer Peter Craig
    Michelle Pfeiffer Headlines ‘Wild Four O’Clocks’ By ‘The Batman’ Writer Peter Craig
    May 6Variety Film + TV
    South African Feature ‘Good Life’ Set for U.S. Release Via Level 33 (Exclusive)
    South African Feature ‘Good Life’ Set for U.S. Release Via Level 33 (Exclusive)
    Apr 12Variety Film + TV

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    What Lies Beneath (2000)
    Top Gap
    By what name was What Lies Beneath (2000) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    The 10 Most Anticipated Marvel and DC Movies
    See the full list
    Image caption not available
    2:14
    The Most Anticipated Movies and Shows to Watch in May
    Watch the video

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.