Stir of Echoes (1999)

After being hypnotized by his sister-in-law, a man begins seeing haunting visions of a girl's ghost and a mystery begins to unfold around him.

Director:

David Koepp

Writers:

Richard Matheson (novel), David Koepp (screenplay)

Stars:

Kevin Bacon, Zachary David Cope, Kathryn Erbe

3 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Zachary David Cope	...	Jake
Kevin Bacon	...	Tom
Kathryn Erbe	...	Maggie
Illeana Douglas	...	Lisa
Kevin Dunn	...	Frank
Conor O'Farrell	...	Harry
Lusia Strus	...	Sheila
Stephen Eugene Walker	...	Bobby
Mary Kay Cook	...	Vanessa
Larry Neumann Jr.	...	Lenny
Jennifer Morrison	...	Samantha (as Jenny Morrison)
Richard Cotovsky	...	Neighborhood Man
Steve Rifkin	...	Kurt
Chalon Williams	...	Adam
Liza Weil	...	Debbie the Babysitter

Storyline

A man is hypnotized at a party by his sister-in law. He soon has visions and dreams of a ghost of a girl. Trying to avoid this, nearly pushes him to brink of insanity as the ghost wants something from him - to find out how she died. The only way he can get his life back is finding out the truth behind her death. The more he digs, the more he lets her in, the shocking truth behind her death puts his whole family in danger.

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Plot Keywords:

disappearance | post hypnotic suggestion | hypnosis | seeing a ghost | hearing voices | 

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Taglines:

in every mind there is a door that should never be opened.

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, sexuality and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 September 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Stir of Echoes

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,811,664, 12 September 1999, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$21,133,087, 2 January 2000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Artisan Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Kevin Bacon plucks around on a guitar in the film but in real life is actually a skilled guitarist. Along with his brother Michael, "The Bacon Brothers" have released over a half-dozen albums, some to acclaim, and occasionally tour and/or play live in support of these endeavors.

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Goofs

When Tom is digging, his hands are dirty. When he starts arguing with his wife and waving his hands around, they are clean.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Jake Witzky: [to someone] Okay. Guess who came over to play...
[singing]
Jake Witzky: Superheros. I was Black Power Ranger. He was Batman.
Tom Witzky: Jake, you okay in there buddy?
Jake Witzky: I'm okay.
[to whoever else]
Jake Witzky: Can I ask you a question?
Tom Witzky: Okay, time to hit the sack.
[coming into the bathroom]
[...]

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Alternate Versions

In the bathroom scene where Maggie disrobes, the television version shows her wearing black panties rather than her bare buttocks as in the original.

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Connections

References Bonanza (1959)

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Soundtracks

Hello
Performed by Poe
Written by Poe, Ronnie Estelle and R.J. Rice
Published by ong/ATV Songs LLC
Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp. by arrangement with Warner Special Markets

User Reviews

Hypnotic Suspense

Stir of Echoes is a very good horror thriller in the traditional sense. It's the story of a guy who gets hypnotised and develops precognitive psychic abilities which he can't control.

Kevin Bacon is excellent and shows he can be a leading man, while the rest of the cast performs well. Sets, special effects and cinematography are all very good - nothing flashy but solid.

It has shocks and suspense, especially in the first half, and although it could be accused of being a little clichéd, it never strays too far into the 'seen it all before' category.

The second half of the film turns into a more traditional thriller but still holds up well, unlike similarly themed movies such as 'What Lies Beneath.' This is because it is pleasingly short, lasting around 90 minutes (the correct length for a film of this type). There are some plot strands that aren't explained, but this can be forgiven because of the film's running time.

Although not mind blowing, it has a decent payoff at the end and left me satisfied that I'd just watched a good movie. Not a great one, but a good one. Pick this one up cheap on DVD.