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 has never been 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:

Ecos mortales

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

The scene where Maggie is sitting in the car in the rain was shot on a night when it actually was raining very heavily, but the rain did not look "real" on film. The crew had to set up an awning to cover the car from the rain, then rig up rain making equipment under the awning to achieve the look of "real" rain.

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Goofs

When Tom is using the lineman's handset on the telephone pole, the leads pull out of the box while he is talking. This would have ended the call.

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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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Connections

Features The Last Man on Earth (1964)

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Soundtracks

Meat Mania
Performed by SuperShark
Written by Earl Bethel and Walter New
Published by On the Way Music (EMI)
Courtesy of New Sounds, Inc.

User Reviews

Why'd they call it that?

I mean, apart from that being the original book's name. There's no direct reference to the title anywhere through the movie. That's the only thing that bothered me through the whole movie, really. Guess it just unsettled me. Except that Einstein wasn't a Gemini, he was born in March. He was a Pisces. But that's irrelevant.

There are lots of little things that make this movie great. There are so many bits where you expect something to happen, but it doesn't. That makes you look for the next one, when it really *must* happen this time, for sure. And it doesn't. Again. So you're kept on the edge of your seat, waiting for something scary to jump up and frighten you half to death. But it doesn't. For all its spooky and weird subject-matter, Stir of Echoes keeps it simple, and in doing so makes itself even more climactic.

Where The Sixth Sense was spooky, this movie is frightening. It's like when you watched Dr Who as a kid and hid behind the couch because you couldn't bear to watch. Kevin Bacon is fantastic, and loses his mind quite convincingly. The 'Dig' sequence, along with the total madness that follows, reminds me of Stephen King's The Tommyknockers. And that book was spooky enough.

Zachary David Cope (why do all kids have three names nowadays?) is also brilliant as little Jake, although Kathryn Erbe as Maggie leaves a little to be desired. She's too flat - not enough emotion. And I love the way all the little things are tied up, especially the end sequence with Jake in the car...

If you liked The Sixth Sense, this is not quite the same standard, although it's pretty close. If you didn't like The Sixth Sense because you didn't think it got personal enough, this one's for you. Although I don't think anyone's going to get remotely close to the ending of The Sixth Sense for a very very long time.

7½/10.