The Haunting (1999)

A study in fear escalates into a heart-stopping nightmare for a professor and three subjects trapped in a mysterious mansion.

Director:

Jan de Bont

Writers:

David Self (screenplay), Shirley Jackson (novel)

Stars:

Liam Neeson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Owen Wilson

4 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Liam Neeson	...	Dr. David Marrow
Catherine Zeta-Jones	...	Theo
Owen Wilson	...	Luke Sanderson
Lili Taylor	...	Nell
Bruce Dern	...	Mr. Dudley
Marian Seldes	...	Mrs. Dudley
Alix Koromzay	...	Mary Lambetta
Todd Field	...	Todd Hackett
Virginia Madsen	...	Jane
Michael Cavanaugh	...	Dr. Malcolm Keogh
Tom Irwin	...	Lou
Charles Gunning	...	Hugh Crain
Saul Priever	...	Ritchie
M.C. Gainey	...	Large Man
Hadley Eure	...	Carolyn Crain

Storyline

A remake of the classic 1963 movie "The Haunting" about a team of paranormal experts who look into strange occurrences in an ill-fated house. Through the course of the night some will unravel, some will question, and all will fight for their lives as the house fights back.

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Plot Keywords:

haunted house | mansion | insomniac | horror movie remake | old house | 

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Taglines:

Sleep tight.

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Genres:

Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for intense horror sequences

Did You Know?

Trivia

Stephen King wrote the first draft of the script. When this fell through, he re-worked it into Rose Red.

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Goofs

(at around 1h 1 min) Nell's facial expression changes between front and side shots, when the spirits are moving her hair.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Jane: You already owe two months worth of rent.
Eleanor "Nell" Vance: It's mine, and you're not taking it away.
Jane: Read the will, Nell. It states in plain language, the executor shall have the right to dispose of any and all personal property, as he shall see fit.
Eleanor "Nell" Vance: He's not even real family.
Jane: Yeah, maybe not, but clearly Mother thought Lou would be better off dealing with these unpleasant details than you.
Eleanor "Nell" Vance: [angrily] Unpleasant details? What have I been dealing with for the past eleven years? I've cooked, I've cleaned, ...

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Crazy Credits

At the beginning, the music from Dreamwork's studio is not heard. Instead we hear the strange noises from inside Hill House.

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Alternate Versions

There are some quick shots in the Making Of that actually didn't appear in the final cut. For example, when Theo and Nell wandered around the house, they found the corridor to the nursery room, to which Nell looks scared, and Theo rather indifferent. Also, in the scene where Luke is killed, Theo's reaction to it is longer.

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Connections

Featured in Half in the Bag: The Haunting of Hill House and Overlord (2018)

User Reviews

Surprisingly good!

I didn't have too much of a hope I would like this new Jan De Bont film, but after giving it a go today, I was impressed. De Bont is a terrific creator of suspense and camera setups. All his hard work as a cinematographer paid off in movies such as these. He really knows how to build up an atmosphere accompanied by subtle visual effects and sound design. The way that big house groans and 'breathes' just makes my heart beat faster. Equally great is Jerry Goldsmith's score. In some scenes when combined with the atmospheric sound effects it made my neckhair stand up. I was genuinely terrified. A special mention must go to the art direction and set decoration. The house has such wonderful and at the same time disturbing architecture, the thought of having to spend a night there gives me the chills. About the acting, I thought it was nothing special. The Haunting is a solely audiovisual experience, where acting is only of secondary importance. In short, I enjoyed this movie and didn't think the ending was bad. I see about 200-300 movies each year, and I see a lot of bad ones, but this is not one of them. Go see it and decide for yourself.

Details

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 July 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

La maldición

Filming Locations:

Belvoir Castle, Belvoir, Leicestershire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$80,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$33,435,140, 25 July 1999

Gross USA:

$91,411,151

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$177,311,151

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dreamworks Pictures, Roth-Arnold Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX SDDS DTS-ES

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1