The Haunted Mansion (2003)

A realtor and his wife and children are summoned to a mansion, which they soon discover is haunted, and while they attempt to escape, he learns an important lesson about the family he has neglected.

Director:

Rob Minkoff

Writer:

David Berenbaum

Stars:

Eddie Murphy, Marsha Thomason, Jennifer Tilly

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Eddie Murphy	...	Jim Evers
Terence Stamp	...	Ramsley
Nathaniel Parker	...	Master Gracey
Marsha Thomason	...	Sara Evers
Jennifer Tilly	...	Madame Leota
Wallace Shawn	...	Ezra
Dina Spybey-Waters	...	Emma (as Dina Waters)
Marc John Jefferies	...	Michael
Aree Davis	...	Megan
Jim Doughan	...	Mr. Coleman
Rachael Harris	...	Mrs. Coleman (as Rachel Harris)
Steve Hytner	...	Mr. Silverman
Heather Juergensen	...	Mrs. Silverman
Jeremy Howard	...	Hitchhiking Ghost
Deep Roy	...	Hitchhiking Ghost

Storyline

Realtor workaholic Jim Evers and his wife and business partner Sara gets a call late one night from mansion owner Edward Gracey, who is looking to sell his property. Smelling the biggest deal of their career, Jim, Sara and their two children pay a visit to the mansion, located on a remote bayou. A torrential thunderstorm of mysterious origin strands the Evers family in the old mansion with the brooding, eccentric Gracey, his mysterious butler, Ramsley, and a variety of residents both seen and unseen. At first Jim scoffs at Gracey's stories about ghosts and hauntings, until he unearths the mystery of the mansion and finds that his wife Sara has unexpected connections to its haunted past!

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Plot Keywords:

haunted house | ghost | thunderstorm | crystal ball | arachnophobia | 

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Taglines:

With so many ghosts... You're never alone in the dark

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Horror | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for frightening images, thematic elements and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Following the massive success of Ghostbusters (1984), Disney green-lit the film in the mid 1980s. At first, they would only give permission for the film to be made if Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, or Rick Moranis would play the lead role.

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Goofs

The large columbarium (mausoleum for crematory urns) in the Gracey cemetery could not have existed because the first legal cremation in the United States did not take place until 1876, and the practice did not become common until the 1890s - long after the circa-1855 Gracey backstory.

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Quotes

[Jim sees the Hitchhiking Ghosts peering into the carriage]
Jim: Hey! Hey, what are you doing?
Hitchhiking Ghost: Can they see us?
Hitchhiking Ghost: No, of course not!
Jim: Yes, I can see you. I'm looking at you right now in your stupid hat!
Hitchhiking Ghost: Don't listen to him! He's lying!
Jim: OK whatever. C'mon kids.
Hitchhiking Ghost: I could swear he was looking right at me.
Hitchhiking Ghost: He's psychic.

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Crazy Credits

Look for a "special" message from Madame Leota at the end of the credit roll. It sounds deadly familiar to the ending of the Disneyland ride.

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Connections

Referenced in AniMat's Crazy Cartoon Cast: D23 Expo 2019 Extravaganza (2019)

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Soundtracks

When the Saints Go Marching In
Traditional

User Reviews

Not as bad as many lead you to believe.

This was a very poorly reviewed film, and it didn't deserve such flack. For me, it was a dumb, entertaining movie with some heart. For others, it was a terrible job of emulating the classic Disney ride and just another stupid Eddie Murphy comedy vehicle. Though I'd rather go on the ride as opposed to watching this, it still has it's charm. This movie is about a Realtor (Murphy) and his family traveling to a haunted mansion for a business deal. While in the house they learn some strange things and end up traveling through various rooms found in the ride (the bride, the ballroom, Madame Leota, the graveyard with the singing busts). In the end, this is a fun movie for kids, and amusing for adults, with fun references, and a fun performance by Murphy and the kids.

My rating: ** 1/2 out of ****. 85 mins. PG for mild language, violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 November 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Disney's The Haunted Mansion

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$90,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$24,278,410, 30 November 2003

Gross USA:

$75,847,266

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$182,290,266

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Pictures, Gunn Films, Doom Buggy Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1