The Village (2004)

A series of events tests the beliefs of a small isolated countryside village.

Director:

M. Night Shyamalan

Writer:

M. Night Shyamalan

Stars:

Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt, Joaquin Phoenix

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 23 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bryce Dallas Howard	...	Ivy Walker
Joaquin Phoenix	...	Lucius Hunt
Adrien Brody	...	Noah Percy
William Hurt	...	Edward Walker
Sigourney Weaver	...	Alice Hunt
Brendan Gleeson	...	August Nicholson
Cherry Jones	...	Mrs. Clack
Celia Weston	...	Vivian Percy
John Christopher Jones	...	Robert Percy
Frank Collison	...	Victor
Jayne Atkinson	...	Tabitha Walker
Judy Greer	...	Kitty Walker
Fran Kranz	...	Christop Crane
Michael Pitt	...	Finton Coin
Jesse Eisenberg	...	Jamison

Storyline

M Night Shyamalan's The Village revolves around a desolate town in Pennsylvania. The residents of this town live by strict rules - They are not to leave the village or the monsters beyond their boundaries will surely attack them. Lucius and Ivy have an attraction - a strong one. But when Noah - a man with an intellectual disability and who also has feelings for Ivy, finds out that the two are In love, Noah attacks Lucius. He will die if brave Ivy (who is blind) does not breach the borders and find help to save Lucius.

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Plot Keywords:

ambiguous ending | village | creature | plot twist | mysterious creature | 

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Taglines:

There is no turning back.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for a scene of violence and frightening situations

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sigourney Weaver suffered nightmares for two weeks after reading the script.

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Goofs

Ivy's father tells her that his father was very good with money and wealth. However, growing up in the Village, she would have had no exposure to money or wealth, therefore she should not have had much of an understanding of it.

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Quotes

[first lines]
August Nicholson: Who'll pinch me to wake me up? Who will laugh at me when I fall? Whose breath will I listen for so that I may sleep? Whose hand will I hold so that I may walk?

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Crazy Credits

During the end credits we see pictures of the village.

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Connections

Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: The Twilight Saga: Eclipse/The Last Airbender/Grown Ups (2010)

User Reviews

Ignore the Shyamalan stigma - this is a gem

In recent years, M Night Shyamalan's reputation has taken a serious beating, having directed universally panned Razzy films (such as The Last Airbender and The Happening), and even some recent successes (Split, Glass) haven't been enough to salvage his career. However, slightly earlier in his directorial filmography sits this genuine horror-mystery masterpiece, criminally underrated and judged undeservedly.

The Village is a different take on a horror trope, detailing an isolated community's resolve against a hidden threat in the surrounding forest. As this genre goes, the cast does not get any better: Sigourney Weaver, Joaquin Phoenix, Adrien Brody and Brendan Gleeson all feature prominently, as well as relative unknowns Jesse Eisenberg and Dallas Bryce Howard in some of their earlier roles. All are individually excellent and well-cast, perfectly depicting the repressed fear of a society without outside influences.

The plot of is consistent and of genuine quality, which doesn't often translate in the horror genre; however, do not be dissuaded by the premise of horror - The Village plays more off the resulting drama than cheap jump scares, and slow burns until the revelations in the second half blow the script open. The forest village is the ideal setting for this hidden evil, sparsely populated and somewhat bleak - the integral use of red and yellow elevate the cinematography further, making the environment more distressing.

The Village should be a must-watch purely on the merit of the plot: some may not connect with the subtleties of the script and the nuances of the story, but those who take the time to invest will be thoroughly rewarded with a quality film.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 July 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

M. Night Shyamalan's The Village

Filming Locations:

USA

Box Office

Budget:

$60,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$50,746,142, 1 August 2004

Gross USA:

$114,197,520

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$256,697,520

Company Credits

Production Co:

Touchstone Pictures, Blinding Edge Pictures, Scott Rudin Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital EX SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1