The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)

Upon moving into the run-down Spiderwick Estate with their mother, twin brothers Jared and Simon Grace, along with their sister Mallory, find themselves pulled into an alternate world full of faeries and other creatures.

Director:

Mark Waters

Writers:

Karey Kirkpatrick (screenplay), David Berenbaum (screenplay)

Stars:

Freddie Highmore, Sarah Bolger, David Strathairn

2 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Freddie Highmore	...	Jared Grace / Simon Grace
Mary-Louise Parker	...	Helen Grace
Nick Nolte	...	Mulgarath
Sarah Bolger	...	Mallory Grace
Andrew McCarthy	...	Richard Grace
Joan Plowright	...	Aunt Lucinda Spiderwick
David Strathairn	...	Arthur Spiderwick
Seth Rogen	...	Hogsqueal (voice)
Martin Short	...	Thimbletack (voice)
Jordy Benattar	...	Young Lucinda Spiderwick
Tod Fennell	...	Helen's Co-Worker
Mariah Inger	...	Nurse
Jeremy Lavalley	...	Tow Truck Driver
Lise Durocher-Viens	...	Mrs. Spiderwick
Tyler Patrick Jones	...	Additional Performer

Storyline

Once upon a time, upon moving into the run-down Spiderwick Estate with their mother Helen (Mary-Louise Parker), twin brothers Jared (Freddie Highmore) and Simon Grace (Freddie Highmore), along with their sister Mallory (Sarah Bolger), find themselves pulled into an alternate world full of fairies and other creatures. Unable to explain the strange disappearances and accidents that seem to be happening on a daily basis, the family blames it all on Jared. When he, Simon, and Mallory investigate what's really going on, they uncover the fantastic truth of the Spiderwick estate and of the creatures that inhabit it.

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Plot Keywords:

shape shifter | gryphon | competition | boy | dancing | 

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Taglines:

Their World Is Closer Than You Think

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Family | Fantasy | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for scary creature action and violence, peril and some thematic elements

Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie was also dedicated to director Mark Waters' mentor, Stuart Rosenberg.

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Goofs

(at around 1h 13 mins) During the fight scene in the house, Jared throws several tomato bombs at the invaders. He is shown having only 1 in his hand throughout the scene. But when he throws the bomb a new one appears in his hand.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Helen Grace: [the Grace family arrive to the Spiderwick estate house] There it is. Pretty much how I remember it. I was younger than you last time I was here, Simon
Mallory Grace: Well, it's big.
Simon Grace: Yeah, so I can get bigger pets here, right Mom?
Helen Grace: Sure! Get a cow. Get a whole flock.
Simon Grace: [Simon smiles] Herd.
Helen Grace: That, too. What do you think, Jared? Jared?
Helen Grace: [as Jared listens to his headphones ignoring Helen] Okay, here we go.

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Connections

References The Addams Family (1964)

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Soundtracks

London Bridge Is Falling Down
(uncredited)
Traditional
Performed by Jordy Benattar

User Reviews

Although The Spiderwick Chronicles did fall short in comparison to other films in the same genre, it did offer some fun entertainment for the entire family.

Although The Spiderwick Chronicles did fall short in comparison to other films in the same genre, it did offer some fun entertainment for the entire family.

Being a fan of most fantasy novels and films, I had the wonderful opportunity to read through the entire series last year and was actually looking forward to its adaptation on the big screen.

What surprised me the most was actually the length of the film. It was fairly short (90 minutes) and I felt that the producers made a huge mistake by attempting to cram all five books into one film instead of dividing them into separate features. I had recognized a few of the scenes from the books, but overall it seemed very rushed and excluded many of the series most exciting moments. Any fan of the books would probably be disappointed in the way the series was handled and executed.

As for the rest of film, I thought it was well done. The CGI continues to be to focal point in most of these types of family films and the producers spent a great time with its detail and design. The fairies looked neat, the goblins were frightening, and the big bad ogre looked well… big and bad.

Overall, I would say this film would make for a great matinée on a Sunday with the kids. There are several moments that may scare children under the age of five, but otherwise it should appeal to children of all ages.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 February 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Spiderwick Chronicles: The IMAX Experience

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$90,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$19,004,058, 17 February 2008

Gross USA:

$71,195,053

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$164,170,327

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies, The Kennedy/Marshall Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min 107 min (unrated)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS DTS Sonics-DDP (IMAX version)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1