The Wicker Man (2006)

A sheriff investigating the disappearance of a young girl from a small island discovers there's a larger mystery to solve among the island's secretive, neo-pagan community.

Director:

Neil LaBute (as Neil Labute)

Writers:

Neil LaBute (screenplay) (as Neil Labute), Anthony Shaffer

Stars:

Nicolas Cage, Ellen Burstyn, Leelee Sobieski

Bottom Rated Movies #73 | 2 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nicolas Cage	...	Edward Malus
Ellen Burstyn	...	Sister SummersIsle
Kate Beahan	...	Sister Willow Woodward
Frances Conroy	...	Dr. T.H. Moss
Molly Parker	...	Sister Rose / Sister Thorn
Leelee Sobieski	...	Sister Honey
Diane Delano	...	Sister Beech
Michael Wiseman	...	Officer Pete
Erika-Shaye Gair	...	Rowan Woodward (as Erika Shaye Gair)
Christa Campbell	...	Truck Stop Waitress
Emily Holmes	...	Station Wagon Mom
Zemphira Gosling	...	Station Wagon Girl
Matthew Walker	...	Sea Plane Pilot
Mary Black	...	Sister Oak
Christine Willes	...	Sister Violet

Storyline

A sheriff investigating the disappearance of a young girl from a small island discovers there's a larger mystery to solve among the island's secretive, neo-pagan community.

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Plot Keywords:

unintentional humor | feminism | folk horror | ritual mask | pagan ritual | 

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Taglines:

Some Sacrifices Must Be Made

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Tous publics

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie was originally rated R for extreme violence, disturbing images, language, and thematic elements, but director Neil LaBute wanted a broader audience, so they cut most of the scenes out, some of which have been included in the unrated version of the DVD, to deem it PG-13. However, there are about four minutes of additional cut footage that are not shown in the unrated DVD.

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Goofs

The shells Willow drops on the ground appear to be .45ACP rounds, which are significantly larger than the 9mm rounds Edward's Beretta pistol would fire.

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Quotes

Edward Malus: BITCHES! YOU BITCHES!

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Alternate Versions

Many scenes were cut from the Theatrical Release to get an MPAA rating of PG-13. The Unrated DVD Release adds those scenes back in, however, over 4 minutes of deleted footage is still missing from this version and has never been released publicly.

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Connections

Referenced in Rifftrax Shorts: William's Doll (2010)

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Soundtracks

The Drone
Written by Micha Liberman
Published by Leaky Music Publishing(ASCAP)

User Reviews

The Worst Movie I've EVER Seen

This movie is the biggest waste of nine dollars that I've spent in a very, very long time. If you knew how often I went to the movies you'd probably say, that's hard to imagine, but never-the-less, it's true! After seeing the trailer for this movie, I knew that I had to see it! If you're a fan of horror, mystery, and suspense, why wouldn't you? The trailer is nothing less than intriguing and exciting; unfortunately, the movie is none of these.

From the cinematography, to the script, to the acting, this movie is a complete flop. If you're reading this, planning to go to the movie expecting some thrills, mystery, action, horror, or anything other than a waste of an hour and forty-five minutes I'm afraid you are in for disappointment.

"Why is it so bad," you might be asking yourself. Let me tell you. The movie was neither mysterious nor suspenseful. Nothing about the movie made me the least bit "on edge," frightened, or curious. The script was at best laughable. There were numerous times throughout the film where the dialogue was just so ridiculous I began to write it off as comic relief only to find out a few seconds later that it wasn't. The acting was absolutely dreadful. I like Nicholas Cage but this was a miss. Without exception, every performance in this movie was incredibly below average. The cinematography was awful with not one moment of suspense or mystique. Finally, the story is completely transparent. You can see the end of this movie coming a mile away.

I am not usually a very harsh critic. Frankly, when I go to see a comedy I want to laugh and when I go to see a mystery/suspense/horror, I just want to be surprised. This movie was boring, poorly acted, poorly written, and an overwhelming disappointment. Do yourself a favor and go see something else.

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros [United States]

Country:

USA Mexico Canada Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 September 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Wicker Man

Filming Locations:

Bowen Island, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$9,610,204, 3 September 2006

Gross USA:

$23,649,127

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$38,805,380

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Alcon Entertainment, Millennium Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1