The Haunting in Connecticut (2009)

After a family is forced to relocate for their son's health, they begin experiencing supernatural behavior in their new home, and uncover a sinister history.

Director:

Peter Cornwell

Writers:

Adam Simon, Tim Metcalfe

Stars:

Virginia Madsen, Martin Donovan, Elias Koteas

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Virginia Madsen	...	Sara Campbell
Kyle Gallner	...	Matt Campbell
Elias Koteas	...	Reverend Popescu
Amanda Crew	...	Wendy
Martin Donovan	...	Peter Campbell
Sophi Knight	...	Mary
Ty Wood	...	Billy Campbell
Erik J. Berg	...	Jonah (as Erik Berg)
John Bluethner	...	Ramsey Aickman
D.W. Brown	...	Dr. Brooks
John B. Lowe	...	Mr. Sinclair
Adriana O'Neil	...	Chemo Nurse
Will Woytowich	...	Cop
James Durham	...	Matt's Cell Mate
Darren Ross	...	Paramedic #1

Storyline

Charts one family's encounter with the dark forces of the supernatural. When the Campbell family moves to upstate Connecticut, they soon learn that their charming Victorian home has a disturbing history: not only was the house a transformed funeral parlor where inconceivable acts occurred, but the owner's clairvoyant son Jonah served as a demonic messenger, providing a gateway for spiritual entities to crossover. Now terror awaits when Jonah, the boy who communicated with the dead, returns to unleash horror on the innocent and unsuspecting family.

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Plot Keywords:

cancer | funeral home | body hidden behind a wall | vomiting | financial problem | 

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Taglines:

What if the only explanation for what you saw was unbelievable?

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of terror and disturbing images

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 March 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Extrañas apariciones

Filming Locations:

Teulon, Manitoba, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$23,004,765, 29 March 2009, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$55,389,516

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$77,527,732

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lionsgate, Gold Circle Films, Integrated Films & Management

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min 102 min (extended cut)

Sound Mix:

SDDS DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The character of Reverend Popescu was supposedly based on John Zaffis, an investigator who worked on the case.

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Goofs

When Wendy sends the kids to play hide-and-seek and Mary goes up to the attic, she leaves the door at the foot of the stairs open. When Mary falls through the floor and screams, Wendy runs to the attic and yanks open the door, which was closed before. However, due to the strong spectral forces residing in the house, the ghosts could have possibly closed the door. We know this because later on in the movie it is shown being done (doors opening and closing).

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Quotes

[reciting a poem]
Matt Campbell: One bright day in the middle of the night, two dead boys got up to fight. Back to back they faced each other, drew their swords and shot each other. A deaf policeman heard the noise and came and killed those two dead boys.

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Alternate Versions

An unrated version has been released on DVD which runs 10 minutes longer than the PG-13 Theatrical Version (92mins) and also runs the same length as the version approved in the UK by the BBFC at 102mins. 98% of the changes relate on different color schemes of individual takes - partly only frame-short - as well as alternative material. The supernatural appearances are mainly in monochrome but colored in the unrated version. Many things can only be recognized in single frame mode or while watching entirely close.

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Connections

Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Fast & Furious/Adventureland/Sugar (2009)

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Soundtracks

Ward 13
Written by Christopher Gordon
Licensed courtesy of Magic Fire Music Pty Ltd

User Reviews

Follows the basic structure of a haunted house movie.

Basically this movie is like a more gruesome haunted house tale than the original Amityville or a less gruesome haunted house tale than the Amityville remake. However, the movie most certainly follows the flow of those two movies. I would have actually given this movie a six, but they kept trying to make out like this story was pure fact and that rather ticked me off, I mean what do they take me for a moron. I know a bit about the story it is taken from and there are so many differences it is pathetic. I realize that you have to add some stuff or the movie is going to be kind of boring, heck I am even for embellishing the story to the degree this one did, but do not have the this serious voice over telling me how this is true and have the writing at the end tell an out right lie. So what is the story you ask? Well a teenage boy has cancer and his mother is having to drive him a great distance quite often for a special treatment. Mother decides to find a place to rent closer to the place the son gets treatments so he does not have to endure the long drive in pain and vomiting. Of course, the family's financial situation is not to good so when the house with the history comes up for rent you know our family is going to make that their new stomping ground. So spooky reflections and such start to take place as well as strange visions and we even have a reverend enter the picture to give our youth guidance. So yes, the typical haunted house formula is here. Add in a pointless stretch of film where the father drinks and you have your movie, though I am betting that part of the film is actually true, but they changed so much around why not just omit that part all together as it really did not bring anything to the film. So I say add some more scares, perhaps a little gore, do not try to pass off the movie as being a reenactment or something and this film might have been really good...just like a lot of horror movies it is usually might have is it not?