The Happening (2008)

A science teacher, his wife, and a young girl struggle to survive a plague that causes those infected to commit suicide.

Director:

M. Night Shyamalan

Writer:

M. Night Shyamalan

Stars:

Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, John Leguizamo

3 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mark Wahlberg	...	Elliot Moore
Zooey Deschanel	...	Alma Moore
John Leguizamo	...	Julian
Ashlyn Sanchez	...	Jess
Betty Buckley	...	Mrs. Jones
Spencer Breslin	...	Josh
Robert Bailey Jr.	...	Jared
Frank Collison	...	Nursery Owner
Jeremy Strong	...	Private Auster
Alan Ruck	...	Principal
Victoria Clark	...	Nursery Owner's Wife
M. Night Shyamalan	...	Joey (voice)
Alison Folland	...	Woman Reading on Bench with Hair Pin
Kristen Connolly	...	Woman Reading on Bench
Cornell Womack	...	Construction Foreman

Storyline

Elliot Moore is a high school science teacher who quizzes his class one day about an article in the New York Times. It's about the sudden, mysterious disappearance of bees. Yet again Nature is doing something inexplicable, and whatever science has to say about it will be, in the end, only a theory. Scientists will bring out more theories, but no explanations, when a more urgent dilemma hits the planet. It begins in Central Park. Suddenly and inexplicably, the behavior of everyone in the park changes in a most bizarre and horrible way. Soon, the strange behavior spreads throughout the city and beyond. Elliot, his wife, Alma, and Jess, the young daughter of a friend, will only have theories to guide them where to run and where to hide. But theories may not be enough.

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Plot Keywords:

nature | unprecedented | no particular reason | grey matter | artificial plant | 

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Taglines:

We've Sensed It. We've Seen The Signs. Now... It's Happening.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violent and disturbing images

Did You Know?

Trivia

On June 8, 2008, days before the first few reviews for the film came online, Shyamalan told the New York Daily News: "We're making an excellent B movie, that's our goal."

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Goofs

The locomotive leaves Philadelphia as a diesel electric. Later, in an overhead-view, the locomotive is electric, with a pantograph and other electrical equipment clearly visible. Later, it changes back to a diesel electric model.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Woman Reading on Bench with Hair Pin: I forgot where I am.
Woman Reading on Bench: You're at the place where the killers meet to decide what to do with the crippled girl.

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Crazy Credits

Moving clouds form the backdrop for the opening and closing credits. On the end credits, they've become stormclouds with lightning. On the end credits, M. Night Shyamalan's name vanishes.

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Alternate Versions

SPOILER: The DVD contains a deleted scene of a piano recital that suddenly becomes tragic; there's also extended versions of the lion attack and porch shooting scenes that had to be dialed back to avoid an NC-17 rating.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Funniest Movies So Bad They're Good (2019)

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Soundtracks

Black Water
(1974)
Written by Patrick Simmons

User Reviews

M. Night Rocks

This latest movie by the redoubtable Mr. Shyamalan is being ripped to shreds. Seems Hollywood's former golden boy earns nothing but disgust and disdain nowadays. Say what you will about this guy, his movies are DIFFERENT. He does not follow the all-too-standardized templates, prevalent in every genre from action to horror to sci-fi. Are his films flawed and uneven at times? Yes, every single one has been. They all have this in common.

They also have in common uncommon storytelling, fantastic mood, appropriately chilling scores, and engender a sense of unease in the viewer that almost no other filmmaker has been capable of.

Were there mistakes in the plot, character development, editing? Yeah. And you know what? Nonetheless, I was enthralled. This man imbues his films, however flawed, with passion, something lacking in most big-budget summer blockbusters. Whatever his technical shortcomings, this is a filmmaker who truly loves to tell a story. Golden Boy status-worthy or not, I applaud Shyamalan and his latest movie. The man has got the cojones to think originally and make movies that no one else could, or would. "The Happening" rocks! -MKA, Ft Walton Beach, FL

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA India

Language:

English French

Release Date:

13 June 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Green Planet

Filming Locations:

Pennsylvania, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$48,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$30,517,109, 15 June 2008

Gross USA:

$64,506,874

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$163,403,799

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox, UTV Motion Pictures, Spyglass Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1