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The Happening

  • 20082008
  • RR
  • 1h 31m
IMDb RATING
5.0/10
205K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,965
66
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, and Ashlyn Sanchez in The Happening (2008)
This is the second theatrical trailer for M. Night Shyamalan's The Happening.
Play trailer2:30
9 Videos
62 Photos
  • Adventure
  • Sci-Fi
  • Thriller
A science teacher, his wife, and a young girl struggle to survive a plague that causes those infected to commit suicide.A science teacher, his wife, and a young girl struggle to survive a plague that causes those infected to commit suicide.A science teacher, his wife, and a young girl struggle to survive a plague that causes those infected to commit suicide.
IMDb RATING
5.0/10
205K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,965
66
  • Director
    • M. Night Shyamalan
  • Writer
    • M. Night Shyamalan
  • Stars
    • Mark Wahlberg
    • Zooey Deschanel
    • John Leguizamo
Top credits
  • Director
    • M. Night Shyamalan
  • Writer
    • M. Night Shyamalan
  • Stars
    • Mark Wahlberg
    • Zooey Deschanel
    • John Leguizamo
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 1.5KUser reviews
    • 356Critic reviews
    • 34Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 wins & 10 nominations

    Videos9

    The Happening: Theatrical Trailer #2
    Trailer 2:30
    The Happening: Theatrical Trailer #2
    Cowboys! Detectives! Giant Bugs! B-Movie History!
    Clip 5:23
    Cowboys! Detectives! Giant Bugs! B-Movie History!
    The Happening
    Clip 1:00
    The Happening
    The Happening
    Clip 0:42
    The Happening
    The Happening
    Clip 0:33
    The Happening
    The Happening
    Clip 1:02
    The Happening
    The Happening
    Interview 0:47
    The Happening
    The Happening
    Interview 0:41
    The Happening
    The Happening
    Interview 0:51
    The Happening

    Photos62

    Zooey Deschanel and Ashlyn Sanchez in The Happening (2008)
    Mark Wahlberg in The Happening (2008)
    Zooey Deschanel in The Happening (2008)
    Mark Wahlberg, Betty Buckley, Zooey Deschanel, and Ashlyn Sanchez in The Happening (2008)
    Mark Wahlberg, John Leguizamo, and Ashlyn Sanchez in The Happening (2008)
    On the run in 'The Happening'
    Mark Wahlberg in The Happening (2008)
    Mark Wahlberg, John Leguizamo, Zooey Deschanel, and Ashlyn Sanchez in The Happening (2008)
    Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, and Ashlyn Sanchez in The Happening (2008)
    Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, and Ashlyn Sanchez in The Happening (2008)
    Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, and Ashlyn Sanchez in The Happening (2008)
    Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, and Ashlyn Sanchez in The Happening (2008)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Mark Wahlberg
    Mark Wahlberg
    • Elliot Mooreas Elliot Moore
    Zooey Deschanel
    Zooey Deschanel
    • Alma Mooreas Alma Moore
    John Leguizamo
    John Leguizamo
    • Julianas Julian
    Ashlyn Sanchez
    Ashlyn Sanchez
    • Jessas Jess
    Betty Buckley
    Betty Buckley
    • Mrs. Jonesas Mrs. Jones
    Spencer Breslin
    Spencer Breslin
    • Joshas Josh
    Robert Bailey Jr.
    Robert Bailey Jr.
    • Jaredas Jared
    Frank Collison
    Frank Collison
    • Nursery Owneras Nursery Owner
    Jeremy Strong
    Jeremy Strong
    • Private Austeras Private Auster
    Alan Ruck
    Alan Ruck
    • Principalas Principal
    Victoria Clark
    Victoria Clark
    • Nursery Owner's Wifeas Nursery Owner's Wife
    M. Night Shyamalan
    M. Night Shyamalan
    • Joeyas Joey
    • (voice)
    Alison Folland
    Alison Folland
    • Woman Reading on Bench with Hair Pinas Woman Reading on Bench with Hair Pin
    Kristen Connolly
    Kristen Connolly
    • Woman Reading on Benchas Woman Reading on Bench
    Cornell Womack
    Cornell Womack
    • Construction Foremanas Construction Foreman
    Curtis McClarin
    • Construction Crew Memberas Construction Crew Member
    Robert Lenzi
    Robert Lenzi
    • Jakeas Jake
    Derege Harding
    • Train Conductoras Train Conductor
    • Director
      • M. Night Shyamalan
    • Writer
      • M. Night Shyamalan
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Mark Wahlberg admitted that he regrets working on this movie, but said, "You can't blame me for wanting to try to play a science teacher. At least I wasn't playing a cop or a crook."
    • 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.
    • Quotes

      Mrs. Jones: Planning on stealing something?

      Elliot Moore: No, ma'am, we're not.

      Mrs. Jones: Plan on murdering me in my sleep?

      Elliot Moore: What? No!

    • 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.
    • Alternate versions
      German version was edited prior to submission to the FSK by the director himself to secure a "Not under 16" rating. These cuts included:
      • a needle piercing a throat during a suicide
      • a man's arm being bitten off by lions
      • a man dying under a lawnmower This version was released on DVD in the UK. However, for the German home video release the complete version was submitted. Ironically, this version was rated "Not under 16" as well (making the cut version even more redundant as guidelines for home video are stronger than for theatrical releases).
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: The Incredible Hulk/The Promotion/You Don't Mess with the Zohan/The Happening/Baghead (2008)
    • Soundtracks
      Black Water
      Written by Patrick Simmons

    User reviews1.5K

    Review
    Top review
    This is a joke, right?
    Allow me to provide some background information on my relationship with the films of M. Night Shyamalan: I adored "The Sixth Sense" and still think of it as one of the best films of 1999 and one of the best supernatural thrillers in ages. "Unbreakable" was a fascinating take on the superhero genre. I loved parts of "Signs" to bits and consider the sequence in the basement towards the end of the film one of the finest examples of suspenseful build-up in recent film history. I even liked "The Village" and could easily dismiss "Lady in the Water" as a mere misfire. I was greatly anticipating "The Happening", especially as it seemed to be echoing one of my favorite guilty pleasures- the paranoid 70's sci-fi thriller.

    Let's get one thing out of the way- "The Happening" is unbelievably, impossibly, ridiculously, hilariously, inconceivably bad. Normally I would refuse to rate any film that had any good scenes or that was well-directed less than four out of ten, but "The Happening" has to have one of the worst scripts among recent big-budget Hollywood films. It's absolutely shocking how retarded the logic behind this is and how poor so much of the dialogue is. This script began as "The Green Effect", a tremendously poor (trust me, I read parts of it) script by Shyamalan that was soundly rejected and eventually reworked into "The Happening". Having seen the critical reaction to "The Happening" prior to going into the film I found myself pleasantly surprised by basically the first thirty, forty minutes of the film. It was nothing special but it had something going for it, Shyamalan's direction was top-notch, and Wahlberg was playing the sort of goofy science teacher I'd loved (and loved to hate on occasion) in high school.

    Then the descent began. The bulk of this film is some of the most hilariously awful crap produced by a talented filmmaker since Schaffner's "Sphinx". Shyamalan, who was using close-ups and steadicam shots to frankly brilliant effect early on, begins to use the same shots to comical effect. There is one painfully, painfully long close-up of Mark Wahlberg pleading for time to think and then calling for his group to 'keep ahead of the wind' that is up there with Nicolas Cage in "The Wicker Man" in terms of hilariously awful acting. That scene may very well be the turning point in the film, with Wahlberg's acting becoming more ridiculous by the second, culminating in a performance that essentially wipes from memory all his tremendous recent achievements as an actor. I don't blame Wahlberg for this, I blame Shyamalan. Wahlberg claims Shyamalan tried to force him into real paranoia so his performance would work better. What happens here (no pun intended) is that Wahlberg ends up looking amazingly uncomfortable for the last hour of this thing and struggles to deliver any reasonable line deliveries.

    Okay, I do have to credit Zooey Deschanel for making this movie watchable. Besides being amazingly, ridiculously gorgeous she is a fine actress and creates a sympathetic character (and a fairly well-drawn one at that- one of the few pros in Shyamalan's script). There's also the score: oh my it's gorgeous. Seriously, ignore this film and just buy the score CD by James Newton Howard- it's brilliant.

    "The Happening" starts out well but ends up being an absolute embarrassment. I was prepared for a mediocre offering- perhaps a misguided effort such as "Lady in the Water". I was not expecting a disaster on the level of "The Happening". Its last forty minutes and especially its last ten minutes or so are among the worst I have seen in a long time.

    Have you ever wondered if it was possible for a film to go from enjoyable to absolutely horrendous in the space of ten or fifteen minutes? "The Happening" is proof that it can, pardon the (intentional) pun, happen.

    3/10
    helpful•1.1K
    589
    • ametaphysicalshark
    • Jun 13, 2008

    FAQ14

    • Is "The Happening" based on a book?
    • What is the Happening?
    • What is causing the Happening?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 13, 2008 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • India
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Languages
      • English
      • French
    • Also known as
      • Green Planet
    • Filming locations
      • G-Lodge Diner - 1371 Valley Forge Road, Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, USA
    • Production companies
      • Twentieth Century Fox
      • UTV Motion Pictures
      • Spyglass Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $48,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $64,506,874
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $30,517,109
      • Jun 15, 2008
    • Gross worldwide
      • $163,403,799
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 31 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • SDDS
      • Dolby Digital
      • DTS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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