Rated PG-13 for some frightening sequences.
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan
Starring Paul Giamatti, Bryce Dallas Howard, M. Night Shyamalan…
I’ve seen two trailers for this film: the first is the one I call the “fairy tale” preview. It begins with the words “Once upon a time,” ending with the words “A Bedtime Story by M. Night Shymalan.” The second preview starts with eerie music, segueing into a typical horror preview.
Those who go to the theatre expecting the “fairy tale” won’t be disappointed. Those who are looking for just another horror film might be let down. Lady in the Water is A Wrinkle in Time, not The Hills Have Eyes II.
I really enjoyed the film, but then again, I wasn’t expecting a horror.
If you’re an M. Night Shymamalan fan, I think you’ll really like this film. Clarification: everyone who liked The Sixth Sense isn’t exactly an M. Night Shymamalan fan. You have to ask yourself, did you also like Signs and The Village? Because Lady in the Water is much more about story and character development than jumps and plot twists.
The story is about an apartment super named Cleveland Heep (Giamatti) who rescues a young woman (Howard) from the pool he maintains. Soon he discovers that she is a character from a bedtime story trying to make the journey back to her home. Cleveland engages the help from many of his tenants to protect his new friend from the creatures that are determined to keep her in our world.
As I was walking out of the theatre I heard polarized comments. A group of young teenagers with different expectations were poking fun at the film. Another couple was discussing the film as they left. The guy was talking about how much he enjoyed it. The girl said, “I think that’s my favorite of his yet!”
Bottom line: people are going to love it, or hate it. Unfortunately for M. Night, the film is not doing well at the box office. In its second week of release, it’s only at 32 million. That’s only about halfway to the break even point. Where the second Pirates of the Caribbean film (which was pretty lame) has grossed $358 million so far (as of four weeks of release).
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
Not younger kids. It’s a little too frightening. But I’ll show it to my 13 year old when it comes to video. The film is completely innocent.
Some might object to the fact that the woman is found naked. But the director does a great job of handling all the nudity off camera and in good taste (no nudity at all in the film).
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
