Review: The Haunting (1999)

Sometimes, when you are not sure about a movie, it helps to break it down into Pros and Cons.  Maybe throw in a few either way/maybes for parts of the movie you are unsure about.  Let's try that exercise with this movie.

PROS:

1. Lili Taylor is working overtime in this movie to make it watchable.  Not sure how many mainstream movies she had been a lead in before this, but she tears into this one with gusto - like she might not get another chance.

2. It emulates better movies in such a way that it doesn't feel too derivative: there are allusions to the breathing doors of the original (and superior) 1963 film, amongst others.

3. Catherine Zeta-Jones is a perfect choice for Theo - almost moreso than Lili Taylor as Eleanor

4. Changing it from a study of the paranormal to a study of fear is an interesting concept, even if I don't think they bettered the original premise.

CONS:

1. Owen Wilson is not quite sure what type of movie he is in.

2. The CGI is bad even by the standards of 1999, which is saying something

3. More of an addition to the above, but they use way too much CGI

4. Plotwise, they have Theo experience some of the paranormal activity, but still have her act like Eleanor is crazy for talking about her own (admittedly more intense) experiences.  Could've been a much more interesting dynamic than everyone thinking Eleanor is having a breakdown

MAYBES?:

1. Liam Neeson very obviously does not give a fuck - he doesn't even pretend to see anything when the CGI is 'present'.  However, watching him completely and totally not care onscreen does give me some personal amusement

2. I like the shifting-when-not-looking-at-them faces of the children, up until the movie decides to show them shifting with bad CGI

3. Like the book and the previous movie, I am enraged by Eleanor's sister and husband in an early scene, so well played there.  Also, hello Virginia Madsen!  Not sure why you did that small part, but you did it well!

4. Changing it so that Eleanor is related to Hugh Crain is... a choice.

Hmm, that doesn't really help since all of them have the same number.  I find it watchable at least, so I guess it gets a passing score.

6.5 out of 10