THE FORGOTTEN ONE
US, 1989, 89 minutes, Colour.
Kristy Mc Nichol, Terry O'Quinn.
Directed by Philip Badger.
The Forgotten One is a romantic ghost story (as the video cassette jacket suggests in the tradition of The Innocents and The Shining). However, it is a much more simple ghost story. It involves a writer, whose wife has been killed in an accident, being drawn to a house in Denver, Colorado. He experiences disquiet, eventually seeing a ghost and discovering that she was the wife of the owner of the mansion in the 1890s. He also discovers that he is a reincarnation of the music teacher with whom she fell in love. It also emerges that her husband walled her up and paid off the suitor. Hence she continues to be a ghost, frightening people.
The writer enlists the help of the journalist across the street - which gives a bit of realism to the proceedings. They bury the body - however, the woman rises from the grave and pursues the writer, drawing him into her life.
The cast give more forcefulness than the script perhaps merits. Terry O'Quinn, always an excellent actor when there is a suggestion of menace (the Stepfather films, Blood Oath) is the writer. Kristy Mc Nicoll is the down-to-earth journalist who narrates the story. The film is written and directed by Philip Badger.
1.Romantic ghost story with touches of horror? The atmosphere of the eerie and the supernatural?
2.Denver, the street, the mansion, Barbara's house? The music store? The cemetery? The diner? The countryside and the lake? The special effects for the ghost? The musical score?
3.The title, the reference to Evelyn?
4.Barbara and her narrating the story, the focus on Bob and his experiences? Barbara as realistic and down-to-earth, jogging, meeting Bob, hearing that he was a novelist, his reading her material, her buying his novel? Dating? Her reaction to his fear and not letting him in? Sympathy, seeing the ghost, her reaction? Her affair with Bob? Wanting to help him, burying Evelyn? The terror in the night? Her being unable to help? Bob's leaving, the ghost attacking her? Her decision to destroy the corpse? Going to the cemetery, achieving her mission? But losing Bob? Her perspective and reflections?
5.Bob, his journey, the death of his wife? His first novel? The house, writer's block? His nightmares and the story of Evelyn coming to mind? The violence? His date with Barbara, friendship, supporting her writing? Her leaving - and his going to the bar, the singer, bringing her home? The relationship? The ghost and her falling out the window? The police and the interrogation? His enlisting Barbara's help, the bonds between them, her not letting him in, listening to his story? Helping him and the finding of the corpse, burying the corpse? His encounters with Evelyn, his fears, the dangers in the cellar? His eventually finding the body? The dreams, finding the diary? Reading the diary and the visualising of it? Evelyn, her husband, William? The affair? The blank diary? The music and his playing it? Evelyn coming to life from the grave? Seductive, the affair? His bewilderment, wanting to move away but yet drawn in by Evelyn? His attempt to leave, the diner, the car, the hitch-hiking, the encounter with her in the woods, the lake? Her taking him with her and his death? Waltzing in the room?
6.Evelyn, her story, wilfulness? The diary? The affair? As a ghost, terrorising people? Seductive, the bathroom, the clash with Barbara? Her enticing Bob, drawing him to herself? His death and the dancing?
7.The glimpses of her husband, his jealousy? Buying off William?
8.William, the music, teaching? Playing? The Affair? The picture, Bob seeming to be a reincarnation? His wanting to avoid it - identifying with William?
9.The vagrant, his sitting in the car, seeing the ghost?
