HEAVENS POND/DEVILS POND

US, 2003, 84 minutes, Colour.
Kip Pardue, Tara Reid, Meredith Baxter.
Directed by Josh Viertel.

Heaven’s Pond was the working title of this film. It was released as Devil’s Pond in the United States but throughout the world as Heaven’s Pond.

The film is a two-hander, between Kip Pardue, Mitch, and Tara Reid, Julianne, as newlyweds. Meredith Baxter has a moment or two as Tara Reid’s mother. After the wedding ceremony and reception, the couple go on a honeymoon into the woods, onto a shack on an island. Julianne is afraid of water, can’t swim, but has not told her husband. He is a man about the house, doing repairs, fishing… However, tensions begin to arise, Julianne uncomfortable on the island and wanting to go home, Mitch asserting his rights as husband for their mutual decisions – and he is not wrong in accusing her of being spoilt and dependent on her mother.

The tension builds to confrontations and Julianne finally walking to freedom.

1. A small film, two-hander? Effective screenplay, performances, photography?

2. The plausibility of the plot and characters? They behaviour during the honeymoon? Clashes? Crisis?

3. The opening with Julianne, injured? A framework for the flashback?

4. The wedding, the ceremony, with the consent, the focus on Julianne, Mitch and his response? Reception, farewell, Julianne’s mother and her concern?

5. Travelling to the house, the two weeks’ honeymoon, the isolation, the natural beauty, driving through the woods, coming to the lake, the house of the lake?

6. Julianne and her hesitations, and not revealing she could not swim, fear of water, lying on the float and its overturning, Mitch rescuing her?

7. The house, old, previous inhabitants, hunters? Settling in, the early days of the honeymoon, love and devotion? Mitch teaching her to fish? Setting traps? The touches of tension?

8. The second week, Julianne wanting to go home, Mitch refusing? The petulance, his being correcting in calling her a spoilt princess? Dependent on her mother? Her not being able to call her mother? His apologies, her tantrums?

9. The audience siding with Julianne and her fears and wanting to go home? The audience siding with Mitch, considering his wife’s being spoilt?

10. The mystery box, the drawings, Julianne getting the key, opening it, finding the deed for the house? Mitch and his dead father, the grave in the woods?

11. Julianne and attempts to escape, fishing out the cushiion from the water? Deceiving Mitch?

12. The truth, Mitch and his wanting to stay in the woods, being possessive of his wife, lying to her but loving her? Her attempts to escape, in the truck, unable to start it, getting the gun?

13. The final confrontation, her getting the best of Mitch? Getting through the water? Walking to freedom?