THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT

US, 2009, 92 minutes, Colour.
Virginia Madsen, Kyle Gallner, Elias Koteas, Amanda Crew, Martin Donovan, Sophie Knight, Ty Wood, Eric J. Burg.
Directed by Peter Cornwell.

It begins with those ominous words, 'Based on a true story'. Unless you are prone to believe everyone and everything, you will take this with a grain of salt. However, there is enough to savour here, that you won't take this fictional film with that grain.

One of the troubles with horror films in recent years is that so many of them are really horrible, in tone, in language and in gory details. Many ordinary audiences would walk out (allowing that some of them have actually walked in).

But, film-makers have always known that many audiences, even respectable audiences, like a scary story and enjoy jumping at some shocks. These films rely on atmosphere and characters rather than indulge in the gruesome. Recently, The Uninvited worked quite well with an unanticipated (at least to most of us) twist.

The Haunting in Connecticut does not offer twists but opens with suggestions of mysterious happenings in a building back in the 1920s – and all becomes clear by the end. Actually, every reviewer and commentator has mentioned that they were reminded of The Amityville Horror. And, that is right. It is a variation on that treatment of a haunted house.

Where this film has an advantage is that it is telling a story about a teenager with terminal cancer (Kyle Gallner) who has been accepted into experimental treatment and needs to stay near the hospital as the radiation therapy makes him nauseous and sick. The empty house seems inexpensive and handily close, so mother (Virginia Madsen), children and a cousin move in with the father staying at work but visiting.

Well, things go bump in the night and soon the sick boy is subject to morose moods and strange behaviour. He meets a pastor (Elias Koteas) who also has cancer and he becomes involved in trying to 'exorcise' the evil from the house.

At first the film suggests its horror as if focuses on the domestic story and draws audience sympathy for the boy and the family. After an hour, things become rather more creepy with a couple of jumps, threats to the family and a revelation of what was going on in the haunted house.

In the United States, the classification is PG 13 which indicates that it is not alarming or disgusting as too many other horror films are.

1.A horror film for most audiences? Scares, shocks? The religious dimension? The supernatural?

2.The alleged true story? The similarity to The Amityville Horror? Sara and her TV testimony at beginning and end? Her vouching for the truth? Her final words about God, mysterious ways, miracles?

3.The ordinary American setting, the open landscapes, the town, the old house, the hospital? The musical score and atmosphere?

4.The visuals of the house itself, a haunted house? The beliefs, superstition? The credulity of the audience in believing that this could be true? Gullibility?

5.The prologue: the photos, the sense of mystery, the undertaker, the photos of the dead, the emotional response to the people in the photos? The séance, suspicions, communication by the dead, the numbers on the bodies, necromancy? Jonah, his role in the house, in the séances, as a medium? Ramsay Aikman and his sinister presence? Sinister practices?

6.Matt Campbell, his age, having terminal cancer, the concern of his mother, riding in the car, his being sick, the treatment, radiotherapy? The bond with his mother? Distance from his father? His brother and sister, cousin? His experience of treatment, his needs, with his parents?

7.Sara and Peter, their loving relationship, Sara as serious, intent that her son should live, Peter and his past drinking, reform? The issue of the house, closer to the hospital? Her making the decision, the phone calls to Peter? The decision to move, his maintaining his job, driving on weekends, selling the truck, paying the mortgage and bills? His promise not to drink again? The temptation, his falling, his coming, angry, to the house when drunk? Sara’s reaction? The issue of the house, Sara searching, visiting, inexpensive, its look?

8.The moving, moving into the rooms, settling down, Matt taking the basement, the mystery of the locked door, his wondering what was on the other side?

9.The bumps in the night, the glimpses of strange characters in mirrors? The theory by the Reverend Popescu about ordinary people not seeing the dead, Matt and himself seeing people near the edge between the ordinary and the extraordinary? How true could this be?

10.Matt and his treatment, the doctor, lying about his hallucinations, the doctor discovering the truth, the medical treatment? The medical explanations? Not enough for what was happening?

11.The Reverend Popescu, his illness, at the centre, talking with Matt? The story of his wife, her cancer, grief? Matt relying on him? His religious perspective? His visit to the house, his explanation? Sara arriving, ousting him? Her later calling him, her appeal to him? The mystery, the information, his prayer, thinking about the solution? Realising that he had misinterpreted, his urgent phone call?

12.Mary and Billy, playing? Bored? Hide-and-seek, the dumbwaiter, the cupboards? Being trapped? Wendy, her help? The library research, getting the information of what happened in the house, having the shower, missing the phone call? Fears?

13.The research and information, the home as a funeral parlour, the bodies, Aikman and his behaviour, the séances, the flashbacks to these incidents, the role of Jonah? Jonah and his continually appearing to Matt? Taking possession of Matt? Jonah as a medium, experiencing the cruelty of Aikman?

14.Reverend Popescu’s realisation of what had happened, Jonah as suffering, his appearance, his needing to be freed?

15.Matt, going back to the house, searching the house, finding the bodies, the dead and their rage, surrounding him?

16.Matt and his deterioration, in his room, his dreams and imagination, Jonah, the numbers on his body? Leaving the hospital?

17.Peter, the crisis, his anger at the lights on in the house, smashing things? His coming back to the hospital?

18.Sara’s explanation, Matt’s complete cure, the mysterious ways of God and miracles?