What Lies Beneath (2000)

Director:

Robert Zemeckis

Writers (WGA):

Sarah Kernochan (story) and
Clark Gregg (story) ...

Release Date:

21 July 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

He was the perfect husband until his one mistake followed them home.

Plot:

The wife of a professor investigates the murder of a beautiful college student who has been appearing to her.

Plot Keywords:

Charming But Evil Man | Poltergeist | Extramarital Affair | Revenge | Infidelity

Awards:

4 wins & 5 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Fri. July 25

6:15 AM

HBO

Cast

Harrison Ford	...	Dr. Norman Spencer
Michelle Pfeiffer	...	Claire Spencer
Diana Scarwid	...	Jody
Joe Morton	...	Dr. Drayton
James Remar	...	Warren Feur
Miranda Otto	...	Mary Feur
Amber Valletta	...	Madison Elizabeth Frank
Katharine Towne	...	Caitlin Spencer
Victoria Bidewell	...	Beatrice
Eliott Goretsky	...	Teddy
Ray Baker	...	Dr. Stan Powell
Wendy Crewson	...	Elena
Sloane Shelton	...	Mrs. Templeton
Tom Dahlgren	...	Dean Templeton
Micole Mercurio	...	Mrs. Frank

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for terror/violence, sensuality and brief language.

Runtime:

130 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Japan:R | Brazil:14 | Hungary:16 (TV rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | Colombia:18 | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-14 | France:-12 | Germany:16 (w) | Hong Kong:IIB | Hungary:18 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:M | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | Mexico:B | Philippines:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Burlington, Vermont, USA

Company:

DreamWorks SKG

Trivia:

On the back of Claire and Norman's sailboat, it says GOOD GENES.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Claire crawls to the stairs toward the end of the movie, there is an upset lamp, which is lit, on the stair landing; however, the electrical outlet on the landing has no cord plugged into it.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Claire Spencer: Good morning, Beauty. Let's go or we'll never leave on time.
Caitlin Spencer: I'm totally ready.
Claire Spencer: Come on. I'll make you some waffles.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Clouds in My Coffee (2004)

Soundtrack:

Domination

This bugged me immensely

The cast is solid,the atmosphere seems right,the imagery equal parts erotic and chilling and yet...

There is about forty minutes out of this over two hour fest where there is a completely unnecessary red herring subplot(something that was explained away easily in the ads!)where the error-prone,gradually suspicious-but-loving wife(Michelle Pfeiffer)of a popular college professor(Harrison Ford in a role MANY will not be familiar or comfortable) is wrapped up in the death of a woman that lives next door to their palatial,rural estate. Besides the fact that it has little or no bearing on the true plot of the movie,but the amount of time devoted TO that MacGuffin is so tedious that it feels as if the director,producers and the advertising execs pushing this film weren't on the same page.

I seem to have been the only one(at least if you went by the comments I've skimmed so far on this site)to noticed.

Director Robert Zemekis wants(stress WANTS)to make a Hitchcock-like thriller:he half succeeds in that he creates good mood and tension,but he fails miserably in making a slow,long,tedious and aggravating film where the plot takes WAY too much time to establish and the action to get rolling.

More of a curiosity than a real chapter to any of the principles' careers. Not a total waste,but hardly the best work done by any involved.