Brooks, P., Farrands, D., Rhoads, W., Trapani, A. (Producers), & Cornwell, P. (Director). (2009). The Haunting in Connecticut. [Motion picture]. United States: Lionsgate.
UPC 031398111917
•Plot Summary
Although he is only a teenager, Matt Campbell is quickly learning about death. Matt is undergoing experimental treatment as a cancer patient, and often on the road with his mother, because the hospital is hours away from their home. His parents are having troubles as well, his father is a recovering alcoholic, and finances are a problem. One night, after a session of treatment, Matt is so ill that his mother (Sara) must pull over to the side of the road. His parents have been debating about renting a house closer to the hospital, and Sara makes the decision that night. Unfortunately for Matt, the house formerly housed a mortuary, and he begins seeing visions of a young man in his basement bedroom. As more and more visions take hold, and Matt is aware it may be a side effect of his treatment, his behavior also worsens. It's while sitting in the hospital one day that Matt meets Rev. Popescu, a fellow patient, and a man that explains the paranormal to him-how their being closer to death allows them to see things that the healthy can't see. It isn't until a game of hide and seek in the house, that the rest of the family begins to see what Matt does, and Matt discovers a series of sinister objects that go with the mourning photos his mother found the first day. Together, Matt and his cousin (Wendy), try to find out what the significance is of the sightings, the photos, and the strange box of objects they find in the attic. The Reverend comes to help, but it takes explosions of light bulbs all over the house for Sara to believe, and ask the Reverend back. He investigates, and finds pieces of the dead boy's (Jonah's) skull in the crematorium oven. When he removes these pieces, he also removes the only thing keeping death at bay. Jonah was just a pawn, a teenage medium used by the mortician to conduct seances in the house, and one night things got out of hand. The mortician and the seance participants were burned alive, and Jonah tries to flee, but is caught in the oven by the same spirits whose bodies the mortician had mutilated in order to bind them as watchers of the house. The objects in the box are eyelids, and the dead have watching everything in the house, unable to attack as long as Jonah's body was present in some form. With his parents gone one night, Matt forces his cousin and sister out of the house, using an axe to dislodged the dining room walls-and releasing the bodies of the dead on the floor. He sets first to the house, and is overcome by his own illness, as well as smoke and the dead that are coming for him. Sara goes into the house, and they are pulled out by fireman, but the bodies are consumed. The spirits are released, and Matt can no longer see the dead. His cancer disappears overnight.
•Critical Evaluation
The actors and actresses in this film are all extremely convincing, especially Kyle Gallner (Matt), and the film has just enough of a scare factor to keep most teens riveted to their seats. Supposedly based on a true story from 1987, it begins with Sara explaining the events leading up to her moving into the house.
•Reader’s Annotation
Although it was given a PG-13 rating for theatres, this film may be too mature for some younger teens, and the above UPC is for the unrated version that I bought. Not recommended for teens that have trouble with psychological thrillers.
•Genre
Motion Picture, Film, DVD
•Curriculum Ties
Folktales
•Booktalking Ideas
Paranormal activity, horror films with teen lead characters
•Reading Level/Interest Age
Grades 8-12, Ages 13-19
•Challenge Issues
N/A
•Why did you include this book in you’re the titles you selected?
There are so few good horror films being made now in the classic style, more fright than gore, and fewer still with teen leads-I bought this DVD on sale just to see it, and was already a fan ten minutes into the movie.
