MPAA Rating: R/Genre: Supernatural Horror/Stars: Kevin Bacon, Kathryn Erbe, Zachary David Cope, Illeana Douglas, Jennifer Morrison, Liza Weil, Kevin Dunn, Lusia Strus, Chalon Williams, Conor O’Farrell, Steve Rifkin, Eddie Bo Smith Jr./Runtime: 99 minutes
Among the list of unusual phenomena that have been known to occur throughout the long and storied history of movie magic, there is one item among those which has long intrigued me as both writer of film and just casual movie lover in equal measure. That being whenever Hollywood decides, for whatever reason, to give audiences a pair of movies in the same year that have nearly identical plots. For example in 2013, Hollywood apparently had some kind of beef with the White House because audiences were treated to 2 different movies that both dealt with a hostile group taking over that iconic building and the actions of a lone hero to try and save the day. Another one that comes to mind is how in the year 1997, the studios apparently had a fondness for volcano disaster movies since we were treated to both Dante’s Peak and Volcano that year. 1998 of course was the year of the animated talking bug with the release of both Antz and A Bug’s Life. 1981 was the year of the werewolf with both The Howling and An American Werewolf in London. Perhaps the most famous (and twistedly hilarious) example that comes to my mind however is how in the year 1982 audiences got to see two distinct takes on Earth being visited by aliens from another world with the benevolent E.T. and John Carpenter’s significantly more nihilistic remake of The Thing respectively. The reason I bring this up to you dear reader is because the year 1999 was no exception to this rule. Indeed this was the year of what I like to refer to as “alive people seeing dead people” with the first film of the two being the phenomenal The Sixth Sense. Yet this is not a review about that film however (disappointing as that must be to all of you I’m sure). Rather, this is a review about the second film that dealt with that topic known as Stir of Echoes and honestly, as flawed as this slice of cinema is dear reader, I still found myself walking away from it feeling fairly satisfied. To be sure, this is definitely a film where the characterization for a lot of the supporting characters is definitely lacking and the entire first act (or at least 30 additional minutes) of the movie seems to have been sucked up into a black hole with how nonexistent it is on screen. Even with that in mind though, the work behind the camera is still fairly well-done and the work done by the cast in front of the camera (led by a not-bad and not separated by 6 degrees of any kind Kevin Bacon) does do the best they can with the material they have been given. Suffice it to say that it might not be perfect, but Stir of Echoes is still a relatively engaging little chiller that should be good for at least a quick and easy dark and stormy night viewing experience.
The plot is as follows: An adaptation of a 1958 novel called A Stir of Echoes by the iconic writer Richard Matheson (I Am Legend, What Dreams May Come, Duel, and no less than 16 episodes of the original Twilight Zone), Stir of Echoes gets its chilling saga underway by taking us to a working-class neighborhood in that iconic locale of Chicago where we are quickly introduced to our hero in the shape and form of a guy named Tom Witzky. A blue-collar guy who, among other things worth knowing about him, works as a phone lineman to support his family consisting of wife Maggie and son Jake who let’s just say has a very unique hobby that I’ll let you see for yourself. He also is someone who is very much skeptical about a lot of things, gets along great with the people in his neighborhood, and who just overall seems to be a fairly well-adjusted individual all things considered. Of course, as with the vast majority of people who actually have it good and don’t realize it, we see that Tom very much is someone who feels like his life really hasn’t played out the way he would like and really isn’t content with just being some “ordinary guy”. Unfortunately for Tom I don’t think anyone got to him the memo involving caution in what you wish for. I say this because it isn’t long before Lady Fate decides to grant him his wish when, at a neighborhood party one evening, we see Tom prod his sister-in-law, who believes in the paranormal with a fervent and passionate intensity, to actually hypnotize him and, much to his let alone everyone else in the room’s astonishment, is actually successfully put under. Upon snapping out of it however, we see that our hero has come back with more than just an appreciation for his sister-in-law to say nothing of the art of hypnosis. Rather, he has (without even realizing it) just permitted a door hidden away in the deepest parts of his mind to be unlocked thereby permitting anything to just come a’calling and pay him a visit should they feel like doing so. Of course, it should come as no surprise to learn, that something (or should I say someone) decides to take advantage of this invite and begins to put our poor beleaguered hero through a series of haunting visions. Visions that, whilst pushing him to no less than a point of pure madness, will also begin to reveal bits and pieces of a long-buried mystery. One that, by the time our hero is done solving, will not just reveal some very nasty community secrets, but could also potentially put Tom and his family in the direct path of no less than grave danger…..
Now right off, it should be said that the work done behind the camera on this spooky cinematic story is solid with perhaps the exception of one crucial element. That being in terms of this film’s script. Now there are movies that David Koepp has done the screenplay for that I do love and appreciate very much, but with this film it almost feels like we are walking into one where the first 30 minutes or so accidentally found itself falling prey to the cutting room floor. As a result, it definitely feels like we are walking into a movie in the middle of the action rather than at the beginning and so it does prove to be quite the disjointed viewing experience because of that right down to the ending more than feeling a tad bit on the rushed side. On top of that, there are so many holes in terms of characterization for the majority of the cast of supporting characters in this that when certain ones have moments in this that are supposed to be these profoundly emotional moments, they really don’t register on the level they should. Not because of the work done by the talent playing these characters mind you, but because we haven’t seen anything from the characters involved that would really make these moments be as impactful as they deserve to be when looking at them in the grand scheme of the overall narrative. With those issues in mind however, there is no denying that the rest of the work done behind the camera is very much willing to do what it can to help make up for them. For instance, the work done at the helm by Koepp is fortunately better than the work he did on this slice of cinema’s script. Indeed not only does Koepp do a wonderful job of really permitting an air of genuine suspense and unease to permeate the film, but he also lets the mystery at the heart of the movie unfurl at a pace that is slow yet methodical in nature. As a result, not only do you learn things at the same time as the main character, but you also refreshingly have no idea just where in the world this is headed thus permitting you to be genuinely surprised with each new twist in the road. Along with that, I also really dig the work done by Fred Murphy (1986’s Hoosiers, 2003’s Freddy vs. Jason, and even 2006’s RV) in the cinematography department. Indeed not only does Murphy capture the aforementioned creepy and ominous atmosphere beautifully right down to the placement of a few well-placed jolts that even had me jump a little bit at points, but he also does some incredibly skilled work at, among other things, really distinguishing the moments for us when we are seeing things from the ghost’s point of view by slowing the camera down and then letting the camera operate at a normal rate once we are back in the P.O.V. of someone who is still a member of the land of the living. Lastly, I would definitely be amiss if I didn’t take some time to praise the work done on this film’s musical accompaniment by gifted composer James Newton Howard (the 1984 Dune, 1992’s Glengarry Glen Ross, and even the first 2 entries in The Dark Knight trilogy among others). Indeed Newton Howard does a masterful job of providing this film with a score, right down to a take on the Rolling Stones song “Paint It Black” that is nothing short of chilling and spine-tingling in its own right. Suffice it to say that, the aforementioned issues with this slice of cinema’s script aside, the work done behind the camera on this film definitely does a fairly good job of really bringing this genuinely spooky cinematic saga to life.
Of course, the other component that can aid or sink a slice of cinema like this undoubtedly comes in the form of the work done by the cast of talent assembled in front of the camera. In that regard, it should be noted that while the cast of players here does not by any means do a bad job the vast majority of them are also let down by the aforementioned various holes contained within this slice of cinema’s script. Even with that in mind however, there are still some performances that I feel are definitely worthy of mention. Without a doubt in my mind, the first one of that previously touched upon category has to be the work done by Kevin Bacon in the lead role. Indeed Kevin Bacon has long been, in my mind anyway, one of the land of movie magic’s more underrated talents despite showcasing a wide range in terms of the roles that he has taken on and his work in this slice of cinema is by no means an exception to that role. I say that because in the role of Tom Witzky, Bacon does a terrific job of showcasing for us an individual who, when we first meet him, is very much the kind of everyday, seemingly ordinary guy that you or I might cross paths with in our typical lives right down to being able to just kick back with a cold one and spend some quality time with his neighbors/friends and family. At the same time though, and once the supernatural proceedings start to kick in, we see that Bacon is able to transition from that and bring such a dogged if not just downright obsessed mania to the character that yes we want him to get to the bottom of this mystery he has been reluctantly dragged into, but we also feel for him and his family as his obsession starts to really tear them apart from one another. Suffice it to say that it is a truly riveting turn from an actor who has given audiences more than his fair share of them throughout his career. Alongside the work done here by Bacon, this slice of cinema also gives us a fairly solid turn from Kathryn Erbe (Alex Eames from Law & Order: Criminal Intent) as Tom’s wife Maggie. Indeed Erbe does a wonderful, if not intensely emotional at points, job here at giving us a character who loves her husband and the life they have together, but finds herself getting both worried due to what, appears to be, Tom having a mental break of some kind to say nothing of deeply frustrated after a while due to feeling very much like she is becoming the invisible woman in a sense to both her husband and their son Jake. Lastly, I definitely think praise should be given here to none other than child actor Zachary David Cope in the role of Jake. Indeed this is a very tricky role to play since this child is supposed to be both innocent yet quite precocious and in the wrong hands this character could easily have come off a bit on the bratty side. Fortunately, Cope is able to do a terrific job at walking that very thin line and giving us a performance that is adorable yet very much in synch with the chilling proceedings as well. Suffice it to say that when you also incorporate solid, albeit severely underwritten, efforts from such talents as the always enjoyable Kevin Dunn, Conor O’Farrell, Eddie Bo Smith Jr., Liza Weil (Paris from Gilmore Girls), a heartbreaking yet vital tun from Jennifer Morrison, and iconic character actress Illeana Douglas among others it’s clear that the script may let them down, but this cast still does the best they can with the material they are given regardless.
All in all and at the end of the day is Stir of Echoes a perfect slice of horror cinema? Honestly nope, nada, not even close. At the same time however, does that make this the worst slice of cinema that either David Koepp or Kevin Bacon has done in either of their respective careers? Sorry, but if that is what you are seeking then 2015’s Mortdecai, 2017’s The Mummy, or 2013’s R.I.P.D. would very much like to have a word with you (and given how those particular slices of cinema turned out I’m willing to bet that particular conversation won’t be pleasant). All sarcastic observations aside, there is no denying that this slice of cinema is one that is most assuredly on the flawed side due in no small part to the fact that the script is both seemingly missing the first 30 minutes of the film to say nothing of a lot of the characterization for the supporting cast of talent. As a result, not only does the film feel significantly disjointed (right down to a rushed ending), but the supporting cast of characters all, despite game efforts from the talents portraying them, feel a wee bit on the one note side. On the other hand, the rest of the work done behind the camera is fairly solid and the performances given by Kevin Bacon, Kathryn Erbe, and Zachary David Cope all manage to be actually pretty dang good. Suffice it to say then that if you want a movie from the long-ago year of 1999 that permitted the audience to witness how a little boy with the power to see dead people was able to make quite the impact on the lives of several individuals in the city of Philadelphia….then might I suggest The 6th Sense? On the other hand, if you are looking for a good yet not great thriller where Kevin Bacon is contacted by a dead person in Chicago to help them with their unfinished business then definitely check this out. Sure, it’s not brilliant, but at least it’s better than the sequel it had from 2007 that starred, of all people, Rob Lowe. Make of that what thou will. On a scale of 1-5 I give Stir of Echoes “99” a solid 3.5 out of 5.
