Tension rings true in ‘What Lies Beneath’

Friday, July 21, 2000 | 9:17 a.m.

The Movie Guys, starring Jeff Howard and Dave Neil, appears Fridays in the Sun. They can also be seen on the 11 a.m. Friday newscast on KVVU Channel 5. Plus, check them out online at lasvegassun.com/sun/sunlife/ movies and themovieguys.com.

Grades:

Jeff B, Dave B+ Starring: Michelle Pfeiffer, Harrison Ford, Diana Scarwid, James Remar.

Screenplay: Clark Gregg.

Director: Robert Zemeckis.

Rated: PG-13 for violence, profanity, adult themes.

Running time: 130 minutes.

Playing at: UA Showcase 8, UA Rainbow Promenade 10, Century Orleans, Century Desert 16, Century Cinedome 12 Henderson, Rancho Santa Fe 16, Las Vegas Drive-in, Regal Cinemas Sunset Station, Regal Cinemas Colonnade 14, Regal Cinemas Texas Station 18, Regal Cinemas Village Square 18.

Synopsis: It had been a year since Dr. Norman Spencer betrayed his beautiful wife, Claire. But with Claire oblivious to the truth and the affair over, Norman's life and marriage seem perfect -- so perfect that when she tells him of hearing mysterious voices and seeing a young woman's wraithlike image in their home, he dismisses her mounting terror as delusion. However, as Claire moves closer to the truth, it becomes clear that this apparition will not be dismissed, and has come back for Spencer ... and his beautiful wife.

Dave: The problem with most psychological thrillers over the past 30 years is they fall prey to predictability, are formulaic in story and script, and normally rely heavily on a strong cast. That leaves any genuine suspicions, thrills and legitimate zigzagging in the forgotten abyss.

It wasn't until earlier this year, when Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window" (1954) had a theatrical re-release, that my interest in the classic genre was refreshed, reminding me of what elements make a superb suspense film: mystery, building tension, plot twists and, finally, a dramatic payoff (oh yeah, and a McGuffin if you have one).

Of course, there have been exceptions to the meek thrillers over the years, such as when Jeff Bridges fools Glenn Close with his innocent charm in "Jagged Edge" (1985) or Bruce Willis aids a youthful Haley Joel Osment in last year's "The Sixth Sense." A good thriller is simply hard to come by. When one does come along, I'm overjoyed with fright and delight and "What Lies Beneath" delivers the ghostly goods that define a superb suspense thriller.

Jeff: Director Robert Zemeckis leads you down a dead-end trail, beginning with a "Rear Window" mystery, then shifting (catching you well off-guard) to an eerie ghost story. Whispers in the hall, doors creaking open by themselves, pictures falling to the ground, fleeting images appearing in the mirror, all sending chills down your spine. Having just recovered from a tragic automobile accident the year before and with her only daughter away at her first year of college, Claire's (Michelle Pfeiffer) visions are explained as hallucinations. Yet we know they are real.

The ghost needs her help in uncovering a hidden secret, and as the mystery unfolds unbelievable revelations follow. Pfeiffer is stunning and convincing, walking an emotional tightrope brought on by a life of broken dreams and desires. She searches for the awful truth that lies within the walls of her home and the answer is both shocking and rewarding.

Dave: The film opens in a tranquil Vermont community, where Claire and her husband, Dr. Norman Spencer (Harrison Ford), are nearly finished remodeling. While watching their newly acquired neighbors passionately argue, Claire begins to suspect possible foul play when the wife disappears. Meanwhile the bizarre behavior and strange anomalies hint at something deeper and eventually trigger Claire's recessed memories of a forgotten past.

Ford is as enigmatic in his performance as Pfeiffer is vulnerable. Both stars take a departure from their usual roles, which proves to be a winning chemistry between a couple who have more skeletons than a closet could hold.

Jeff: Oscar-winning director Zemeckis has created some of the most popular and beloved films of our times: "Back to the Future," "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," and "Forrest Gump." His name doesn't carry instant recognition, as does a Hitchcock, Spielberg, or Scorsese. Zemeckis will no doubt draw fire for "What Lies Beneath" from critics and film purists, as his latest movie is obviously a discipline in the art of suspense, which was perfected by the aforementioned directors.

Director Brian DePalma has endured this stigma for most of his career, but I wouldn't call it stealing. I would call it influence! Isn't that the function of art, to inspire imitators? Cinema is more than 100 years old and Hitchcock has been dead for more than 20 years. You can only watch "Psycho" so many times for what it is, and you pray that someone will come along to put a fresh spin on that very formula. We want to be scared. It's because we know the elements of "Psycho" and what it means to be in a bathroom with the shower curtain closed. The audience experiences an instant mood setting and expects nothing less, but Zemeckis has a few surprises of his own up his sleeve.

Dave: What "Psycho" did for showers and "Jaws" did for beaches, Pfeiffer's terrifying events in the bathroom are sure to do for tubs everywhere. Screenwriter Clark Gregg provides Zemeckis with plenty of clever material to work his cinematic magic and deliver some creative camera work with scenes that involve the camera at eye level, then sinking below the ground and looking up at actors through the floor.

Hitchcock once said that if you could eliminate the sound to any movie and the moving pictures still convey the story, then you had "a quality picture." I found that rings true in "What Lies Beneath" and that the aesthetics of sound amplify the film's horrifying suspense.

Jeff: Burdened with a "Sixth Sense"-type of ending and threaded with scary jumps, concentrated tension and sudden revelations, I urge you to keep the final act of "What Lies Beneath' a secret. See it quickly, before everyone spoils the ending. Word of mouth will spread like wildfire, and for a night at the movies this summer it doesn't get much more fun than this.