What Lies Beneath
The past has a way of floating to the surface, a specter that clings to the present, refusing to be discarded. Erstwhile cellist and now housewife, Claire Spencer (Michelle Pfeiffer), and her genetic researcher husband, Norman (Harrison Ford) are a pair of middle-aged, "waspy" New England, upper-middle class parents, coping with sending Claire's daughter, Caitlin (Katharine Towne) off to college. After witnessing a distressing episode involving her neighbors--and potentially suffering from a form of empty nest syndrome--Claire begins to believe that their newly renovated coastal home is haunted, although she is unsure by whom.
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What Lies Beneath is a psychological thriller and ghost story about the devastating after effects of secrets of a marriage--including deceptions like infidelity and resentment--brought to the surface when there are no other distractions hold them at bay. An early scene where Claire skims through a scrapbook insinuates that she feels unfulfilled, having given up her career as a talented musician who played Carnegie Hall in order to marry Norman and support the daughter of her late husband. Although unspoken, it is a lingering sentiment that this was a sacrifice Claire made for Caitlin (and Norman), choosing motherhood over her passion for music. While Norman appears to love Claire greatly, he is distant and guarded, spending intensive amount of time in his own passion--genetic research--chasing the achievements of his own late father. It is also clear that he resents living in his father's shadow, and has taken great pains to ensure that his life is perfect. To that end, Norman takes Claire to upscale social gatherings with his colleagues, and she follows along, dutifully playing the role of the lovely, charming, and intelligent wife. Although there is no evidence of domestic violence in the Spencer household, small moments suggest an abusive side to Norman, or at least one which is dangerous. Consider the way he sneaks up on Claire, startling her as she spies on her neighbors, Warren and Mary Feur (James Remar and Miranda Otto) in the middle of a heated argument; tension follows Norman inherently. It could be argued that early on, Claire's response to Caitlin's absence is purely psychological, and her anxiety and suspicions about Warren killing his wife and Mary's ghost haunting their house is exacerbated by a lack of purpose and a disconnect from her own husband. The escalation of tense moments and the presumed hauntings--manifesting with picture frames being knocked over or doors that refuse to stay closed--make Claire so concerned about her sanity that she concedes to see a psychiatrist. Claire also confides as well as she can to her best friend, Jody (Diana Scarwid), about her suspicions of a ghost in her residence--who in turn playfully gifts her a book on witchcraft and spirits. These are like a bigger "block" in her memory which only becomes evident later in What Lies Beneath, as elements come knocking on her mind's front door, trying to gain entry and allow the truth to be revealed to her. One supernatural event following a mysteriously filled bathtub includes condensation on the mirror spelling out the words "you know". But unfortunately for Claire, at this point she doesn't know any longer, having psychologically convinced herself to repress her deeper memories, so as not to fracture the illusion of a perfect, happy replica of domesticity which she had sacrificed her career to obtain for her daughter. Claire is forced to confront the idea that Norman is not the ideal she had hoped for when she married him, elements which trickle out over the course of What Lies Beneath. First, Norman is not only unapproachable, he is even dismissive of Claire's concerns about the Feurs, as unfounded as her suspicions may be. Second, it becomes evident that Norman is a liar, only coming clean about his deceptions when they are already known to Claire; even the title of the film emphasizes the word "lies". Norman's affair with a college student named Madison (Amber Valletta) is a core part of his failings as a father and husband; Madison looks a good deal like Claire, but more disturbing are some of the parallels between her and Caitlin, suggesting an incestuous undertone which only further tarnishes the audience's perception of Norman as the "good doctor".
Directed by Robert Zemeckis and with a screenplay by Clark Gregg, What Lies Beneath is best described as "Hitchcockian", a term used to describe a film which draws inspiration from the suspenseful masterpieces which made Alfred Hitchcock such a beloved filmmaker. Claire's surveillance of the Feur's home and assumption about the guilt of Warren Feur mirrors the voyeuristic tendencies found in Rear Window. Claire's increasing level of unease and anxiety about Norman and the potential for violence in him resembles the same fear felt in Suspicion. When Norman later confesses his affair with Madison to Claire, and the events that took place in their home, it mirrors the confession of Maxim de Winter in Rebecca to his wife. Claire's episodes of psychoanalysis and her repressed memories--and subsequent triggers--recall both Spellbound as well as Marnie. As Claire pursues the means to connect with the spirit haunting her home, she becomes "possessed" by it. Moments like these and the one at the dock where Claire plunges into the bay evoke similar scenes from Vertigo; there is even an iconic necklace, a totem for the departed. Even the threats of violence and shocking encounters in the bathroom conjure up the "shower scene" from Psycho; coincidentally, Norman Spencer shares the same first name as the infamous Norman Bates. As What Lies Beneath progresses, and the parallels with these classic films become more pronounced, and even the musical score by Alan Silvestri becomes increasingly reminiscent of the music of composer Bernard Herrmann, a frequent collaborator of Hitchcock's. What Lies Beneath establishes its tension and sense of pervading unease with pronounced visual metaphors. There is frequently the presence of water in the film; the Spencers' house is situated on the bay, rainstorms are frequent, and the filled bathtub is where Claire catches her first glimpse of her phantom intruder. The water also serves as a reflection, a source of introspection and thus a means of understanding. Like a mirror, the water reflects a truth for Claire which she may have not known or one she may have unconsciously forgotten. Her repressed memory of when she understood the existence of Norman's infidelity occurs both during a rainstorm and through the reflection of a mirror. At one climactic moment, Claire even brandishes a shard of a shattered mirror as both a weapon and means for her to see around corners, arming herself both physically and against subsequent deception. The message in What Lies Beneath is that for Claire to unlock the barrier keeping her in darkness, she must allow herself to see things as they really are, unfiltered by delusion or pretense.
Recommended for: Fans of a tense and taut suspense film, one which wears its inspiration on its sleeve. It is also a high-quality thriller with a talented cast, and one which is rated PG-13, making it both a gateway to similar works (like those which served to inspire it) for comparatively younger audiences and an enjoyable nailbiter on its own.
Directed by Robert Zemeckis and with a screenplay by Clark Gregg, What Lies Beneath is best described as "Hitchcockian", a term used to describe a film which draws inspiration from the suspenseful masterpieces which made Alfred Hitchcock such a beloved filmmaker. Claire's surveillance of the Feur's home and assumption about the guilt of Warren Feur mirrors the voyeuristic tendencies found in Rear Window. Claire's increasing level of unease and anxiety about Norman and the potential for violence in him resembles the same fear felt in Suspicion. When Norman later confesses his affair with Madison to Claire, and the events that took place in their home, it mirrors the confession of Maxim de Winter in Rebecca to his wife. Claire's episodes of psychoanalysis and her repressed memories--and subsequent triggers--recall both Spellbound as well as Marnie. As Claire pursues the means to connect with the spirit haunting her home, she becomes "possessed" by it. Moments like these and the one at the dock where Claire plunges into the bay evoke similar scenes from Vertigo; there is even an iconic necklace, a totem for the departed. Even the threats of violence and shocking encounters in the bathroom conjure up the "shower scene" from Psycho; coincidentally, Norman Spencer shares the same first name as the infamous Norman Bates. As What Lies Beneath progresses, and the parallels with these classic films become more pronounced, and even the musical score by Alan Silvestri becomes increasingly reminiscent of the music of composer Bernard Herrmann, a frequent collaborator of Hitchcock's. What Lies Beneath establishes its tension and sense of pervading unease with pronounced visual metaphors. There is frequently the presence of water in the film; the Spencers' house is situated on the bay, rainstorms are frequent, and the filled bathtub is where Claire catches her first glimpse of her phantom intruder. The water also serves as a reflection, a source of introspection and thus a means of understanding. Like a mirror, the water reflects a truth for Claire which she may have not known or one she may have unconsciously forgotten. Her repressed memory of when she understood the existence of Norman's infidelity occurs both during a rainstorm and through the reflection of a mirror. At one climactic moment, Claire even brandishes a shard of a shattered mirror as both a weapon and means for her to see around corners, arming herself both physically and against subsequent deception. The message in What Lies Beneath is that for Claire to unlock the barrier keeping her in darkness, she must allow herself to see things as they really are, unfiltered by delusion or pretense.
Recommended for: Fans of a tense and taut suspense film, one which wears its inspiration on its sleeve. It is also a high-quality thriller with a talented cast, and one which is rated PG-13, making it both a gateway to similar works (like those which served to inspire it) for comparatively younger audiences and an enjoyable nailbiter on its own.