Paperhouse (film)

Last updated

Paperhouse
Paperhouse.jpg
Directed by Bernard Rose
Written by Matthew Jacobs
Based on Marianne Dreams
by Catherine Storr
Produced by Tim Bevan
Sarah Radclyffe
Jane Frazer
Dan Ireland
M.J. Peckos
Starring
Cinematography Mike Southon
Edited byDan Rae
Music by Stanley Myers
Hans Zimmer
Production
company
Distributed by Vestron Pictures
Release dates
Running time
92 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1.6 million [1]
Box office$241,278 [2]

Paperhouse is a 1988 British dark fantasy film directed by Bernard Rose. It was based on the 1958 novel Marianne Dreams by Catherine Storr. The film stars Ben Cross, Glenne Headly and Gemma Jones. The original novel was the basis of a six-episode British TV series for children in the early 1970s which was titled Escape Into Night .

Contents

Plot

While suffering from glandular fever, 11-year-old Anna Madden draws a house. When she falls asleep, she has disturbing dreams in which she finds herself inside the house she has drawn. After she draws a face at the window, in her next dream she finds Marc, a boy who suffers with muscular dystrophy, living in the house. She learns from her doctor that Marc is a real person. She visits the house in her dreams several times, each time adding new things to her drawing which also appear in her dream. First she draws stairs so that she can go up and visit Marc, then adding more items to his room and a fruit tree to the front yard. In the real world, Anna's relationship with her mother is strained by Anna's lying, as well as the lingering pain she feels from her father's long absences for work and his alcoholism.

Anna sketches her father into the drawing so that he can help carry Marc away, but she inadvertently gives him an angry expression which she then crosses out, and the father appears in the dream as a furious, blinded figure with scratch marks over his eyes. After hiding in a closet with Marc, he suggests Anna lie down and mimic the motions she would use to grab the drawing in real life and tear the part of the drawing containing her father out. Anna does so, barely avoiding lighting the paper on fire, and tears her father out of the drawing in her sleep. This does not work, and her father breaks into the closet and carries Anna away before beating her in the chest repeatedly while shouting "Do you know who I am?" at her. Marc musters the strength to attack Anna's father with a hammer, destroying him. Anna wakes up in the hospital, her health having taken a serious turn in her sleep. It is implied that her dream father's attack was mimicking the actions of the ambulance staff administering a heart massage. Anna's doctor tells her that Marc is 'getting better' but Anna sees through her deception, saying that she knows Marc is dying. The doctor is skeptical of Anna's knowledge, but she provides information she could not have know otherwise. Anna asks for her drawing supplies to be brought to the hospital.

While Anna recovers in the hospital, her father returns with her mother to discuss going away on holiday, though Anna is not receptive to her father or the idea of a holiday. She draws a new room for Marc with nicer accommodations, and adds a pencil so that they could add anything they needed while in their dream. When she falls asleep she finds Marc at the lighthouse, seemingly cured of his paralysis and in much better spirits. They spend time together playing on a nearby hill and share a first kiss. Soon after, they discuss drawing a ladder to get down from the cliff to the shore. Marc instead suggests that Anna draw a helicopter, which she declines, saying she doesn't know how. Marc says he can, but insists that he must do it alone in the lighthouse. Anna reluctantly agrees, and Marc enters the lighthouse as Anna tells him "Don't go without me." She soon wakes from hear dream without finding out if Marc had drawn the helicopter.

Anna is discharged from the hospital soon after. Her father reveals to her that he has been given a job in the home office and will not have to go away any more, though Anna still acts coldly towards him. Her father tells her that Anna's doctor said that Marc has passed away. Anna says she already knew. The family goes away on a holiday to the seaside, where Anna is still saddened over Marc's death, though her relationship with her father improves somewhat. After father opens the window in her hotel room, Anna sees the lighthouse from her dream on a nearby cliff. She runs from the hotel by herself, overjoyed, but when she arrives at the lighthouse and calls for Marc repeatedly she finds the door locked and Marc absent. She sits on the step, upset, but finds a note from Marc under a nearby rock. The note shows him and his helicopter, along with a message saying that he can't wait any longer, but he will come back for her if she waits. Anna runs to the nearby cliff and calls to Marc. A helicopter arrives, dropping a ladder. Anna hears Marc calling for her, but then yelling to be careful and to stay away from the cliff. As Anna reaches for the ladder Marc continues to yell for her to be careful, until the helicopter flies away and Anna's mother grabs before she can fall off the cliff. The movie ends with Anna in her mother and father's arms, having come to terms with Marc's death, her relationship with her parents repaired.

Cast

Reception

Film critic Roger Ebert gave Paperhouse four stars out of four and called it "a film in which every image has been distilled to the point of almost frightening simplicity" and ended by saying "this is not a movie to be measured and weighed and plumbed, but to be surrendered to." [3]

On the television show Siskel & Ebert , Paperhouse received a "Thumbs Up" from Roger Ebert who commented "I suppose Paperhouse will be classified as a fantasy thriller, but I thought it was a lot more than that. A dream movie that uses images so real and so concrete, they seem more convincing than most real-life dramas." He also commented how effective the soundtrack was. He said that Paperhouse showed that director Bernard Rose was extremely talented. Gene Siskel gave the film a marginal "Thumbs Down", but he agreed that Bernard Rose was very talented and said, "for about two-thirds of the way I was fascinated by this film." He also commented on how well the dream scenes were handled and said, "these seem to be legitimate fears that child might have." He stated that "when the film got more explicit... I thought the film went over-the-top with imagery and I got a little tired of it. Until then, I was fascinated by it." [4]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 100% of 7 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.2/10. [5]

Home media

Paperhouse was initially released on VHS format not long following its theatrical exhibition in the United Kingdom. In the United States, Vestron Video handled releasing it on both VHS and Laserdisc, both in the 1:33.1 aspect ratio.

The film was made available on DVD on 24 September 2001 via Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment in its original widescreen aspect ratio of 1.66:1. [6] Lionsgate Home Entertainment released a re-issue of the film to DVD on 24 September 2007. [7]

In France, the film received its first Blu-ray release from Metropolitan distribution on 2 May 2013 in a Special Edition containing the original English audio and a dubbed French audio, both in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, and optional French subtitles. It features an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. [8] This set is now out-of-print. The film was also released on Blu-ray in Germany in a limited "Collector's Edition" via Nameless Video on 8 November 2019. [9] A standard edition Blu-ray set was released in Germany from Tiberius Films on 4 November 2022. [10]

Tie-in book edition

The film's book basis, Marianne Dreams by Catherine Storr, was given a hardcover film tie-in release in 1989, featuring a film still of Charlotte Burke reaching towards a stormy sky with the imaginary house in the background, along with a bottom-corner caption reading, "new major feature film Paperhouse". The release was unusual, as most children's film tie-in books at the time were released as mass-market paperbacks, while publisher Lutterworth Press had opted for a bound hardcover instead. This edition of Storr's book has since fallen out of print. [11]

Related Research Articles

<i>Resurrection</i> (1980 film) 1980 film by Daniel Petrie

Resurrection is a 1980 American drama film directed by Daniel Petrie, written by Lewis John Carlino, and starring Ellen Burstyn, Sam Shepard, Richard Farnsworth, Roberts Blossom, Lois Smith, and Eva Le Gallienne. It was produced by Renée Missel and Howard Rosenman. The plot involves a woman who returns to life after dying momentarily in a car crash and finds that she has the power to heal people.

<i>Blood Simple</i> 1984 film by Joel and Ethan Coen

Blood Simple is a 1984 American independent neo-noir crime film written, edited, produced, and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, and starring John Getz, Frances McDormand, Dan Hedaya, and M. Emmet Walsh. Its plot follows a Texas bartender who is having a love affair with his boss’s wife. When his boss discovers the affair, he hires a private investigator to kill the couple. It was the directorial debut of the Coens and the first major film of cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld, who later became a director, as well as the feature-film debut of McDormand.

<i>Hardcore</i> (1979 film) 1979 American crime drama film by Paul Schrader

Hardcore is a 1979 American neo-noir thriller crime drama film written and directed by Paul Schrader. The film stars George C. Scott, Peter Boyle, Season Hubley, and Dick Sargent. Its plot follows a conservative Midwestern businessman whose teenage daughter goes missing in California. With the help of a prostitute, his search leads him into the illicit subculture of pornography, including snuff films.

<i>Bad Boys</i> (1995 film) 1995 action film directed by Michael Bay

Bad Boys is a 1995 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Michael Bay in his feature directorial debut, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, and starring Martin Lawrence, Will Smith, Téa Leoni, Tchéky Karyo, Theresa Randle, and Joe Pantoliano. The film follows Miami narcotics detectives Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) and Mike Lowrey (Smith) who are investigating the $100 million stolen packs of heroin and must order to protect a murder witness from an international drug dealer.

<i>White Palace</i> (film) 1990 film by Luis Mandoki

White Palace is a 1990 American erotic romantic drama film directed by Luis Mandoki. It stars Susan Sarandon, James Spader, Jason Alexander, Kathy Bates, Steven Hill, Jeremy Piven, and Renée Taylor. It was written by Ted Tally and Alvin Sargent, based on the novel of the same name by Glenn Savan.

<i>Little Women</i> (1994 film) 1994 film by Gillian Armstrong

Little Women is a 1994 American coming-of-age historical drama film directed by Gillian Armstrong. The screenplay by Robin Swicord is based on Louisa May Alcott's 1868–69 two-volume novel of the same title, the fifth feature film adaptation of the classic story. After a limited release on December 25, 1994, it was released nationwide four days later by Columbia Pictures.

<i>Patch Adams</i> (film) 1998 film by Tom Shadyac

Patch Adams is a 1998 American biographical comedy-drama film directed by Tom Shadyac and starring Robin Williams, Monica Potter, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bob Gunton, Daniel London and Peter Coyote. Set in the late 1960s and early 1970s, it is loosely based on the life story of Dr. Hunter "Patch" Adams and the book Gesundheit: Good Health Is a Laughing Matter by Dr. Adams and Maureen Mylander. The film received generally unfavorable reviews from critics, with criticism for the sentimentality and direction. It was a box-office success and grossed $202.3 million against a $50–90 million budget.

<i>Cinema Paradiso</i> 1988 film by Giuseppe Tornatore

Cinema Paradiso is a 1988 coming-of-age dramedy film written and directed by Giuseppe Tornatore.

<i>The Money Pit</i> 1986 film by Richard Benjamin

The Money Pit is a 1986 American comedy film directed by Richard Benjamin and starring Tom Hanks and Shelley Long as a couple who attempt to renovate a recently purchased house. The film is a loose remake of the 1948 Cary Grant comedy film Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, and was filmed in New York City and Lattingtown, New York, and was co-executive produced by Steven Spielberg.

<i>The Swarm</i> (1978 film) 1978 US natural horror film by Irwin Allen

The Swarm is a 1978 American natural horror film directed and produced by Irwin Allen and based on Arthur Herzog's 1974 novel. It stars an ensemble cast, including Michael Caine, Katharine Ross, Richard Widmark, Richard Chamberlain, Olivia de Havilland, Ben Johnson, Lee Grant, José Ferrer, Patty Duke, Slim Pickens, Bradford Dillman, Henry Fonda and Fred MacMurray in his final film role. It follows a scientist and a military task force who try to prevent a large swarm of killer bees from invading Texas. The film received overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics and was a box-office bomb, although praise was given to the costume design. It has been considered to be one of the worst films ever made.

<i>Marianne Dreams</i> 1958 novel by Catherine Storr

Marianne Dreams is a children's fantasy novel by Catherine Storr. It was illustrated with drawings by Marjorie-Ann Watts and published by Faber and Faber in 1958. The first paperback edition, from Puffin Books in 1964, is catalogued by the Library of Congress as revised.

<i>Housesitter</i> 1992 film by Frank Oz

Housesitter is a 1992 American romantic comedy film directed by Frank Oz, written by Mark Stein, and starring Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn. The premise involves a woman with con-artist tendencies who worms her way into the life of a reserved architect by claiming to be his wife.

<i>Excess Baggage</i> (1997 film) 1997 American film

Excess Baggage is a 1997 American crime comedy film, written by Max D. Adams, Dick Clement, and Ian La Frenais, and directed by Marco Brambilla about a neglected young heiress who stages her own kidnapping to get her father's attention, only to be actually kidnapped by a car thief. The film stars Alicia Silverstone, Benicio del Toro, and Christopher Walken. Upon release, it was a critical and commercial failure.

<i>A Star Is Born</i> (1976 film) Musical-romance by Frank Pierson

A Star Is Born is a 1976 American musical erotic romantic drama film co-written and directed by Frank Pierson. Based on a screenplay by Pierson, John Gregory Dunne, and Joan Didion, the film is produced by Jon Peters. It stars Barbra Streisand as an unknown singer and Kris Kristofferson as an established rock and roll star who fall in love, only to find her career ascending while his goes into decline. A Star Is Born premiered at the Mann Village Theater on December 18, 1976, with a wide release by Warner Bros. the following day. A huge box office success, grossing $80 million on a $6 million budget in North America, the film became the 2nd highest-grossing that year. Reviews praised its performances and musical score, but criticized the screenplay and runtime. At the 49th Academy Awards, the film won Best Original Song for its love theme "Evergreen".

<i>Benji the Hunted</i> 1987 American adventure drama film

Benji the Hunted is a 1987 American adventure drama film directed and written by Joe Camp and produced by Ben Vaughn. It is the fourth film in the Benji series. The film is about Benji trying to survive in the wilderness and looking after orphan cougar cubs after their mother is shot and killed by a hunter. It was released by Walt Disney Pictures. This was the last Benji movie to star Benjean, daughter of Higgins, in the title role.

<i>The Return of Swamp Thing</i> 1989 film by Jim Wynorski

The Return of Swamp Thing is a 1989 American superhero film based on the DC Comics' character of the same name. Directed by Jim Wynorski, it is a sequel to the 1982 film Swamp Thing, having a lighter tone than its predecessor. The film has a main title montage consisting of comic book covers set to Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Born on the Bayou", and features Dick Durock and Louis Jourdan reprising their roles as Swamp Thing and Anton Arcane respectively, along with Sarah Douglas and Heather Locklear.

<i>Someone to Watch Over Me</i> (film) 1987 American film

Someone to Watch Over Me is a 1987 American neo-noir romantic thriller film directed by Ridley Scott and written by Howard Franklin. It stars Tom Berenger as a police detective who has to protect a wealthy woman, who is a key witness in a murder trial. The film's soundtrack includes the George and Ira Gershwin song from which the film takes its title, recorded by Sting, and Vangelis' "Memories of Green", originally from Scott's Blade Runner (1982).

<i>Butch and Sundance: The Early Days</i> 1979 film

Butch and Sundance: The Early Days is a 1979 American Western film and prequel to the 1969 film. It stars Tom Berenger as Butch Cassidy and William Katt as the Sundance Kid, with Jeff Corey reprising his role as Sheriff Bledsoe.

<i>The Ring Two</i> 2005 American film directed by Hideo Nakata

The Ring Two is a 2005 American supernatural horror film and sequel to the 2002 film The Ring, which was a remake of the 1998 Japanese film Ring. Hideo Nakata, director of the original Ring, directed this film in place of Gore Verbinski. Noam Murro was attached before Nakata, but left due to creative differences. Naomi Watts, David Dorfman and Daveigh Chase reprised their roles with Simon Baker, Elizabeth Perkins and Sissy Spacek joining the cast. This film also marks the debut of Mary Elizabeth Winstead.

<i>Trading Mom</i> 1994 American film

Trading Mom is a 1994 American fantasy comedy film written and directed by Tia Brelis, based on her mother Nancy Brelis' 1966 book The Mummy Market. It stars Sissy Spacek, Anna Chlumsky, Aaron Michael Metchik, Maureen Stapleton, and André the Giant in his final film appearance. It grossed $319,123 at the box office and received mostly negative reviews from critics.

References

  1. "15 years of production". Variety . 14 December 1998. p. 102.
  2. "Paperhouse". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  3. "Paperhouse". Rogerebert.com. 31 March 1989. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  4. "Siskel & Ebert - "Paperhouse" (1989)". YouTube. 5 February 2016. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  5. "PAPERHOUSE". Fandango Media . Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  6. "Paperhouse [DVD] (1988)". Amazon.co.uk . Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  7. "Paperhouse [DVD]". Amazon.co.uk . Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  8. "Paperhouse Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  9. "Paperhouse Blu-ray". blu-ray.com. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  10. "Paperhouse Blu-ray (Alpträume werden wahr)". blu-ray.com. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  11. Storr, Catherine (3 May 1989). Marianne Dreams. Lutterworth Press. ISBN   0718827686.