The Haunting (1999)

The Haunting (1999): 'adapted' by David Self from the novel The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson; directed by Jan de Bont; starring Liam Neeson (Dr. David Marrow), Catherine Zeta-Jones (Theo), Owen Wilson (Luke Sanderson), and Lili Taylor (Nell): This is either a dazzlingly bad adaptation of a great novel by Shirley Jackson or a dazzlingly bad remake of a great movie directed by Robert Wise. Take your pick! 

It took me three tries over 20 years to watch this whole movie. 

I should have stood in bed.

The weirdest thing about The Haunting is that the casting is pretty much spot on. However, with awful direction, an awful script, and ridiculously ornate set design and visual effects, the casting can't save anything. The Haunting isn't even a fun bad movie. It alternates between tedious and shrill and just plain dumb. 

Changes minor (Dr. John Markway becomes Dr. David Marrow) and major (too many to name) fly by. Some of the changes are so major that one starts to wonder if this movie began life as a script for something else before being retrofitted for The Haunting of Hill House. Maybe a Tim Burton movie about giant fireplaces.

I suppose one shouldn't be surprised that Jan de Bont (of Speed and Twister) wasn't the best choice to direct what should have been a subtle, psychological ghost story. The Haunting stands as a testament that Hollywood can ruin anything. Just give them a chance. And a big budget. Not recommended.