He was the perfect husband until his one mistake followed them home.
Norman and Claire Spencer are a seemingly happily married couple who uncover a terrible secret… a secret so disturbing it threatens to destroy them.
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Character
Grave, classical in form, contemporary and earnest.
- gravecomic
- classical in formformally daring
- contemporarynostalgic
- earnestironic
- resolvedopen-ended
Who loves it, who doesn't
25 profiled raters. Loved most by The Comfort Seekers; disliked most by The Prestige Hunters.
Where do you stand?
Answer first; then see how everyone, and your circle, split.
“Is Michelle Pfeiffer the best thing in What Lies Beneath?”
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“Is it actually scary?”
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“Are the characters only there to move the plot?”
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A yes-or-no question, answered from what people wrote here, on TMDB and on Wikipedia. Never made up.
Reviews
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Reviews on TMDB
Written by TMDB members; each links to the original. Not part of Tastebuds's numbers.
- CinemaSerfon TMDB · Apr 20226/10
"Claire" (Michelle Pfeiffer) and "Norman" (Harrison Ford) are an happily married couple with a lovely lakeside home. It turns out that she has only recently survived a nasty car crash, and so when she starts complaining about some inexplicable things happening in their home, "Norman" suggests that she see a therapist to try to alleviate here ever increasing paranoia. Her friend "Jody" (Diana Scarwid) uses a ouija board and soon "Claire" is convinced that the empty house next door is being haunted - but why? Who is the paranormal woman she hears and sees, and what has is to do with her and her family? Robert Zemekis starts this off quite tensely, the imagery is scary and effective. The lack of gory or silly special effects gives it a chill that for the first hour, or so, works fairly well. Sadly, though, it runs out of steam and the storyline just loses it's way. The last half hour has more endings than you can shake a stick at, and when it does finally conclude I felt the whole thing was pretty far-fetched and unsatisfactory. Ford just isn't really at the races here - he was/is much better with roles that allow him to demonstrate his considerable charisma and personality. With no s
Read the whole review on TMDB - Wuchakon TMDB · Dec 20196/10
***Ghostly happenings in northern Vermont with Ford & Pfeiffer*** A couple living on Lake Champlain (Harrison Ford & Michelle Pfeiffer) face the empty nest syndrome as the wife experiences increasingly spectral happenings. Diana Scarwid, James Remar and Miranda Otto have peripheral roles. "What Lies Beneath" (2000) is a Hitchcockian drama/mystery with a bit o’ horror. It starts by borrowing from "Rear Window" (1954), but thankfully veers from there. At a little past the hour mark I was starting to get restless. The story was progressing too slowly with too many doors inexplicably opening. I suppose it didn’t help that Pfeiffer doesn’t trip my trigger, although she’s serviceable (I wouldn’t say I DON’T like her); and Harrison’s character seems unjustifiably gruff and impatient. However, the Upstate Vermont/ New York locations are fabulous and a mysterious mood is effectively established. The way things pan out is unexpected, unless you saw the trailer first, which outrageously spoils it. The concluding F/X sequence is beautiful in a ghostly way and satisfyingly brings closure. What didn’t make sense earlier is elucidated. At the end of the day, the movie’s underwhelming, but not alt
Read the whole review on TMDB - John Chardon TMDB · Jul 20157/10
You're not yourself today are you? Claire and Norman Spencer's marriage starts to fall apart when she believes there is a ghost in the house. Things gather apace when Claire is convinced that the spirit is trying to tell her something. Something that could be too close to home for comfort. Robert Zemeckis does Hitchcock? Well yes, the influence is obvious, unashamedly so. But the trouble with that, is having the maestro as a benchmark renders all other modern day attempts as folly. However, casting aside that gargantuan issue, What Lies Beneath is an effective creeper come thriller that boasts star credentials. Directed by Zemeckis, formed from an idea by Steven Spielberg (from the story by Sarah Kernochan) and starring Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer as the fragmenting Spencer's. That's a pretty tidy bunch from which to launch your movie. What follows is a mixture of genuine unease and mystery, red herrings and standard boo jump moments, all of which almost gets lost on a saggy middle section as Zemeckis plays Hitchcock one too many times and loses sight of the supernatural heart of the piece, not helped by Clark Gregg's meandering script I might add. None the less, the pictur
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Cast
- Michelle PfeifferClaire Spencer
- Harrison FordNorman Spencer
- Diana ScarwidJody
- Joe MortonDr. Drayton
- James RemarWarren Feur
- Miranda OttoMary Feur
- Wendy CrewsonElena
- Ray BakerStan Powell
- Micole MercurioMrs. Frank
- Amber VallettaMadison Frank
Crew
- Robert ZemeckisDirector
- Clark GreggScreenplay
- Don BurgessDirector of Photography
- Alan SilvestriOriginal Music Composer
- Arthur SchmidtEditor
- Robert ZemeckisProducer
- Jack RapkeProducer
- Steve StarkeyProducer
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Pairings
Companions we picked from the closest works, and how to take them.
Similar in taste
Closest on the same fourteen dimensions, from everything scored on Tastebuds Other media included when they land close.
Dark Skies 201383% alikeBoth grave, classical in form, contemporary.
The Glass House 200182% alikeBoth grave, classical in form, earnest.
The Negotiator 199881% alikeBoth classical in form, grave, contemporary.
Stigmata 199981% alikeBoth grave, classical in form, contemporary.
Come Play 202080% alikeBoth grave, contemporary, earnest.
Beast 202280% alikeBoth grave, contemporary, classical in form.
Someone to Watch Over Me 198780% alikeBoth classical in form, grave, contemporary.
The Gift 200080% alikeBoth grave, classical in form, contemporary.
Cold Case 200377% alikeTelevision · Both grave, classical in form, earnest.
Return Null: Episode 1 201575% alikeGame · Both classical in form, grave, earnest.
Often watched with
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