The Happening

Happening, The

Published: Friday, June 13, 2008 11:25 a.m. MDT
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 

THE HAPPENING — ★ — Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, Robert Bailey Jr., Spencer Breslin, Betty Buckley, Lyman Chen, Rich Chew, Victoria Clark, Frank Collison, Stéphane Debac; rated R (violence, gore, profanity, vulgarity, drug use)

If you didn't know better, you'd swear "The Happening" was supposed to be taken as a joke. An elaborate and sometimes head-scratching one, but a joke nonetheless. ...

Unfortunately, once-respected screenwriter and director M. Night Shyamalan ("Signs," "The Sixth Sense") has proved he really doesn't have much of a sense of humor when it comes to himself or his movies.

So, it seems his latest film — a science-fiction/thriller that features a rather heavy-handed environmental message — was obviously meant to be taken seriously.

However, the movie is so inept in terms of coherent, cohesive storytelling and in some other filmmaking aspects that it deserves to be laughed off the screen. Also, it's by far Shyamalan's most violent film. There are some gory moments that easily merit the R rating it boasts.

As for the movie's somewhat nebulous title, it refers to sudden mass hysteria that occurs along the East Coast. In New York's Central Park, visitors have been killing themselves.

Story continues below

At first, it's believed this may have been caused by some sort of toxin that's been either released into the atmosphere by terrorists or coming from other causes.

And as the suicidal behavior spreads, it sets off panic as far away as Philadelphia, which is where Elliot Moore (Mark Wahlberg) lives.

The high school teacher and his wife, Alma (Zooey Deschanel), have a strained relationship, but they have agreed to put aside their differences until the crisis is over.

The only times the film connects is in these quieter moments, the ones dealing with the human drama. The rest of it is so silly that this talented cast seems to be having a hard time keeping a straight face.

That's even true of Deschanel, a usually strong actress who gives one of her less-convincing performances.

"The Happening" is rated R for strong, often disturbing violent imagery (acts of suicidal behavior, including shootings, vehicular mayhem, an animal mauling and wrist slitting), some fairly graphic gore and blood, scattered profanity, brief drug references, and use of some crude slang terms and derogatory slurs. Running time: 91 minutes.


E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com

Comments

You can be the first to comment on this story.

Movie Info
Rated R for violence, gore, profanity, vulgarity, drug use.

Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, Robert Bailey Jr., Spencer Breslin, Betty Buckley, Lyman Chen, Rich Chew, Victoria Clark, Frank Collison, Stphane Debac
FIND LOCAL MOVIE SHOWTIMES
Video
Related content
previousnext

Latest comments

Didn't Obama and Biden just admit to the fact that the stimilus programs were...

The last part of the article about Cowherd is classic!!! I normally like the...

This man was my teacher in high school. He is my friend, he was like a father...

I like millsap, but portland just burried themselves. They made themselves...

It's amazing how quickly society is willing to vaccinate it's children with...

The first income tax was introduced during the Civil War, that's only 70...

If he really did what the evidence seems to show, I don't think he should be...

Utah needs Portland too much. It's much harder than you think to find good...

Restaurant destroyed by fire

stacy, have you ever eaten there ??

I had Brother Pratt at Viewmont High School my sophomore year... I was really...

Advertisements