An American Haunting is based on a novel by Brent Monahan, "The Bell Witch: An American Haunting" (2000), which is a fictionalized account of an actual legend from Southern U.S. folklore. FR. Filming & Production I live a stone's throw away from this! The movie utilizes a framing device of a mother noticing strange occurrences with her daughter, similar to what's described in a journal written by Richard Powell (James D'Arcy) describing Betsy's symptoms. It's closely based on The Bell Witch: An American Haunting by Brent Monahan, a 1995 novel that claims to be the true story of the Bell Witch based on newly discovered papers belonging to Richard . The Bell Witch of the legends was a chatty Cathy and people came from miles around to listen to her sing and tell jokes. . Her mother reads an old letter from 1817 written by her ancestor, Lucy Bell. While the poltergeist's first attack has been divided in the normal version, the scene is put together in the unrated version. At first, slight, unexplained noises, but the spirit began to grow, becoming aggressive and singling out the father, John, and his only daughter Betsy. If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. The Bells-John Bell Sr (played by Donald Sutherland), his wife Lucy (Sissy Spacek), son John Jr (), and youngest daughter Betsy (Rachel Hurd-Wood)-were plagued by a violent poltergeist or spirit that began haunting them in 1817 and continued to haunt them for . | . Lucy, Betsy's mother, has the same revelation because she witnessed the sexual assault, which she and Betsy repressed. PG-13. Other than that I only have personal issues with the book and the ending to the story but this is not a reflection on the book or the author. actor. Overview System Requirements Related. It's a good story, making it ripe for adaptation. Richard stays in the Bell home to observe Betsy's behavior. If you are looking for a fictional story to give you shivers, look elsewhere. Unless you plan on poking around in Tennessee where the supposed "haunting" happened, I would suggest just skipping this one. [citation needed]. Also, it tells nothing about General Andrew Jackson who visited Bell's family during that time and later became the American President. Lucy Bell. The letters appear written in 19th-century script. The story's denouement at the end of the film was also edited strongly. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. #horrormovie #forbiddenlove #drama #bellwitch #forbiddenlove song #songaboutloveaffair Richard Powell: [of Betsy] Can she love me? I couldn't put it down. Pretty good ghost story. John Bell is taken to church court and found guilty of theft of a woman's land. Jake Rademacher (director) The Cake Eaters. It is implied that Richard is in love with Betsy. Vlad Cruceru Richard Bell. Hell Hound: At times the Bell Witch appears as a . You've heard of the Blair Witch; now get ready for the terror of the Bell Witch. Copies of the book have been placed online on various websites. Adams, Tennessee, in 1817 was the site of one of the most well-known hauntings in American history - so well known that it eventually caught the attention and then the involvement of a future president of the United States. An American Haunting: The Bell Witch is a long letter of a father to his daughter found in an attic of a house where this "urban legend" in Robertson County, Tennessee supposedly happened in 1871-1821. It was a cruel and noisy spirit, given to rapping and gnawing sounds before it found its voices. This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers. Edit, What we know about the haunting today was taken from secondhand accounts. http://www.metacritic.com/movie/an-american-haunting, http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/american_haunting. Capitol Films. All the characters have performed well and acted according to the period of the story. This movie is set in 1817-1820. [2] Rotten Tomatoes reports a 14% rating from 71 reviews; the consensus states: "Well, it looks good. This synopsis is from the UNRATED VERSION. The legend of the Bell Witch centers on the John Bell family of Red River, Tennessee, now Adams, and the spiritual haunting they endured between 1817 and 1821. Kate Batts's message of "You cursed yourself"is more literal than audiences may have anticipated on first watch. Brent Monahan was born in Fukuoka, Kyushu, Japan in 1948, as a World War II occupation baby. Starting with small sounds around the farm, and the sighting of a a strange BLACK WOLF with piercing yellow eyes, the sounds escalated into full brutal contact with the certain family members, causing psychological and physical torment. Rosario has always insisted that he is innocent, and that 13 alibi witnesses will swear he was a thousand miles away in Florida while the crime was happening in New York. actor. As for the movies claim that the story is validated by the State of Tennessee as the only case in US history where a spirit has caused the death of a human being, I assume theyre talking about the record of John Bells death, and that is inarguable. Once Betsy's mother, Lucy (Sissy Spacek), learns of this, she poisons John, ending the curse. While the children are beaten and harassed in their beds, their father is stricken by seizures, and visiting skeptics are confounded by a hateful, disembodied voice that ridicules their attempts at investigation. It's short, right under 200 pages, but manthere are no breaks!!! Religion is casually mentioned in An American Haunting, but mostly in a By the power of Jesus Christ, I compel you to leave this house, kind of way. In and out of bed for several weeks, his health declined. Richard Jolley (b 1952) American, Sculpture. Sporting Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek in the cast and supposedly based on true events validated by the State of Tennessee as the only case in US history where a spirit has caused the death of a human being, this is a well-packaged film that arrives like a nicely wrapped Christmas present, full of promise and potential. He has performed, stage directed and taught music and writing professionally. Directed by Courtney Solomon. The story is told by a teacher of hers who had been there for many of the attacks. Rachel Hurd-Wood. I know actually very little about the story, other than the blips I've seen on other supernatural documentaries on TV, so the horrible dramatic reenactments are all I have to really go on here. Then it delivers the knockout with this as the very last sentence: The story of the Bell Witch, which crosses over into folklore, has influenced a number of movies including. The Bell family tells him they fear that the cause is paranormal. He has authored fourteen published novels and a number of short stories. These manifestations were witnessed by numerous, non-family individuals, including (or so it is reported) Andrew Jackson, the future president of the United States. Betsy starts to look very sick and the haunting worsens. John tries to kill himself, but the spirit stops him. The cause of its actions could always be felt, but no being could be seen, and no explanation found--only the promise that one day it would kill one of the family members. Scary at the start. | John Bell is taken to church court and found guilty of theft of a woman's land. Edit, The two versions differ a lot from each other. The film switches from the 21st century to the 19th, and features a subplot about a recently divorced mother (Susan Almgren) whose daughter (Isabelle Almgren-Dor) is going through something like the same experience as Betsy Bell. That's why the legend has received numerous accounts over the years from books to movies, but none have caught on as well as 2005's "An American Haunting." 7-57 Releasing. Brent lives in Yardley, PA, with his wife, Bonnie. Elizabeth goes running after her daughter, calling David's name. Indeed, Gardner was the target of much of the witch's violent taunting, and he eventually did break up with Betsy and left the area. The book is written as one long chapter without any real breaks which makes it very difficult to read without sitting down and reading it in one sitting. Is An American Haunting streaming? Sam Alexander Joshua Gardner. Usually, when I read a book I dislike as much as I ended up disliking this one, I stop reading it. Official Sites Mary Stuart Masterson (director); Jayce Bartok (screenplay); Kristen Stewart, Aaron Stanford, Bruce Dern, Elizabeth Ashley. Menu. But the prevailing account is that it was the spirit of Kate Batts, a mean old neighbor of John Bell who believed she was cheated by him in a land purchase. The mother realizes Betsy is trying to warn her that something is amiss between her daughter and her ex-husband. From the little that I know of the 200 year legend of the Bell Witch, "An American Haunting" sticks to the basic facts, at least. Elizabeth says goodbye to her daughter, sends her off with her father, and returns inside the house. James Johnston. But wasn't it supposed to be scary?"[3]. After a dispute of lands judged by the church, her husband John Bell is cursed by his opponent Kathe Batts, who has a fame of being a witch. It seems Powell was deeply in love with the young Betsy and would do anything to destroy her relationship with Gardner. Powell attempts to prove that this is impossible because spirits don't exist. She sends her daughter to her ex-husband, who is waiting outside. Free shipping for many products! Everyone has a secret they keep close to their chest, and it turns out John Bell (Donald Sutherland) has the darkest one of all. According to the story the Haunting took place between the years 1817 & 1821, but the director (Courtney Solomon) does not give any since of time passing. Movie Info. The film is an international co-production between the United Kingdom, Canada . The premise of a found epistle to Betsy Bells daughter was a great one. By what name was An American Haunting (2005) officially released in India in English? Some believe that he suffered astroke,since thereafter he had difficulty speaking and swallowing. But he did come out the winner. Her young teacher, Richard Powell, notices the change in Betsy's behavior. Probably worth the movie ticket price to see a story framed around true events In present day, the mother's daughter says her father has come to take her for their weekend stay. The film is based on the novel The Bell Witch: An American Haunting by Brent Monahan. This book wasnt scary and you werent scared of the witch I guess I wanted it to be scarier. The entity seemed to dislike one of Betsy's suitors, Joshua Gardner. Before I start the review proper, I should note that one really get thing about this audio book was the reader. Original title: An American Haunting. They acquire a persecuted, haunted look as the entity steps up its aggression, unleashing hordes of wolves and orchestrating kinetic carriage accidents as well as a bevy of dime-store digital effects whose cheesiness repeatedly undercuts the tension. EN ES PT DE. John brought the demon into his household for his sins, despite viewing himself as an otherwise good man. At first, slight, unexplained noises, but the spirit began to grow, becoming aggressive and singling out the father, John, and his only daughter Betsy. After putting on a particularly spirited display at Bell's funeral, the entity's haunting activities subsided, although it did return to Lucy Bell to tell her that it would be back in seven years. There have been two other Bell Witch movies, The Bell Witch Haunting (2004) and Bell Witch: The Movie (2005). The Bell family was tormented by poltergeist/haunting activity after a local woman named Kate cursed the family patriarch. The film is an international co-production between the United Kingdom, Canada . Sissy Spacek . How closely does the movie follow the book? An American Haunting is a horror film directed by Courtney Solomon. Edit, Yes. What an interesting read. When Betsy broke off their engagement, the entity turned on John Bell, who had begun experiencing episodes of facial twitching and difficulty swallowing. The film was previewed at the AFI Film Festival on November 5, 2005 and was released in the UK on April 14, 2006 with follow-up in US theaters on May 5. . The horror film An American Haunting was based on the novel The Bell Witch: An American Haunting. In present day, the mother's daughter says her father has come to take her for their weekend stay. Betsy is struck with a revelation that the attacks on her and her father are caused by a supernatural being who was born out of her innocence. An American Haunting purports to be based on the most documented case of haunting in American History. Alternate Ending: Betsy Kills John Alternate Ending: Betsy's Doll Alternate Ending: Through the Wall Deleted Scenes Lucy Nursed by Entity John Gets Gun, Says Good-bye James and Wife Arrive at Party Betsy Hears Noises in Her Room John Sees Man on the Roof Play All The Internet Promos The Beginning The Mystery The Making Of The Experts Play All Within minutes, Bell is dead, and the entity created by Betsy departs. Browser does not support the . An invisible entity haunts a 19th century family, and family secrets soon begin to surface. Some claim that the spirit still haunts the area. Strange events begin to occur and John believes that Batts cursed him. Gaye Brown Kathe Batts. Its closely based on The Bell Witch: An American Haunting by Brent Monahan, a 1995 novel that claims to be the true story of the Bell Witch based on newly discovered papers belonging to Richard Powell, Betsy Bells husband. "An American Haunting" is scary all right, but not for . Most attacks were to him and his daughter Betsy.