The Legend of Lucy Keyes (2006)

User Rating:

4.8/10   

Director:

John Stimpson

Writer:

John Stimpson (writer)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

250 years ago a child disappeared. Tonight, she returns.

Plot:

An urban family leaves city life behind for the confines of rural New England. Little do they know that their new home once belonged to the Keyes family, a clan who experienced the tragic loss of their daughter some 250 years ago.

Plot Keywords:

Ghost | Cemetery | Flower | Chase | People With Same Name

Cast

Julie Delpy	...	Jeanne Cooley
Justin Theroux	...	Guy Cooley
Brooke Adams	...	Samantha Porter
Mark Boone Junior	...	Jonas Dodd
Cassidy Hinkle	...	Lucy Cooley
Kathleen Regan	...	Molly Cooley
Ken Cheeseman	...	Bud Travers
Michele Greene	...	Sheila Travers
Jamie Donnelly	...	Gretchen Caswell
Tom Kemp	...	Chief Kemper
Bates Wilder	...	Deputy Officer
Charley Broderick	...	Bob Greenwood (as Charlie Broderick)
Frank T. Wells	...	Gus Jasper
Rachel Harker	...	Martha Keyes
Anna Friedman	...	Lucy Keyes

MPAA:

Rated R for some violent content and disturbing images.

Runtime:

USA:93 min (Santa Barbara Film Festival)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

USA:R | Australia:M | Argentina:16

Filming Locations:

Princeton, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Moody Street Pictures

Very enjoyable historical thriller and plenty scary for me

I saw the film at the Sonoma Film Festival, and highly recommend it.

This is a very effective and enjoyable combination of two genres: an adaptation of real history, and a thriller at the same time. It wasn't as scary as a Chucky movie, but plenty scary for me. The sparse New England setting and the sadness of the true story of the colonial family -- perhaps especially poignant if you are a parent -- created a haunted feeling that has stuck with me since. Delpy and Theroux turned in excellent performances, and Cassidy Hinkle as Lucy carried her role in a way that few child actors can.

I know that the film has received attention for its use of HD video instead of film. As someone who does not follow film technology, I did not notice this either way -- which is perhaps a good thing.

See it if you can.