Home
search
more | tips
IMDb > An American Haunting (2005)
An American Haunting
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summaryplot synopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

An American Haunting (2005) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 24 | slideshow) Videos
An American Haunting (2005) -- Based on the true events of the only case in US History where a spirit caused the death of a man.

Overview

User Rating:
4.9/10   12,188 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 31% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Courtney Solomon
Writers:
Brent Monahan (novel)
Courtney Solomon (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for An American Haunting on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
5 May 2006 (USA) more
Tagline:
Possession Knows No Bounds
Plot:
Based on the true events of the only case in US History where a spirit caused the death of a man. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
3 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(15 articles)
Top 50 Hottest Young Actresses - Top 40
 (From The Movie Fanatic. 1 July 2009, 7:52 AM, PDT)

Top 50 Hottest Young Actresses - Top 40
 (From The Movie Fanatic. 1 July 2009, 7:52 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
The only scary thing about this film was how many 13-year-old girls turned up to the theater to watch this on opening night. more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
An American Haunting - The Billwitch Story (Philippines: English title) (poster title)
Cauchemar américain (Canada: French title)
more
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for intense terror sequences and thematic material.
Runtime:
USA:91 min
Country:
UK | Canada | Romania | USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital | DTS

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The movie is actually based on a true story. Andrew Jackson is quoted as saying, "I would rather take on the entire English Fleet than stay one night at the Bell House." He later formed a group of men to test the rumors of the Bell haunting. Their findings are documented in M. V. Ingram's 1894 book, An Authenticated History of The Famous Bell Witch. This movie was based on the book by Brent Monahan,The Bell Witch: An American Haunting the Famous Bell Witch. more
Goofs:
Miscellaneous: In a night scene where the light from the candles and fireplace are systematically blown out, James Johnston immediately picks up his Bible and begins reading in the dark. more
Quotes:
John Bell: You were always a sound sleeper. more
Movie Connections:
References The Entity (1981) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
123 out of 216 people found the following comment useful:-
The only scary thing about this film was how many 13-year-old girls turned up to the theater to watch this on opening night., 6 May 2006
1/10
Author: Josh Collins from United States

Since most of the movie was utterly disappointing, I will start with the only positive aspect, Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek. Both of these actors played their part well and if it weren't for such a terrible story and generic scare tactics, they may have been able to save the movie. Alas, like many of the PG-13 horror films of today not even good acting can make up for a shady plot, bad directing and terrible editing. The film is based on the poltergeist story involving a family in rural Tennessee in the early 1800's. The story is filled with the garbled and incoherent dreams of seemingly possessed Betsy Bell, played by Rachel Hurd-Wood. In a movie built around a ghost story it was disappointing to see cheap scare tactics instead of making the movie all around eerie. I am not sure what director Courtney Solomon was thinking when he chose to film the movie with a style similar to a low budget "hack 'em slash 'em" film from the 80's, but clearly there are better ways of scaring an audience. While the filming style could have used some work, the editing and special effects were a disaster. It mostly resembled a bad soap opera. It jumps around between dreams and reality faster than Ricky Williams' in a Marijuana haze. A movie like this doesn't need a whole lot of special effects but the few that it had were terrible and even ruined the scenes. The poltergeist was nothing more than Betsy with a slight hue around her.

The only scary thing about this film was how many 13-year-old girls turned up to the theater to watch this on opening night. As a fan of horror films I understand if you want to judge this for yourself, but listen to my words wisely; don't bother.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for An American Haunting (2005)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
This movie is heavily under-rated iruon_itauol
some thoughts about the plot twist *MAJOR SPOILER* alveolate
Why the low rating??? deedlebug32
Rant because I'm disappointed (SPOILERS, of course) opheliarose82
the doll thatdamkid
A True Bell Experience suzanna_leslie
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Big Fish The Night of the Hunter Gone with the Wind The Kite Runner Halloween
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Horror section IMDb UK section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.