# Stir of Echoes (1999)

### reviewed by
Kent Johnson

    A STIR OF ECHOES
    USA 1999
    Directed by David Koepp
    Screenplay by David Koepp from the novel by Richard Matheson
    Starring Kevin Bacon, Kathryn Erbe, Zachary David Cope, Kevin Dunn,
    Conor O'Farrell
    Reviewed by Kent Johnson

Hmmm... Another good movie about a kid seeing ghosts, with a screenplay written by the director. Must be that Y2K bug... Whatever the cause, this trend of films written and directed by the same person seems to be a bright ray of hope in current the murk of Hollywood. The singleness of vision seems to eliminate the repetitive cliches and allow a genuinely good film to be created.

While I haven't read the 1958 novel by Richard Matheson that director David Koepp's screenplay is based on, A STIR OF ECHOES feels like the perfect on-screen representation of a Matheson novel, duplicating both his strengths and weaknesses -- that is, a very well-executed story with an overly-simple plotline. You know what's going on long before the characters do and are impatiently waiting for them to figure it out, however, the film is so well-made that you don't mind knowing what's going to happen and it's a pleasure to watch it play it out.

As far as its supernatural component goes, the movie has great atmosphere, but is spooky rather than scary -- like THE SIXTH SENSE, it's a ghost story, not a horror movie. The film makes complicated and interesting use of the audio track to keep you confused and off-balance, has good gotchas, and uses its CGI in restrained and effective ways. Note that the baby-sitter is reading Matheson's THE SHRINKING MAN.

A very enjoyable film, with a lot of humor and little surprises.

    Recommended

    _______________

    Kent Johnson
    San Francisco
    kjohnson@slip.net

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