By: Gianina Thompson
The cast of “Dream House” is presented with quite a few familiar faces. The man who played James Bond,Daniel Craig,graces “Dream House” as the movie’s main character. He is no secret agent in this movie, but his character definitely does enough digging around to give him such a badge. Another familiar face who finds attention not only on the red carpet but also in fashion magazines and catwalks, is the beautiful Rachel Weisz, who plays alongside Craig. However, Weisz is not the only beauty to raise eyebrows in the movie. Naomi Watts, one of People Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People back in 2002, has a leading role in this go-see thriller as well.
“Dream House” introduces itself with Will Atenton, played by Daniel Craig, who makies the big decision to quit his New York stationed publishing job and move to a suburban town in Connecticut with his wife Libby played by, Rachel Weisz, and two daughters. Here he feels he can work on writing a novel. Upon arrival, Will discovers who his neighbors are from hearing the verbal fight between Ann Patterson,played by Naomi Watts, and her soon-to-be ex husband Jack Patterson, who is played by Martson Csokas. The movie introduces this scene as irrelevant, but it definitely plays a major role when putting two and two together.
Will’s daughters become frightened because they believe they keep seeing a man looking at them from their front yard. Will and Libby begin to find evidence that something beyond-the-ordinary had happened to the previous owners. Will goes to the local diner and questions police, who seem unwilling to lend a helping hand in his 21 questionnaire. Will eventually discovers information after finding a group of teenagers in his basement recalling the legend of Peter Ward. Will discovers that Peter Ward was the previous owner who murdered his wife and two kids in what he thought to be his dream house.
Upon learning this information, Will digs deeper and finds himself at a psychiatric hospital where Peter Ward was admitted to after being arrested for the murder of his family. This is where things seem to take a completely different perspective—literally. Here, he learns that he is in fact the Peter Ward that the town is so frantic about. The once attractive heart throb of the movie seems to transform into an old, worn-out Joe. His sex appeal seems to completely fade away once the screen presents his present reality.
When he returns back to his home, the reality of his house becomes apparent. It is actually abandoned and dilapidated and what he thought was his present reality of his wife and kids are merely a projection of his mind. What murder victims’ ghosts are ever nice to their murderer? Well you would be right in thinking none, because in this movie these “ghosts” insist on Will’s innocence.
Will learns that Ann used to be best friends with his wife and she too believes in his innocence and urges him to leave the house to begin his healing process. However, the chemistry between Will and Ann seems a little more than “just friends.” It could easily be assumed that they had an affair, and the foreshadowing of the movie insisted into that assumption until the very end.
Willdecides to go back to the house and confront his ghost about his present and past. The “who-what-where-when-and-why” introduces itself here. Will and Ann are attacked by Boyce, played by Elias Koteas, and Jack who is Ann’s soon-to-be ex husband. They learn that Jack hired Boyce to kill Ann for wanting to divorce him. Boyce had accidentally went to the wrong house and ended up killing Will’s family instead. Again, Jack tries to clean up his failed relationship with Ann by deciding to kill Ann, set the house on fire, and frame Will for yet another murder. But as all “good guy versus bad guy” scenarios go, the good guy prevails and comes out on top.A year later, Willpublishes a book on his life experiences as both Will Atenton and Peter Ward in a book titled “Dream House.”
photo credit-http://thefilminformant.com
