Product Description

Robert De Niro and Dakota Fanning keep pulses pounding and hearts racing in this chilling horror hit about a troubled father and daughter tormented by someone ? or something ? named Charlie, a malevolent entity who may or may not be ?imaginary? but is definitely the stuff nightmares are made of!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #18199 in DVD
• Brand: DE NIRO,ROBERT
• Released on: 2005-07-05
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish
• Dubbed in: English, French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .28 pounds
• Running time: 101 minutes

Amazon.com
Dakota Fanning--the elfin star of Uptown Girls, The Cat in the Hat, and Man on Fire--trades in her blond locks for a semi-gothic brunette do in Hide and Seek. Fanning plays Emily, a young girl whose mother commits suicide. To help Emily through the trauma, her father David (Robert DeNiro), a psychologist, takes her to an isolated house in upstate New York. But instead of healing, Emily gets dark circles under her eyes, mutilates her favorite doll, and develops an imaginary friend named Charlie. In no time at all, things get spooky and David suspects this imaginary friend isn't so friendly. Hide and Seek owes a lot to The Shining, but whether the creepiness is borrowed or not, there's a decent dose of it (though the twist at the end is unlikely to surprise many viewers). DeNiro does his job with professional gloss, but Fanning carries the movie; she's got the kind of charisma that goes beyond acting ability--that ineffable glow that makes an audience want to watch her. Hide and Seek also features Famke Janssen (X-Men), Elisabeth Shue (Leaving Las Vegas), and the ever-dependable Dylan Baker (Happiness). --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews

FATHER KNOWS BEST...
Let me cut to the chase. This film did not, at all, meet my expectations. The trailers lead one to believe that it is a film with supernatural overtones, but it turns out to be something else all together. The story line seems simple on its face. Alison Callaway (Amy Irving), a wife and loving mother, unexpectedly decides to slit her wrist in the bathtub one night, killing herself. Her husband, psychologist David Callaway, comes upon her lifeless body, and so does their beloved daughter, Emily (Dakota Fanning). Emily goes into shock and comes under the care of a therapist named Katherine (Famke Janssen).

Sometime later, when Emily's condition seemingly improves, her father then decides to leave New York City, where they live, and relocate to a small upstate town. No sooner do they move there, they meet the real estate agent and the town's sheriff, both of whom seem a tad peculiar. Moreover, there appears to be something not quite right with the couple next door, especially the husband. When Emily starts talking about an ostensibly imaginary friend named Charlie, the viewer knows that something is afoot. When David develops a new friend of his own, Elizabeth (Elizabeth Shue), trouble lies ahead, as Emily exhibits bizarre behavior towards her, as well as towards Elizabeth's young niece who is trying to befriend her.

As Charlie appears to be becoming an ever present and ominous entity in their lives, and Emily's odd behavior continues unabated, David remains the most kind, concerned, and understanding of fathers. He contacts Emily's therapist Katherine, who is very concerned about the eccentric behavior Emily is exhibiting. Meanwhile, the male neighbor interjects himself into the picture in a seemingly ominous way. So, David, who is also having flashbacks of events involving his wife, appears to have his hands full on the home front. By the time things start to go totally askew, the viewer can pretty much guess what the final denouement will be.

Despite its great cast and excellent performances, the script is weak and leaves a lot to be desired. It cheats the viewer with its subplots that go nowhere and are used merely to create red herrings for the sake of creating them. The film ends up being no more than total nonsense. Ari Schlossberg, the screenwriter, has made the mistake of underestimating the intelligence of the average viewer who would go to see a film starring Robert De Niro. Not even De Niro's otherwise fine performance can elevate this film to more than what it is, which is a far cry from what it promises in its trailers.

The DVD provides clear audio and visuals. It also provides four alternate endings that are moderately interesting, at best. What it does not provide is a film worth adding to one's personal collection. This is a film that is worth a rental, when you have nothing better to do.

Ghost of greatness
Fanning is brilliant in her role as a haunted young girl. DeNiro, as mentioned elsewhere, is all wrong for the part of her father. Not because he can't act, but because these days he can't keep from impersonating himself - a condition afflicting most established stars. It's kept in check throughout most of the picture, but once the disappointing ending is set into motion his hammy performance summons to mind Analyze That, Meet the Parents, etc., completely killing the tension built early on. Just an average thriller overall.

Lame
At one point I said to my wife, if Emily's friend Charlie turns out to be "X" I'm really going to be pissed. Charlie was "X". Predictable. Bad. If you liked the movie Identity - the lamest thriller of all time - you will like this. Dakota's acting is incredible but the story and premise are just stupid. Terrible writing. Did a 10 year old write this piece of junk? People are actually getting paid real money to write this garbage? There's more mystery, tension, and suspense in what lies beneath all that mold in the vegetable drawer in my fridge than you will find here. What the heck happened to the DeNiro we once knew? Pathetic. Just pathetic.