Happening

Theatrical Release Date: 2008 06 13 (USA)

UPC: 024543532897

Studio: 20th Century Fox

MPAA Rating: R   Contains:[Violence]

Summary: Lady in the Water director M. Night Shyamalan puts PG-13 suspense on pause to tell this grim apocalyptic tale about a family fleeing a natural disaster that poses a grave threat to the whole of humanity. Philadelphia high-school science teacher Elliot Moore (Mark Wahlberg) is discussing the disappearance of the bees with his students when the staff is summoned to the theater and briefed about a mysterious event that is currently unfolding in New York City. According to reports, citizens in the vicinity of Central Park have suddenly and inexplicably begun seizing up just before killing themselves by whatever means are at their disposal. As the phenomena begins to spread and talk of terrorism fills the airwaves, Elliot, his wife, Alma (Zooey Deschanel), their friend Julian (John Leguizamo), and his daughter, Jess (Ashlyn Sanchez), board a train bound for the presumed safety of the country. When the train screeches to a halt before arriving at its final destination, however, the frightened passengers are forced to fend for themselves as each consecutive news report paints an increasingly grim picture of the situation in more urbanized areas. Theories abound on what could be causing the unexplainable rash of suicides, but the only thing that everyone seems to agree on is that it's some kind of airborne contagion that is carried in the wind. It would appear that humankind's reign on planet Earth has come to an end, but perhaps if this small band of survivors can find a safe place to lie low until this all blows over, all hope for survival of the species might not be lost just yet. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Category: Thriller

Features: cc
Deleted scenes with introductions by M. Night Shayamalan
The Hard Cut featurette
I Hear You Whispering featurette
Visions of the Happening: a making-of featurette
A Day for Night featurette
Elements of a Scene featurette

Happening

Format: Digital Video Disc (DVD)

Release Date: 10/07/2008

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Theatre Wide-Screen

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1, DDS Dolby Digital Surround

Runtime: 90 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English,Spanish,French

Subtitles: English,Spanish

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Disc #1 -- The Happening
1. Main Titles [:23]
2. Horror in the Park [:22]
3. Taking a Fall [:17]
4. Disappearing Bees [2:13]
5. Possible Terrorism [1:53]
6. Marital Woes [1:32]
7. Chilly, Isn't It [2:17]
8. Last Stop [1:55]
9. Welcome to Princeton [:46]
10. Crossroads [5:48]
11. Talking Funny [3:17]
12. What If? [:27]
13. Good Vibes [6:22]
14. Unwelcome Reception [2:51]
15. Mrs. Jones [4:05]
16. Force of Nature [3:45]
17. Mood Ring [5:36]
18. Love Over Life [4:20]
19. A Warning [1:20]
20. The Happening/End Titles [5:32]

Jason Buchanan

Note to M. Night Shyamalan: No matter which angle you shoot it from, a mild summer breeze is not terrifying. A hurricane, absolutely; a tornado, most certainly; a typhoon, indubitably. Hell, even an especially large dust devil may prove capable of jangling the nerves of some particularly sensitive anemophobics. Unfortunately (at least for Shyamalan), the continuous scenes of trees ominously rustling in the breeze or fields of grass churning like a menacing green ocean throughout The Happening mostly elicit feelings of tranquility and inner peace rather than paralyzing fear and insurmountable dread - the kiss of death for a film attempting to paint nature as the ultimate enemy of mankind. But Shyamalan's failure to make gusts of wind blow fear into the hearts of moviegoers isn't the only reason why The Happening fails to click as an effective horror film; weak direction of actors, a meandering screenplay, and a particularly anemic ending all add up to a misfire that, despite an admittedly original premise and a promise to ramp up the gruesome imagery, largely lacks any real sense of tension or danger. Sadly, since the director fails to ratchet up the levels of intensity any higher than in his previous films, the widely-touted fact that this is his first "R" rated film feels like a gimmicky (and somewhat misleading) ploy to convince moviegoers that Shyamalan has finally taken off the "kids gloves," as opposed to a sincere attempt to grow as a filmmaker, or branch out into more challenging and mature themes. The Happening opens with a gruesome montage of seemingly normal people all over New York City suddenly and inexplicably seizing up and killing themselves in the most immediate manners possible - regardless of how gruesome or painful. But what is causing this grim wave of mass suicide? As the problem begins to spread across the northeastern United States, Philadelphia schoolteacher Elliot Moore (Mark Wahlberg), his wife Alma (Zooey Deschanel), Elliot's friend Julian (John Leguizamo), and Julian's daughter Jess (Ashlyn Sanchez) all hop a train bound for the country, where they will presumably be safe from whatever it is that's causing construction workers to casually stroll off of inner-city skyscrapers. Those opening moments of mayhem and chaos are the scenes in which The Happening is at its best. Unfortunately, it doesn't take long for the action to move to the country, driving the film to a screeching halt save for one particularly tense showdown between Elliot's small group of wandering survivors and another, decidedly more paranoid group of refugees who have locked themselves securely in a country home. The concept of the film is interesting for viewers who are willing to accept it on face value, but the direction in which Shyamalan takes it as a screenwriter just isn't very interesting or frightening. Likewise, Shyamalan should really take some time to reevaluate the way that he directs his actors, as some of the performances in The Happening are truly embarrassing to watch. Deschanel in particular is a doe-eyed disaster as Elliot's insecure, potentially unfaithful wife, and the supporting players are uneven at best. It seems that Shyamalan is attempting to convey the sometimes loopy behavior of normal people attempting to function under unusual and extraordinary circumstances, but the only actors who seem to strike the right tone are Wahlberg, Leguizamo, and Frank Collission as an adamant hot dog enthusiast and unusually perceptive nursery owner. The remainder of the cast just comes off as if they're struggling, giving the impression that the director just couldn't figure out which tone he was trying to strike. Set against the backdrop of a breezy morning, the dialogue-heavy ending in particular is a real letdown. By the time the few surviving protagonists are attempting to talk through their terror, average moviegoers are more likely to long for a refreshing stroll through the park rather than quake in the safety of their comfortable theater seats due to fear of nature's wrath. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Cast and Crew: Gary Barber  Executive Producer 
Roger Birnbaum  Executive Producer 
James Newton Howard  Composer (Music Score) 
Sam Mercer  Producer 
M. Night Shyamalan  Director 
M. Night Shyamalan  Producer 
M. Night Shyamalan  Screenwriter 
Barry Mendel  Producer 
Ronnie Screwvala  Executive Producer 
Zarina Screwvala  Executive Producer 
Mark Graham  Composer (Music Score) 
Joann Kane  Composer (Music Score) 
Mark Wahlberg  Actor 
Zooey Deschanel  Actor 
John Leguizamo  Actor 
Ashlyn Sanchez  Actor 
Betty Buckley  Actor 
Spencer Breslin  Actor 
Robert Bailey Jr.  Actor 
Frank Collison  Actor 
Jeremy Strong  Actor 
Alan Ruck  Actor 
Victoria Clark  Actor 
M. Night Shyamalan  Actor 
Alison Folland  Actor 
Kristen Connolly  Actor 
Cornell Womack  Actor 
Curtis L. McClarin  Actor 
Robert Lenzi  Actor 
Derege Harding  Actor 
Kerry O'Malley  Actor 
Shayna Levine  Actor 
Stephane Debac  Actor 
Cyrille Thouvenin  Actor 
Babita Hariani  Actor 
Alicia Taylor  Actor 
Edward James Hyland  Actor 
Armand Schultz  Actor 
Stephen Singer  Actor 
Sophia Burke  Actor 
Alex Van Kooy  Actor 
Charlie Saxton  Actor 
Kathy Hart  Actor 
Lisa Gunn  Actor 
Rick Foster  Actor 
Marc H. Glick  Actor 
Don Castro  Actor 
Bill Chemerka  Actor 
Jan Ellis  Actor 
Whitney Sugarman  Actor 
Mary Ellen Driscoll  Actor 
Greg Wood  Actor 
Peter Appel  Actor 
Eoin O'Shea  Actor 
Michael Quinlan  Actor 
Lyman Chen  Actor 
Brian O'Halloran  Actor 
Megan Mazaika  Actor 
Richard Chew  Actor 
Keith E. Bullard  Actor 
Joel de la Fuente  Actor 
Ashley Brimfield  Actor 
Mara Hobel  Actor 
James "Jimbo" Breen  Actor 
Carmen Bitonti  Actor 
Brian Anthony Wilson  Actor 
Greg Smith Aldridge  Actor 
Ukee Washington  Actor 
John Ottavino  Actor 
Sid Doherty  Actor 
Wes Heywood  Actor 
Nancy Sokerka  Actor 
Julia Yorks  Actor 
Bill Shusta  Actor 
Kirk Penberthy  Actor 
Alex Craft  Actor 
Allie Habberstad  Actor 

Country: USA