The Spiderwick Chronicles

Director: Mark Waters Mark Waters

Overview

Mark S. Waters's adaptation of the popular fantasy novels The Spiderwick Chronicles tells the tale of the Graces, a family who must adapt to their new strange surroundings. As the story begins, twin brothers Jared and Simon, along with their sister Mallory and their mother, move away from the big city to a mansion owned by their uncle. When a series of strange happenings suggest that Jared may be causing a number of disturbances, the siblings band together to figure out what is going on. Soon they discover the magical history of the property.

Product Details

Release Date:	09/12/2017
UPC:	0032429266590
Original Release:	2008
Rating:	PG
Source:	PARAMOUNT
Language:	English
Time:	1:35:00
Sales rank:	16,355

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Freddie Highmore	Jared Grace/Simon Grace
Mary-Louise Parker	Helen Grace
Sarah Bolger	Mallory Grace
Andrew McCarthy	Richard Grace
Joan Plowright	Aunt Lucinda
David Strathairn	Arthur Spiderwick
Jordy Benattar	Young Lucinda
Tod Fennell	Helen's Co-Worker
Mariah Inger	Nurse
Jeremy Lavalley	Tow Truck Driver
Seth Rogen	Hogsqueal
Martin Short	Thimbletack
Nick Nolte	Mulgarath
Lise Durocher-Viens	madame Spiderwick
Tyler Patrick Jones	Additional Performer
Kyle Switzer	Additional Performer
Stefanie Broos	Elf
Ron Perlman	Red Cap
Izabella Miko	Actor
James Horner	Composer
Stephen Edwards	Composer

Technical Credits

John Sayles

Karey Kirkpatrick

David Berenbaum

Tony DiTerlizzi

Brent Forrester

Mark Waters	Director
John Sayles	Screenwriter,Producer
Karey Kirkpatrick	Screenwriter,Producer
David Berenbaum	Screenwriter
Albie Hecht	Producer
Cynthia Crimmins	Special Effects
Ellen Goldsmith-Vein	Producer
Joey Box	Stunts
Julia Pistor	Producer,Executive Producer
Larry J. Franco	Producer,Producer
Marci Liroff	Casting
Mark Canton	Producer
Michael Lantieri	Special Effects
Pablo Helman	Special Effects
Stephen Gilbert	Special Effects
Tony DiTerlizzi	Screenwriter,Executive Producer,Producer
Steve Barnett	Producer
Julie Kane-Ritsch	Producer
Holly Black	Executive Producer,Producer
Tom C. Peitzman	Producer
Nathan Abbot	Special Effects
Mark Agostino	Sound Effects
Richard L. Anderson	Sound Effects
Josette Perrotta	Producer
Mark Binder	Sound Effects
Anna Behlmer	Sound Effects
Gaspar Brabant	Special Effects
Josee Bernard	Sound Effects
Pascal Archambault Bouffard	Stunts
Silenn Thomas	Producer
Cheryl A. Tkach	Producer
Brent Forrester	Screenwriter
Tom Pietzman	Executive Producer
Mark Mangini	Sound/Sound Designer
Louis Marion	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

Freddie Highmore adds to his extensive prepubescent resumé with The Spiderwick Chronicles, an engaging and occasionally touching fantasy that's refreshing for what it isn't: a 21st century Jumanji. Playing twins, the young actor shows veteran maturity by giving them distinct personalities, instead of forcing audiences to differentiate them by the color of their shirts. That Highmore's work takes top billing in this analysis, rather than the film's fantasy world and digital creature effects, is not a slight to that world or those effects -- rather, it explains why The Spiderwick Chronicles is a bit more memorable than other fantasies intended for a tween audience. There's a solid emotional core here, to complement the sprites and goblins that literally come out of the woodwork when Jared Grace disregards the warnings and opens the titular tome. Feeling abandoned by an absent father, Jared carries on a bristling relationship with his mother (Mary-Louise Parker), and some genuine anguish passes between their characters. Perhaps this injection of realism can be attributed to indie filmmaker John Sayles, whose surprise screenwriting credit may have something to do with the actor cast to play Arthur Spiderwick: David Strathairn, Sayles' longtime collaborator. Fans of the popular books that inspired the film (authored by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi) should be pretty happy with the way director Mark S. Waters has visualized the design details of this world. The entries in Spiderwick's Field Guide place the viewer in a willing mythozoological mindset, and the characters that spring forth -- while not drastically different from those seen in other films indebted to J.R.R. Tolkien -- are lively enough to help shape and build the story's mythology. The film's February release may have prevented it from growing into a bigger hit, but The Spiderwick Chronicles is satisfying escapism with a lingering presence.