If there’s one thing almost guaranteed to happen nowadays when someone praises Stir Of Echoes it is that same person also saying that the film is actually better than The Sixth Sense (the supernatural blockbuster behemoth that unfortunately overshadowed this film back when it was released in 1999). People are entitled to that opinion. I disagree though, although Stir Of Echoes IS an excellent chiller that more people still need to check out.
Kevin Bacon plays Tom, a blue collar worker who is married to Maggie (Kathryn Erbe), the two living in a fairly comfortable new home with their son, Jake (Zachary David Cope). One evening, Tom’s sister-in-law, Lisa (Illeana Douglas) agrees to hypnotize him at a party, which is when his troubles begin. Tom starts seeing things, visions of a young woman (played by Jennifer Morrison) who went missing in the neighbourhood some time ago. His mind has become more receptive, allowing him to see the world around him in a different way. It turns out that his new perspective allows him to glimpse things that his son has been seeing for some time, but maybe things will go back to normal if Tom helps the missing girl in need of his help.
Adapted from a tale by Richard Matheson, Stir Of Echoes was written and directed by David Koepp (his second directorial feature), and it does a fantastic job of grounding the supernatural elements in something that keeps you caring about the characters and believing each stage of the plot development.
As hard as it is for me to say it, because I am a big fan of his work, the biggest problem with Stir Of Echoes is Kevin Bacon. He’s not actually bad, but I cannot help thinking that a number of other actors would do a better job in the main role, from the accent to the attitude. I am not sure who I would replace him with (my mind has considered the likes of Kevin Corrigan and Donnie Wahlberg), but he is the only one I would think of replacing. Erbe and Cope are both very good, with the latter particularly effective at portraying an innocent and playful child who hears and sees things he has become used to others being unaware of. Douglas only has a few main scenes, but she livens up the movie considerably, with her presence and her character being pivotal to the plot. Morrison is shot in a way that allows her to be a memorable onscreen presence, and there are a couple of solid supporting turns from Kevin Dunn and Connor O’Farrell.
Aside from some good performances, the main strength of this film lies in the script and the imagery. The title really sums up the central idea, and the “echoes” that we see are interspersed throughout the plot in a way that brilliantly builds the mystery and sense of intrigue all the way to a final act that is as enjoyable and satisfying as it is annoyingly formulaic. The finale is the least interesting part of the movie, but it works well enough at the end of the journey we have gone on with the main characters.
If you haven’t seen this one yet, do yourself a favour and check it out. The same goes for The Sixth Sense (of course). And then you can decide which one you like more.
8/10
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