Orphan

Director: Vera Farmiga, Isabelle Fuhrman

Overview

Dark Castle Entertainment presents the story of a couple (Peter Sarsgaard and Vera Farmiga) that seeks adoption after losing their own child, only to welcome into their house a young girl who has a hidden evil streak underneath her sweet demeanor in the Warner Bros. picture Orphan. House of Wax's Jaume Collet-Serra directs from a script by David Leslie Johnson.

Product Details

Release Date:	10/27/2009
UPC:	0883929048694
Original Release:	2009
Rating:	R
Source:	Warner Home Video
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	2:03:00

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Vera Farmiga	Kate Coleman
Isabelle Fuhrman	Esther
Jimmy Bennett	Daniel Coleman
Aryana Engineer	Max Coleman
Karel Roden	Dr. Varava
Margo Martindale	Dr. Browning
Genelle Williams	Sister Judith
Julien Elia	Hospital Receptionist
Leni Parker	Delivery Room Nurse
Matthew Raudsepp	Actor
Ferelith Young	Actor
Luis Olivia	Actor
Andrew Shaver	Actor
Brendan Wall	Detective
Landon Norris	Daniel's Friend
Jamie Young	Brenda
Mustafa Abdelkarim	Daniel's Friend
Erik Olsen	Actor

Technical Credits

David Leslie Johnson

David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick

CCH Pounder	Director
Vera Farmiga	Director
Isabelle Fuhrman	Director
Jennifer Davisson Killoran	Producer
Leonardo DiCaprio	Producer
Christoph Fisser	Producer
Henning Molfenter	Producer
Charlie Woebcken	Producer
Michael Ireland	Executive Producer
David Leslie Johnson	Screenwriter
David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick	Screenwriter
Tina Gerussi	Casting
Randi Wells	Casting
Andrea Kenyon	Casting

Editorial Reviews

Evil kid movies are a staple of the horror genre, and they're usually pretty predictable. That's not necessarily a bad thing; seeing innocent little faces twist up with murderous rage is creepy to begin with -- that's why these movies exist. And to a large extent, Orphan is no different. However, this movie comes with a twist: a truly insane surprise ending that's so bizarre it's almost innovative. It will delight horror fans looking for something outlandishly weird, and induce vomiting for any casual, mild-mannered moviegoers, who assumed that a film starring Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard would be all pared down and modest. The two leads play parents Kate and John, an upper-middle-class couple with two lovely children, one lovely home, and a giant pile of familial issues, ranging from alcoholism to unresolved grief over the stillbirth of their daughter about a year before. So, of course, the best way to heal the household is to bring in an unnervingly sophisticated little girl -- in this case, a nine-year-old Russian orphan named Esther. She's smart and polite, and you can tell she's evil because she's creepily articulate and really pale. Unexplained accidents and eerie stares soon escalate into actual maliciousness, and Esther becomes exponentially more vicious -- though John's been manipulated by her cuteness and doesn't see it. Kate tries to convince him, but has no credibility with anybody because of the lingering stigma over her alcoholism, so she goes steadily bonkers having a wicked child in the house. This whole cerebral backbone of the story is actually pretty solid, no doubt because of the high-caliber talent in the starring roles. And it's a good thing, because for a movie about an little girl, there's a lot of screen time devoted to the emotional narrative, and there are only a couple of violent scenes in the whole film (though they do get increasingly wilder). But, of course, by the time the big twist happens in the final act, you're in the middle of a frenzied race against time, and there are crazy-bombs dropping left and right. It would be a crime to spoil any details about the madness of that climax, but suffice it to say, it more than makes up for the rest of the movie being somewhat more discreet.