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(About Our Ads) "THE HAPPENING" (2008) (Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel) (R) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Minor Extreme Moderate *Heavy Extreme Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Heavy Minor Extreme None Moderate Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Mild None Heavy Heavy Extreme QUICK TAKE: Suspense/Thriller: Various ordinary citizens must contend with an airborne toxin that causes its victims to kill themselves. PLOT: Elliot Moore (MARK WAHLBERG) is a science teacher whose marriage to Alma (ZOOEY DESCHANEL) is on rocky footing. That isn't much of a surprise to Elliot's best friend, Julian (JOHN LEGUIZAMO), who's also a teacher but is happily married with an 8-year-old daughter, Jess (ASHLYN SANCHEZ). Their and many other lives are thrown for a loop, however, when some abnormal event -- starting in Central Park and then spreading through the city -- causes ordinary people to kill themselves. With Julian's wife saying she'll meet them, he, Jess, Elliot and Alma board a train headed for Philadelphia. But when reports surface that the same thing is occurring down there due to apparent airborne neurotoxins, the train stops in the middle of nowhere, leaving the passengers to fend for themselves. As they meet others in the same boat, including a Nursery Owner (FRANK COLLISION), green Army Private Alister (JEREMY STRONG), boys Josh (SPENCER BRESLIN) and Jared (ROBERT BAILEY), and peculiar recluse Mrs. Jones (BETTY BUCKLEY), Elliot and Alma agree to take care of Jess while Julian goes to try to rescue his wife. Encountering suicides everywhere they go, the trio tries to figure out what's occurring and prevent that from happening to them. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're fans of anyone in the cast or the work of the director (who also did "The Sixth Sense" and "Signs"), they might be interested. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R For violent and disturbing images. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: MARK WAHLBERG plays a high school science teacher who tries to get his students thinking, but can't figure out why his marriage to Alma is on rocky grounds. After the airborne toxin attack, he becomes something of a reluctant leader for a small group of survivors. He uses a bit of profanity while trying to protect himself, Alma and Jess. ZOOEY DESCHANEL plays his wife who's acting somewhat distant from him, mainly because she feels guilty about having or nearly having an affair with someone else. She uses some profanity. JOHN LEGUIZAMO plays Elliot's best friend, a math teacher who isn't surprised by their strained marriage. After the outbreak, he must make the tough choice of leaving his daughter with them as he sets out to try to find his missing wife. ASHLYN SANCHEZ plays his 8-year-old daughter who's obviously scared by what's transpiring. BETTY BUCKLEY plays a peculiar recluse who's purposefully cut herself off from the outside world, and bitterly/reluctantly feeds and briefly houses Elliot, Alma and Jess. SPENCER BRESLIN and ROBERT BAILEY play boys who end up tagging along with Elliot and the others. The former's character briefly is belligerent with some holed-up people, and briefly uses profanity. FRANK COLLISION plays a nursery owner who believes the airborne toxins are caused by plants. JEREMY STRONG plays a young Army private who's the only one left from his group and does his best to lead others. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: Here's a quick look at the content found in this R-rated thriller. Profanity consists of a few slang terms related to genitalia, while a handful of other expletives and colorful phrases are uttered. Some brief, sexually related dialogue is also present. Violence consists of various scenes of infected people committing suicide by various means (hairpin to the neck, gunshots to the head, jumping from buildings, lying under an industrial lawn mower, etc.), often with bloody/gory results, while two boys are shot and killed by others. Those scenes, various visuals (bodies hanging, lying on the roads, etc.) and moments of potential peril might be unsettling to some viewers. Some behavior (mainly the suicides) might be enticing for some kids to imitate, while tense family material is also present, as are some bad attitudes, and a model home contains fake glasses of wine. If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, there are varying amounts of handheld camerawork in the film (some of it rather bouncy). ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE We see fake wine in a model home, and Elliot picks up a glass while talking with someone else (as if he's going to drink from it until he realizes it's not real). BLOOD/GORE We see blood around the insertion point as a woman slowly pushes a long hairpin into her own neck. As some construction men talk in New York City, there's a loud bang near them and they realize it's one of their crewmembers who's fallen a long distance to the street below, dead from the impact (we see his twisted and somewhat bloody body). Another construction worker then similarly hits the street, followed by the sound of others doing the same. We hear a gunshot and then see a cop's body fall to the street with some blood coming out of the bullet hole in his forehead. A cabbie then picks up the dropped handgun and shoots himself (we don't see the impact, but also see his body hit the street, also with a hole in the head, but this time we see a pool of blood form and flow toward a businesswoman who picks up the gun). We see video footage on a cell phone that shows a man standing in a zoo's lion exhibit, walking over toward them, etc. The camera then moves about during the first attack, but we then see the man standing there, missing one arm (with bloody results), followed by a lion grabbing and yanking off his other arm (also with bloody/gory results). Elliot watches from a distance as an infected man starts a large, industrial lawn mower, sets it into motion, and then lies down in front of it. We see the spinning blades then come into contact with the man, with blood spraying out (seen from a distance). After a boy kicks at the door of some holed-up people, a shotgun blast rips through this torso (with bloody results). We then see a shotgun or rifle barrel sticking out and aiming at another boy. Elliot sees that too late as the shot hits that boy (we don't see the impact, but do see the body). After hearing a loud thump on an outside wall, Elliot spots Mrs. Jones with some blood on her face. She then smashes her head through a closed window, shattering it and severely cutting her face (including with a shard of glass stuck in her eye). DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE A woman refers to a character in a book as the "crippled girl." Alma avoids calls from someone named Joey (seen displayed on her phone) and it's implied that she had at minimum an emotional affair with him (as she's now trying to avoid him). However, she tells him on the phone that all they did was have dessert together, and she later confesses the same to Elliot (we don't know if she's telling the truth or not). After the Nursery owner says something she thinks is ridiculous, Alma makes the "crazy" hand gesture at her head (for Elliot to see). Upset that some holed-up people won't let them into their house, Josh becomes belligerent, kicking at the door and saying "Open the door, bitch" (to a man) and "You p*ssies." An unplugged recluse acts oddly around Elliot, Alma and Jess. At one point, she slaps Jess' hand for reaching out for a cookie. FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence," "Blood/Gore" and "Jump Scenes" may be unsettling, suspenseful or scary to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material. As a woman sits on a park bench with her friend in Central Park, she hears a distant scream and then notices that everyone is frozen in their tracks, save for her and a few people who are slowly walking backwards. Her friend then slowly removes a long hairpin from the back of her head and equally slowly drives it into her own neck, pushing it in (we see blood around the insertion point). As some construction men talk in New York City, there's a loud bang near them and they realize it's one of their crewmembers who's fallen a long distance to the street below, dead from the impact (we see his twisted and somewhat bloody body). Another construction worker then similarly hits the street, followed by the sound of others doing the same. We then see one man's POV as he looks up to see many men flinging themselves off a building and plummeting toward him and the street. The similarities to the same that occurred on 9/11 might make the scene even more disturbing. Teachers at Elliot's school are alerted that there's been a terrorist attack in Central Park (related to the above scene) where an airborne chemical toxin has been released. The students are dismissed, but no one seems particularly concerned or hurried. We hear a gunshot and then see a cop's body fall to the street with some blood coming out of the bullet hole in his forehead. A cabbie then picks up the dropped handgun and shoots himself (we don't see the impact, but also see his body hit the street, also with a hole in the head, but this time we see a pool of blood form and flow toward a businesswoman who picks up the gun). We hear a shot, but that then segues into the next scene. There's talk of similar attacks in other cities. We see video footage on a cell phone that shows a man standing in a zoo's lion exhibit, walking over toward them, etc. The camera then moves about during the first attack, but we then see the man standing there, missing one arm (with bloody results), followed by a lion grabbing and yanking off his other arm (also with bloody/gory results). The power goes out in a restaurant where survivors have assembled (during the day, and nothing directly related occurs immediately after that). As Elliot and others drive down a road, they then see many people hanging from trees above the road. A jeep slows down and then purposefully speeds up and rams into a tree, with two people ejected hard from the vehicle. Another gets out and seems unscathed, but he sits down in the road, grabs a shard of glass, and proceeds to slice his wrist several times (seen from a distance, with no blood). Viewed through binoculars, Elliot spots various dead people lying in the middle of the road. With Elliot and the others pulling up the rear of a group traveling on foot, we see the front section come to a halt, with an Army private now under the spell. He removes his handgun, and we later hear a gunshot, and then several more (as people apparently commit suicide with it). Realizing the toxin is in the air, Elliot and the others try to flee from the wind blowing their direction. Elliot and the others realize they must avoid larger groups of people as that's what seems to be the catalyst for the release and target of the deadly airborne toxins. Elliot watches from a distance as an infected man starts a large, industrial lawn mower, sets it into motion, and then lies down in front of it. We see the spinning blades then come into contact with the man, with blood spraying out (seen from a distance). Elliot informs Alma that perhaps it's not a good idea for Jess to be on a rope swing attached to a tree. After a boy kicks at the door of some holed-up people, a shotgun blast rips through this torso (with bloody results). We then see a shotgun or rifle barrel sticking out and aiming at another boy. Elliot sees that too late as the shot hits that boy (we don't see the impact, but do see the body). Elliot walks through Mrs. Jones' home in the morning, hearing voices but unable to find anyone. He knocks and slowly enters the woman's bedroom, spotting spindly legs on the bed that he then sees belong to a creepy looking doll. Just then, Mrs. Jones surprises him from behind, but then leaves. He next finds her in the garden and then retreats to the house where he sees her pass by a window. He then hears several loud thumps, followed by a view of her with a slightly bloody face before smashing her head through a closed window, shattering it and severely cutting her face (including with a shard of glass stuck in her eye). She then walks around another part of the house and similarly smashes her head through another closed window. Elliot realizes the toxin has been released again, but this time he's separated from Alma and Jess (who are in an adjacent building with an underground speaking tube). With him saying that if he's going to die, he wants to do that with Alma, Elliot walks outdoors, as do Alma and Jess, but nothing happens to any of them. We see the beginning of a new toxin outbreak in a foreign country. GUNS/WEAPONS Handguns/Rifle and/or Shotgun: Used to commit suicide or kill others. See "Violence" for details. We see some miscellaneous men heavily arming themselves. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "You p*ssies," "Crippled girl," "Downright whacked," "I was just messing with you," "You have got to chill out," "What the hell is going on?" "Cheese and crackers," "Why can't anybody give me a G*ddamn second?" and "Open the door, bitch" (said to a man). For troubled kids, the various means of suicide could prove to be inspiration for doing the same to themselves. After the Nursery owner says something she thinks is ridiculous, Alma makes the "crazy" hand gesture at her head (for Elliot to see). A miscellaneous man has a tattoo. JUMP SCENES Mrs. Jones suddenly surprises Elliot from behind. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) An extreme amount of ominous, suspenseful, and heavily dramatic music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 1 slang term each using female and male genitals ("p*ssies" and "thing"), 2 asses (both used with "hole"), 1 variation of crap, 1 hell, 6 uses of "Oh my God," 2 of "Jesus" and 1 use each of "Christ," "G-damn" and "My God" (the latter in subtitles). SEX/NUDITY A male construction worker seems to be telling a dirty joke or story, with him comparing his "thing" to another man's, adding that his says something along the lines of "Welcome to Jamaica, have a nice day." About a mood ring Elliot got her in the past, Alma says that the color purple meant she was "horny." Alma shows a little cleavage in several scenes. Alma awaits the results of a pregnancy test that show she's pregnant. SMOKING None. TENSE FAMILY SCENES After talking with Alma on the phone, Elliot tells Julian that she's been acting oddly. Julian then tells him that he spotted her on her wedding day and she didn't look happy, so this isn't a surprise to him. There's some obvious tension between Elliot and Alma when they meet. Alma avoids calls from someone named Joey (seen displayed on her phone) and it's implied that she had at minimum an emotional affair with him (as she's now trying to avoid him). However, she tells him on the phone that all they did was have dessert together, and she later confesses the same to Elliot (we don't know if she's telling the truth or not). Julian leaves the group and heads off to Princeton to try to find his wife. This means that he leaves his 8-year-old daughter with Elliot and Alma. She's already been worried about her missing mom and this only adds to her familial stress A distraught mother talks to her child on the phone and we hear the sound of what appears to be a window breaking, and the mother sobs over the apparent suicide. Believing but having no proof of the matter, Elliot and Jess cry over the assumed death of Julian. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Suicide. The discussion about honey bees and why they're disappearing around the world. The notion that there are forces at work in nature that are beyond human understanding. How some plants can release airborne chemicals to defend themselves from pests. VIOLENCE As a woman sits on a park bench with her friend in Central Park, she hears a distant scream and then notices that everyone is frozen in their tracks, save for her and a few people who are slowly walking backwards. Her friend then slowly removes a long hairpin from the back of her head and equally slowly drives it into her own neck, pushing it in (we see blood around the insertion point). As some construction men talk in New York City, there's a loud bang near them and they realize it's one of their crewmembers who's fallen a long distance to the street below, dead from the impact (we see his twisted and somewhat bloody body). Another construction worker then similarly hits the street, followed by the sound of others doing the same. We then see one man's POV as he looks up to see many men flinging themselves off a building and plummeting toward him and the street (no impact is seen for that). The similarities to the same that occurred on 9/11 might make the scene even more disturbing. We hear a gunshot and then see a cop's body fall to the street with some blood coming out of the bullet hole in his forehead. A cabbie then picks up the dropped handgun and shoots himself (we don't see the impact, but also see his body hit the street, also with a hole in the head, but this time we see a pool of blood form and flow toward a businesswoman who picks up the gun). We hear a shot, but that then segues into the next scene. We see video footage on a cell phone that shows a man standing in a zoo's lion exhibit, walking over toward them, etc. The camera then moves about during the first attack, but we then see the man standing there, missing one arm (with bloody results), followed by a lion grabbing and yanking off his other arm (also with bloody/gory results). A jeep slows down and then purposefully speeds up and rams into a tree, with two people ejected hard from the vehicle. Another gets out and seems unscathed, but he sits down in the road, grabs a shard of glass, and proceeds to slice his wrist several times (seen from a distance, with no blood). With Elliot and the others pulling up the rear of a group traveling on foot, we see the front section come to a halt, with an Army private now under the spell. He removes his handgun, and we later hear a gunshot, and then several more (as people apparently commit suicide with it). Elliot watches from a distance as an infected man starts a large, industrial lawn mower, sets it into motion, and then lies down in front of it. We see the spinning blades then come into contact with the man, with blood spraying out (seen from a distance). After a boy kicks at the door of some holed-up people, a shotgun blast rips through this torso (with bloody results). We then see a shotgun or rifle barrel sticking out and aiming at another boy. Elliot sees that too late as the shot hits that boy (we don't see the impact, but do see the body). An unplugged recluse acts oddly around Elliot, Alma and Jess. At one point, she slaps Jess' hand for reaching out for a cookie. After hearing a loud thump on an outside wall, Elliot spots Mrs. Jones with some blood on her face. She then smashes her head through a closed window, shattering it and severely cutting her face (including with a shard of glass stuck in her eye). Reviewed June 10, 2008 / Posted June 13, 2008