This movie had me on the edge of my seat until the ending, at which point I was reminded of the story, "The Lady or the Tiger." And to this day, I still wonder, which was it?
The Haunting of Sarah Hardy starts out with young Sarah (Bethany Ward) coming home from her father's funeral to a large house called "The Pines." She is surrounded by her best friends, Lucy (Dawn Prociv) and Alan (Jeff Williams), and the housekeeper, Emily Stepford (Polly Bergen), who appears to be something of a surrogate mother to Sarah. Unfortunately, Sarah's real mother (Janet Penner) menacingly beckons her into her father's study. Encouraged by Miss Stepford, Sarah uneasily goes in, only to be verbally abused by her mother, who runs out of the house, and into the ocean. The body is never found, and the house closed up. Fifteen years later, a now grown Sarah (Sela Ward) is marrying Austin Hardy (Michael Woods), a handsome stock broker. Friends, Lucy (Morgan Fairchild), now an actress, and Alan (Roscoe Born), now a psychiatrist, are in attendance to wish her well. Sarah and Austin choose to live at The Pines, and Miss Stepford is installed as the housekeeper. Everything seems idyllic at first, but Sarah is awakened in the night by noises downstairs, and then by the sound of her mother's harpsichord playing. Concerned for her sanity, she goes to see Alan, whose advice is somewhat inconclusive. Unfortunately, the odd events continue, increasing in frequency, and including "phone calls" from her dead mother, and visions of a shadowy figure downstairs at night. Thinking Miss Stepford to be responsible, Sarah fires her, only to find the incidents continuing to occur. However, when an attack by the shadowy figure causes Sarah to have a miscarriage, she retreats into a depression and disappears, leaving a suicide note. While Lucy and Austin are happy to have Sarah gone so they can have the house - and Sarah's money - to themselves, Alan is suspicious. And when Sarah reappears to him, it's clear that she was aware that something was up. Can she and Alan turn the tables on Austin and Lucy, or will Sarah end up meeting a fate similar to her mother's?
Unfortunately, the major flaw in the movie is that the above question is never answered. The last scene leaves it unclear as to whether Austin has escaped death and returned to kill Sarah, or Sarah has merely lost her mind at last due to the stress of the situation she was in. Otherwise, it is a beautifully crafted thriller, dropping hints, but taking its time to let you know what's really happening.
The acting was superb. Sela Ward is a formidable talent, easily carrying the movie, and giving an excellent performance as a woman who fears for her sanity, but doesn't want to admit that this may be a problem. Morgan Fairchild's are put to good use here as well. She is completely believable as the concerned friend, without a trace of villainy, and yet as soon as her villainy is revealed, she is the perfect vixen. Michael Woods also is convincing as both the loving husband, and the evil murderer. Polly Bergen's performance is as skilled as always, both as the loving friend, and the greedy potential heir. The only performance that was a little flat was that of Roscoe Born, whose concern and love for Sarah show through, but who just doesn't come across as the potential romantic interest he is supposed to be at the end of the film.
Visually and atmospherically, it was a stunning production. The house used for The Pines combines the right atmosphere of beauty and menace necessary to carry off such a story. And both the sight and sound of the ocean help out immeasurably.
This would have been a great thriller if it hadn't been for the weak ending, which pretty much spoiled the movie for me. Too bad, because up until that point, it was one of the best thrillers I had ever seen.
The Haunting of Sarah Hardy starts out with young Sarah (Bethany Ward) coming home from her father's funeral to a large house called "The Pines." She is surrounded by her best friends, Lucy (Dawn Prociv) and Alan (Jeff Williams), and the housekeeper, Emily Stepford (Polly Bergen), who appears to be something of a surrogate mother to Sarah. Unfortunately, Sarah's real mother (Janet Penner) menacingly beckons her into her father's study. Encouraged by Miss Stepford, Sarah uneasily goes in, only to be verbally abused by her mother, who runs out of the house, and into the ocean. The body is never found, and the house closed up. Fifteen years later, a now grown Sarah (Sela Ward) is marrying Austin Hardy (Michael Woods), a handsome stock broker. Friends, Lucy (Morgan Fairchild), now an actress, and Alan (Roscoe Born), now a psychiatrist, are in attendance to wish her well. Sarah and Austin choose to live at The Pines, and Miss Stepford is installed as the housekeeper. Everything seems idyllic at first, but Sarah is awakened in the night by noises downstairs, and then by the sound of her mother's harpsichord playing. Concerned for her sanity, she goes to see Alan, whose advice is somewhat inconclusive. Unfortunately, the odd events continue, increasing in frequency, and including "phone calls" from her dead mother, and visions of a shadowy figure downstairs at night. Thinking Miss Stepford to be responsible, Sarah fires her, only to find the incidents continuing to occur. However, when an attack by the shadowy figure causes Sarah to have a miscarriage, she retreats into a depression and disappears, leaving a suicide note. While Lucy and Austin are happy to have Sarah gone so they can have the house - and Sarah's money - to themselves, Alan is suspicious. And when Sarah reappears to him, it's clear that she was aware that something was up. Can she and Alan turn the tables on Austin and Lucy, or will Sarah end up meeting a fate similar to her mother's?
Unfortunately, the major flaw in the movie is that the above question is never answered. The last scene leaves it unclear as to whether Austin has escaped death and returned to kill Sarah, or Sarah has merely lost her mind at last due to the stress of the situation she was in. Otherwise, it is a beautifully crafted thriller, dropping hints, but taking its time to let you know what's really happening.
The acting was superb. Sela Ward is a formidable talent, easily carrying the movie, and giving an excellent performance as a woman who fears for her sanity, but doesn't want to admit that this may be a problem. Morgan Fairchild's are put to good use here as well. She is completely believable as the concerned friend, without a trace of villainy, and yet as soon as her villainy is revealed, she is the perfect vixen. Michael Woods also is convincing as both the loving husband, and the evil murderer. Polly Bergen's performance is as skilled as always, both as the loving friend, and the greedy potential heir. The only performance that was a little flat was that of Roscoe Born, whose concern and love for Sarah show through, but who just doesn't come across as the potential romantic interest he is supposed to be at the end of the film.
Visually and atmospherically, it was a stunning production. The house used for The Pines combines the right atmosphere of beauty and menace necessary to carry off such a story. And both the sight and sound of the ocean help out immeasurably.
This would have been a great thriller if it hadn't been for the weak ending, which pretty much spoiled the movie for me. Too bad, because up until that point, it was one of the best thrillers I had ever seen.