Reviewed by Colin Jacobson (October 25, 2022)
After the success of 1973’s Exorcist and 1976’s Omen, horror leaned toward stories related to children. In that domain, we find 1977’s Audrey Rose.
Set in New York City, Janice (Marsha Mason) and Bill Templeton (John Beck) live an upscale existence with 11-year-old daughter Ivy (Susan Swift). Creepy encounters occur when a mystery man appears to stalk the family, however.
Eventually the stranger comes into the open and reveals himself to be Elliott Hoover (Anthony Hopkins), a man who lost his daughter Audrey Rose in a car accident 11 years earlier. Elliott believes Ivy exists as the reincarnation of Audrey Rose, and this revelation sends the Templetons down unusual paths.
As implied, Exorcist and Omen led to plenty of cheap imitators, but one enters Rose with expectations it won’t just offer a tacky knock-off. Those hopes come from those involved.
In addition to those mentioned, the cast involves talents like Norman Lloyd and John Hillerman. Throw in legendary director Robert Wise behind the camera and Rose promises something above average for the genre.
Wise would go to the problematic production of 1979’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture next and then essentially retire. He directed one more movie a decade later and then a TV flick 11 years after that, so 1979 essentially represented the end of Wise as a working filmmaker.
Given all the issues he encountered during the creation of the Trek flick, I never really blamed Wise for its lackluster nature. However, when presented with the sluggish and dull Rose, I start to reassess that viewpoint and wonder if Wise deserves more blame for Trek’s flaws than I previously issued.
With two Oscar Best Pictures - and corresponding Best Director awards – under his belt, Wise enjoyed a great 1960s. Toss in 1963’s classic The Haunting and even with a notable flop like 1968’s Star, Wise experienced major success that decade.
1971’s Andromeda Strain experiences a good reputation, but I admit I don’t get its appeal, as the movie doesn’t really work for me. 1975’s Hindenburg worked better than it probably should, though, and becomes arguably Wise’s best effort from the 1970s.
Given Wise’s positive background in the horror/thriller genre, I hoped he’d work some magic with Rose. Unfortunately, the end result feels surprisingly devoid of drama and turns into a slow chore to watch.
Rose brings a 113-minute movie that probably should clock in around 90 minutes, tops. It simply dawdles too much as it drags through its plot.
For instance, Rose uses a lot of real estate as it builds toward the reveal of Elliott’s purpose. In theory, this could bring tension, but the flick makes Elliott so bland and toothless that he doesn’t come across as the threat he needs to add impact to this first act.
As such, we simply wait impatiently for the Big Twist to emerge. Rose doesn’t build its characters or situations in a particularly engaging manner during that period, so we become impatient.
Matters don’t improve notable once Elliott makes his beliefs/purpose known. We find some intriguing concepts but Wise presents them in a banal manner that strips the film of much impact.
Indeed, Rose often seems more interested in a semi-philosophical discussion of life after death than in its narrative development. At one point, the tale abruptly shifts to a courtroom setting, and that appears to exist mainly to discuss reincarnation.
None of this creates an engaging story, and inconsistent performances don’t help. On the positive side, Hopkins offers a nicely understated turn as Elliott, a character who needs a sense of grounding if the audience won’t view him as an irrational kook.
On the other hand, Mason overacts a storm. Mason earned an Oscar for her other 1977 film, The Goodbye Girl, and she displayed similar over the top work there.
Given the movie’s general flaws, Mason doesn’t really damage Rose, but her scenery-chewing work doesn’t help, either. Young Swift also seems cartoony as Ivy and turns into another weak link.
In the end, Audrey Rose feels more like a weepy soap opera tale than a creepy supernatural story. Despite ample talent involved, the movie bores.
