The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)
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A family moving into a new home discovers a hidden world of magical creatures and a dangerous secret hidden in an old field guide.
The story
In 1928, Arthur Spiderwick wrote a field guide to the fairies he encountered, hiding it away to protect its secrets from Mulgarath, a shapeshifting ogre. Eighty years later, Helen Grace moves into the abandoned Spiderwick estate with her three children. While exploring the house, her son Jared discovers the hidden study and the Field Guide. After meeting a brownie named Thimbletack, Jared learns of the magical world and the dangers surrounding their home. However, the family remains skeptical of Jared's claims until they are confronted by various magical creatures and the looming threat of Mulgarath.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1928, Arthur Spiderwick wrote a field guide to fairies, hiding it from the evil ogre Mulgarath. Eighty years later, Helen Grace moves into the Spiderwick estate with her children: Mallory, Jared, and Simon. Jared finds the guide and meets Thimbletack, a brownie who gives him a stone to see invisible fairies. After Simon is kidnapped by goblins led by Redcap, Jared meets Hogsqueal, a hobgoblin who grants him the ability to see fairies. The children seek help from Great-Aunt Lucinda, who reveals Arthur is held captive by sylphs. They learn Mulgarath plans to break the house's protective circle during a full moon. The children eventually summon a griffin to find Arthur in the sylphs' realm. They discover Thimbletack switched the pages of the book. Arthur helps them escape with a fake book. Back at the house, the family defends themselves against the goblins using kitchen knives and tomato sauce bombs. Jared discovers his father, Richard, is actually Mulgarath in disguise and stabs him. Mulgarath is eventually eaten by Hogsqueal. The family reconciles, and Lucinda is eventually spirited away by the sylphs to live with Arthur.
- First release year
- 2008
- Runtime (minutes)
- 96
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Mark Waters
- Writers
- Karey Kirkpatrick · screenplay; David Berenbaum · screenplay; John Sayles · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Freddie Highmore · the Grace twins (Jared and Simon); Mary-Louise Parker · Helen Grace; Nick Nolte · Mulgarath; Sarah Bolger · Mallory Grace; Andrew McCarthy · Richard Grace; Joan Plowright · Lucinda Spiderwick; David Strathairn · Arthur Spiderwick; Seth Rogen · Hogsqueal
- Genres
- fantasy; adventure
- Themes
- Family dynamics; Hidden worlds; Bravery
- Tone and mood
- Enchanting; Thrilling; Magical
- Premise and plot tags
- Family Drama; Fantasy Adventure; Monster Movie
- Source material / true-story basis
- book series by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
- Content notes
- Magic
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics, being described as an entertaining children's adventure with heart and imagination. It was praised for its charm and the lead actor's performance, though some critics noted a reliance on special effects.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 81% · review count: 149; Metacritic · score: 62 · scale: 100 · review count: 30
- Awards and nominations
- Saturn Awards · Best Fantasy Film · Nominated; Saturn Awards · Best Performance by a Younger Actor · Nominated
- Production trivia
- Filming took 4–5 months.; Sarah Bolger underwent five weeks of intense fencing training.; The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on June 24, 2008, and re-released on September 12, 2017.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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