Magic in the Water
Encyclopedia
Magic in the Water is a 1995 family film
directed by Rick Stevenson
and starring Mark Harmon
, Sarah Wayne and Joshua Jackson
. It is about a fictional lake monster
in British Columbia
. The film was distributed by TriStar Pictures
and produced by Triumph Films
.
) who is trying to aid some local men who claim that they have been possessed by Orky. When Ashley runs away, Jack also has the same experience whilst looking for her. As a result he becomes more devoted to his children.
Ashley and Joshua find out that the reason that Orky is possessing people is to try and tell them that he is dying because a businessman is dumping toxic waste into the lake. Ashley and Joshua help the old man in the cabin next to theirs to find a totem pole in the woods. With the help of Hiro (Willie Nark-Orn), the son of some Japanese monster seekers, they expose the businessman's illegal dumping. Orky, however, still dies from the poisonous waste. The old man summons a lighting bolt which enters a hole in the cave where Orky lives. Ashley and Hiro stay on the dock overnight and leave some cookies out. When she realises that the cookies have been eaten Ashley screams with joy which suggests that Orky is still alive.
s for cinematography and sound. However, critic Leonard Maltin
wrote in his book that "All the magic must be in the water; there's certainly none on the screen. Routine family film feels like recycled Spielberg
."
Film critic Roger Ebert criticized the film's special effects, describing the creature Orky as an "ashen Barney
". He also notes that Orky barely appears in the film at all.
Family film
A family film is a film genre that is designed to appeal to a variety of age groups and, thus, families.In December 2005, Steven Spielberg's 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial came first in a poll of the 100 Greatest Family Films. The genre today generates billions of dollars per annum.Family...
directed by Rick Stevenson
Rick Stevenson
Rick Stevenson is a writer, director, and producer from Seattle, Washington. In 2006, his film Expiration Date won both Audience and Jury Award for Best Film at the Omaha Film Festival and took Best Film honors at the American Indian Film Festival...
and starring Mark Harmon
Mark Harmon
Mark Harmon is an American actor who has been starring in American television programs and films since the mid-1970s, after a career as a collegiate football player with the UCLA Bruins. Since 2003, Harmon has starred as Leroy Jethro Gibbs in the CBS series NCIS.-Early life:Harmon was born Thomas...
, Sarah Wayne and Joshua Jackson
Joshua Jackson
Joshua Carter Jackson is a Canadian American actor. He has appeared in primetime television and in over 32 film roles. He is best known for playing Charlie Conway in The Mighty Ducks film series, Pacey Witter in the television series Dawson's Creek and Peter Bishop in the television series...
. It is about a fictional lake monster
Lake monster
A lake monster or loch monster is a purported form of fresh-water-dwelling megafauna appearing in mythology, rumor, or local folklore, but whose existence lacks scientific support. A well known example is the Loch Ness Monster. Lake monsters' depictions are often similar to some sea monsters...
in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. The film was distributed by TriStar Pictures
TriStar Pictures
TriStar Pictures, Inc. is an American film production/distribution studio and subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, itself a subdivision of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, which is owned by Sony Pictures...
and produced by Triumph Films
Triumph Films
Triumph Films is a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment geared towards theatre and direct-to-video film production and distribution....
.
Plot
Ashley (Sarah Wayne) is depressed because her father Jack (Mark Harmon) spends all his time focusing on his job instead of her and her older brother Joshua (Joshua Jackson). She constantly records his radio show and listens to it. One day, her father takes them to a remote Canadian lake that was popular with tourists due to a myth about an aquatic monster names Orky. They rented a cabin next to an elderly Native American man who was confined to a wheelchair. Jack meets a local psychiatrist named Wanda (Harley Jane KozakHarley Jane Kozak
-Life and career:Kozak was born Susan Jane Kozak in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Dorothy , a university music teacher, and Joseph Aloysius Kozak, an attorney. She has seven siblings: brothers John, Joseph, Peter and Andrew and sisters Dorothy, Mary and Ann. Harley is the youngest of...
) who is trying to aid some local men who claim that they have been possessed by Orky. When Ashley runs away, Jack also has the same experience whilst looking for her. As a result he becomes more devoted to his children.
Ashley and Joshua find out that the reason that Orky is possessing people is to try and tell them that he is dying because a businessman is dumping toxic waste into the lake. Ashley and Joshua help the old man in the cabin next to theirs to find a totem pole in the woods. With the help of Hiro (Willie Nark-Orn), the son of some Japanese monster seekers, they expose the businessman's illegal dumping. Orky, however, still dies from the poisonous waste. The old man summons a lighting bolt which enters a hole in the cave where Orky lives. Ashley and Hiro stay on the dock overnight and leave some cookies out. When she realises that the cookies have been eaten Ashley screams with joy which suggests that Orky is still alive.
Reception
The film won Genie AwardGenie Award
Genie Awards are given out to recognize the best of Canadian cinema by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. From 1949-1979, the awards were named the Canadian Film Awards...
s for cinematography and sound. However, critic Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin is an American film and animated film critic and historian, author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives.-Personal life:...
wrote in his book that "All the magic must be in the water; there's certainly none on the screen. Routine family film feels like recycled Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
."
Film critic Roger Ebert criticized the film's special effects, describing the creature Orky as an "ashen Barney
Barney & Friends
Barney and Friends, also referred to by HiT Entertainment as Barney the Friendly Dinosaur, is an independent children's television show produced in the United States, aimed at children from ages 1-8...
". He also notes that Orky barely appears in the film at all.
See also
- Loch NessLoch Ness (film)Loch Ness is a 1996 family drama film starring Ted Danson and Joely Richardson. It was written by John Fusco and directed by Jon Henderson.-Plot:...
(1996) - Mee-Shee: The Water GiantMee-Shee: The Water GiantMee-Shee: The Water Giant is an Anglo-German family film shot in New Zealand and released in 2005. It stars Bruce Greenwood, Rena Owen, Tom Jackson and Daniel Magder....
(2005) - The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep (2007)