The Skeleton Key
Encyclopedia
The Skeleton Key is a 2005 American supernatural horror film
starring Kate Hudson
, Gena Rowlands
, John Hurt
, Peter Sarsgaard
, and Joy Bryant
. The film focuses on a young hospice
nurse who acquires a job at a Terrebonne Parish plantation home, and becomes entangled in a mystery involving the house, its former inhabitants, and the hoodoo rituals and magic that took place there. It was released in cinemas in the United Kingdom on July 29, 2005, and in the U.S. on August 12, 2005.
) is a New Orleans hospital aide who takes a position as a private hospice caregiver at an isolated plantation house deep in the bayous of southern Louisiana. The lady of the house, Violet Deveraux (Gena Rowlands
) looks after her husband Benjamin Devereaux (John Hurt
), a stroke victim who is expected to die soon. At first Caroline is dubious about taking the job as Violet is very hostile and distrustful towards her, but after some prompting from the family's estate lawyer, Luke Marshall (Peter Sarsgaard
), she accepts the position.
Caroline soon finds the mansion has a dark past. Finding her way into a secret room in the attic, Caroline discovers dolls, a book of spells, potion jars, and other instruments of magic. Violet tells Caroline that the room belonged to two house servants who had worked at the house in the 1920s. Mama Cecile (Jeryl Prescott
) and her husband, Papa Justify (Ron McCall) were, in their day, renowned practitioners of hoodoo, a form of Afro-Caribbean folk magic. The couple, it is revealed, were lynched when it was discovered that they were performing spells with the children of the house owners.
In order to find answers about the ever-present Hoodoo magic, which seems to be the root cause of Ben’s illness, Caroline goes to a local gas station where she earlier saw Hoodoo artifacts. An old woman at the gas station tells Caroline of one of the most powerful Hoodoo conjurations, the Conjure of Sacrifice. Caroline had discovered a record with this title written on it, and feels as though it has something to do with Ben’s illness. The old woman tells Caroline that this powerful spell is one of immortality, in which the caster sacrifices someone and gains the remaining years of their life. Caroline senses that Ben is in danger.
After a failed attempt to get Ben out of Violet's grasp, Caroline seeks the help of the young lawyer Luke. Luke was with Caroline when she learned of the Conjure of Sacrifice and he is aware of Caroline’s suspicion of Violet. While in Luke's house, Caroline discovers clues leading to the revelation that Luke is in league with Violet. Just as Caroline is about to act, Luke captures her, ties her up and gags her to take her back to the manor.
Caroline is held captive, but manages to get free and scatters brick dust throughout the house, which, according to Hoodoo tradition, is meant to keep away those who mean one harm. This brick dust enchantment succeeds in keeping Luke away but Violet gets to Caroline and blows a powder in her eyes (probably Goofer dust
) that distorts her vision. After a brief struggle Caroline manages to push Violet down the stair and break her legs. With Luke and Violet now downstairs, Caroline flees to the attic to find that the room has been set up for some kind of ritual. Caroline follows the instructions on a piece of paper she snatched from Violet earlier, and forms a protective circle around herself. The protective spell was a trick intended to capture Caroline instead of protect her. Violet comes into the ritual room, and explains that Hoodoo magic only works on those that believe in it, and "they" have been waiting for her to believe. Caroline realizes that it was in fact she who was in danger and not Ben. Caroline tries to deny the fact that she now believes in Hoodoo, but cannot convince herself.
Violet pushes a mirror at Caroline, which contains the image, initially of the little girl, then of Violet and ultimately of Mama Cecile. The mirror smashes into Caroline, knocking her unconscious. Caroline then wakes up and walks over to Violet, who is barely awake. It is revealed that the soul of Mama Cecile is now inside Caroline's body, and Caroline's soul is now in Violet's body. Luke's body is revealed to be possessed by the soul of Papa Justify. Ben, who was previously the host to Papa Justify's soul, is revealed to be the real Luke.
Mama Cecile gives Caroline a liquid which causes a pseudo stroke. This prevents her from talking, so that she can't reveal the presences of Mama Cecile and Papa Justify. "Ben" and "Violet" left the house to "Caroline", thus leaving Mama Cecile and Papa Justify to continue occupying the house. The film ends with Caroline and Luke looking at each other helplessly, trapped in Violet and Ben's bodies. Since "Mama Cecile" and "Papa Justify" were originally lynched after performing the same spell with the children, it was actually the children who were lynched while occupying Mama Cecile and Papa Justify's original bodies, with Mama Cecile and Papa Justify actually living on in the childrens' bodies.
in Saint James Parish, Louisiana
, not the coastal, swampy Terrebonne Parish. At the end of the movie, the aerial shot of the house and its grounds was actually done with CGI
technology. In that shot, the house and the grove of trees surrounding it are real, but the swamp that seems to be on the verge of engulfing the house was created by the director for the movie. Behind the house actually lie hundreds of acres of fields. In reality, the house is not really run down; it was decorated with ivy, among other things, to set the tone.
reported that 39% of critics gave positive reviews, based on 142 reviews. Metacritic
reported 47% with a score of 6.2, based on 32 reviews. Scott Brown of Entertainment Weekly
called the film "For anyone zombified by creaky thriller clichés, Skeleton is a fine little shot in the head". Manohla Dargis of The New York Times
said "One of the most enjoyably inane movies of the season, this faux Southern Gothic offers an embarrassment of geek pleasures". Peter Hartlaub of San Francisco Chronicle
gave a negative review of the movie and said "A well-intentioned horror film that is weighted down by stellar cast members who for the most part act as if they do not want to be there".
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
starring Kate Hudson
Kate Hudson
Kate Garry Hudson is an American actress. She came to prominence in 2001 after winning a Golden Globe and receiving several nominations, including a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, for her role in Almost Famous. She then starred in the hit film How to Lose a Guy in 10...
, Gena Rowlands
Gena Rowlands
Gena Rowlands is an American actress of film, stage and television. The four-time Emmy and two-time Golden Globe winner is best known for her collaborations with her actor-director husband John Cassavetes in ten films, in two of which, Gloria and A Woman Under the Influence, she gave Academy...
, John Hurt
John Hurt
John Vincent Hurt, CBE is an English actor, known for his leading roles as John Merrick in The Elephant Man, Winston Smith in Nineteen Eighty-Four, Mr. Braddock in The Hit, Stephen Ward in Scandal, Quentin Crisp in The Naked Civil Servant and An Englishman in New York...
, Peter Sarsgaard
Peter Sarsgaard
John Peter Sarsgaard is an American film and stage actor. He landed his first feature role in the movie Dead Man Walking in 1995. He then appeared in the 1998 independent films Another Day in Paradise and Desert Blue. That same year, Sarsgaard received a substantial role in The Man in the Iron...
, and Joy Bryant
Joy Bryant
Joy Bryant is an American actress and former fashion model. Joy currently stars as Jasmine Trussell in Parenthood-Early life:...
. The film focuses on a young hospice
Hospice
Hospice is a type of care and a philosophy of care which focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's symptoms.In the United States and Canada:*Gentiva Health Services, national provider of hospice and home health services...
nurse who acquires a job at a Terrebonne Parish plantation home, and becomes entangled in a mystery involving the house, its former inhabitants, and the hoodoo rituals and magic that took place there. It was released in cinemas in the United Kingdom on July 29, 2005, and in the U.S. on August 12, 2005.
Plot
Caroline Ellis (Kate HudsonKate Hudson
Kate Garry Hudson is an American actress. She came to prominence in 2001 after winning a Golden Globe and receiving several nominations, including a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, for her role in Almost Famous. She then starred in the hit film How to Lose a Guy in 10...
) is a New Orleans hospital aide who takes a position as a private hospice caregiver at an isolated plantation house deep in the bayous of southern Louisiana. The lady of the house, Violet Deveraux (Gena Rowlands
Gena Rowlands
Gena Rowlands is an American actress of film, stage and television. The four-time Emmy and two-time Golden Globe winner is best known for her collaborations with her actor-director husband John Cassavetes in ten films, in two of which, Gloria and A Woman Under the Influence, she gave Academy...
) looks after her husband Benjamin Devereaux (John Hurt
John Hurt
John Vincent Hurt, CBE is an English actor, known for his leading roles as John Merrick in The Elephant Man, Winston Smith in Nineteen Eighty-Four, Mr. Braddock in The Hit, Stephen Ward in Scandal, Quentin Crisp in The Naked Civil Servant and An Englishman in New York...
), a stroke victim who is expected to die soon. At first Caroline is dubious about taking the job as Violet is very hostile and distrustful towards her, but after some prompting from the family's estate lawyer, Luke Marshall (Peter Sarsgaard
Peter Sarsgaard
John Peter Sarsgaard is an American film and stage actor. He landed his first feature role in the movie Dead Man Walking in 1995. He then appeared in the 1998 independent films Another Day in Paradise and Desert Blue. That same year, Sarsgaard received a substantial role in The Man in the Iron...
), she accepts the position.
Caroline soon finds the mansion has a dark past. Finding her way into a secret room in the attic, Caroline discovers dolls, a book of spells, potion jars, and other instruments of magic. Violet tells Caroline that the room belonged to two house servants who had worked at the house in the 1920s. Mama Cecile (Jeryl Prescott
Jeryl Prescott
Jeryl Prescott Sales is an American film and television actress. Prescott is best known for her recurring role as Jacqui in the television series, The Walking Dead, which premiered on AMC in 2010...
) and her husband, Papa Justify (Ron McCall) were, in their day, renowned practitioners of hoodoo, a form of Afro-Caribbean folk magic. The couple, it is revealed, were lynched when it was discovered that they were performing spells with the children of the house owners.
In order to find answers about the ever-present Hoodoo magic, which seems to be the root cause of Ben’s illness, Caroline goes to a local gas station where she earlier saw Hoodoo artifacts. An old woman at the gas station tells Caroline of one of the most powerful Hoodoo conjurations, the Conjure of Sacrifice. Caroline had discovered a record with this title written on it, and feels as though it has something to do with Ben’s illness. The old woman tells Caroline that this powerful spell is one of immortality, in which the caster sacrifices someone and gains the remaining years of their life. Caroline senses that Ben is in danger.
After a failed attempt to get Ben out of Violet's grasp, Caroline seeks the help of the young lawyer Luke. Luke was with Caroline when she learned of the Conjure of Sacrifice and he is aware of Caroline’s suspicion of Violet. While in Luke's house, Caroline discovers clues leading to the revelation that Luke is in league with Violet. Just as Caroline is about to act, Luke captures her, ties her up and gags her to take her back to the manor.
Caroline is held captive, but manages to get free and scatters brick dust throughout the house, which, according to Hoodoo tradition, is meant to keep away those who mean one harm. This brick dust enchantment succeeds in keeping Luke away but Violet gets to Caroline and blows a powder in her eyes (probably Goofer dust
Goofer dust
Goofer dust is a traditional practice of the African American tradition of hoodoo from the South Eastern Region of the United States of America....
) that distorts her vision. After a brief struggle Caroline manages to push Violet down the stair and break her legs. With Luke and Violet now downstairs, Caroline flees to the attic to find that the room has been set up for some kind of ritual. Caroline follows the instructions on a piece of paper she snatched from Violet earlier, and forms a protective circle around herself. The protective spell was a trick intended to capture Caroline instead of protect her. Violet comes into the ritual room, and explains that Hoodoo magic only works on those that believe in it, and "they" have been waiting for her to believe. Caroline realizes that it was in fact she who was in danger and not Ben. Caroline tries to deny the fact that she now believes in Hoodoo, but cannot convince herself.
Violet pushes a mirror at Caroline, which contains the image, initially of the little girl, then of Violet and ultimately of Mama Cecile. The mirror smashes into Caroline, knocking her unconscious. Caroline then wakes up and walks over to Violet, who is barely awake. It is revealed that the soul of Mama Cecile is now inside Caroline's body, and Caroline's soul is now in Violet's body. Luke's body is revealed to be possessed by the soul of Papa Justify. Ben, who was previously the host to Papa Justify's soul, is revealed to be the real Luke.
Mama Cecile gives Caroline a liquid which causes a pseudo stroke. This prevents her from talking, so that she can't reveal the presences of Mama Cecile and Papa Justify. "Ben" and "Violet" left the house to "Caroline", thus leaving Mama Cecile and Papa Justify to continue occupying the house. The film ends with Caroline and Luke looking at each other helplessly, trapped in Violet and Ben's bodies. Since "Mama Cecile" and "Papa Justify" were originally lynched after performing the same spell with the children, it was actually the children who were lynched while occupying Mama Cecile and Papa Justify's original bodies, with Mama Cecile and Papa Justify actually living on in the childrens' bodies.
Cast
- Kate HudsonKate HudsonKate Garry Hudson is an American actress. She came to prominence in 2001 after winning a Golden Globe and receiving several nominations, including a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, for her role in Almost Famous. She then starred in the hit film How to Lose a Guy in 10...
as Caroline Ellis - Gena RowlandsGena RowlandsGena Rowlands is an American actress of film, stage and television. The four-time Emmy and two-time Golden Globe winner is best known for her collaborations with her actor-director husband John Cassavetes in ten films, in two of which, Gloria and A Woman Under the Influence, she gave Academy...
as Violet Devereaux - John HurtJohn HurtJohn Vincent Hurt, CBE is an English actor, known for his leading roles as John Merrick in The Elephant Man, Winston Smith in Nineteen Eighty-Four, Mr. Braddock in The Hit, Stephen Ward in Scandal, Quentin Crisp in The Naked Civil Servant and An Englishman in New York...
as Benjamin Devereaux - Peter SarsgaardPeter SarsgaardJohn Peter Sarsgaard is an American film and stage actor. He landed his first feature role in the movie Dead Man Walking in 1995. He then appeared in the 1998 independent films Another Day in Paradise and Desert Blue. That same year, Sarsgaard received a substantial role in The Man in the Iron...
as Luke Marshall - Joy BryantJoy BryantJoy Bryant is an American actress and former fashion model. Joy currently stars as Jasmine Trussell in Parenthood-Early life:...
as Jill Dupay - Maxine Barnett as Mama Cynthia
- Fahnlohnee R. Harris as Hallie
- Marion Zinser as Elderly Bayou Woman
- Deneen Tyler as Desk Nurse
- Ann Dalrymple as C.N.A
- Trula Marcus as Nurse Trula
- Tonya Staten as Nurse Audrey
- Thomas Uskali as Robertson Thorpe
- Jen Apgar as Madeleine Thorpe
- Forrest LandisForrest LandisForrest Landis is an American child actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles of Mark Baker in Cheaper by the Dozen and Rhett Loud in Flightplan...
as Martin Thorpe - Jamie Lee Redmon as Grace Thorpe
- Ronald McCall as Papa Justify
- Jeryl PrescottJeryl PrescottJeryl Prescott Sales is an American film and television actress. Prescott is best known for her recurring role as Jacqui in the television series, The Walking Dead, which premiered on AMC in 2010...
as Mama Cecile - Isaach De BankoléIsaach De BankoléIsaach or Isaac de Bankolé is an Ivorian actor.-Work:He has appeared in over 30 films, including Jim Jarmusch's Night on Earth, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, and Coffee and Cigarettes...
as Creole Gas Station Owner - Cristha Thorne as Creole Mother
- Lakrishi Kindred as Frail Customer
Setting
The Skeleton Key was filmed at the historic Felicity Plantation, actually located on the Mississippi RiverMississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
in Saint James Parish, Louisiana
Saint James Parish, Louisiana
St. James Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Convent. As of 2000, its population was 21,216.-History:...
, not the coastal, swampy Terrebonne Parish. At the end of the movie, the aerial shot of the house and its grounds was actually done with CGI
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
technology. In that shot, the house and the grove of trees surrounding it are real, but the swamp that seems to be on the verge of engulfing the house was created by the director for the movie. Behind the house actually lie hundreds of acres of fields. In reality, the house is not really run down; it was decorated with ivy, among other things, to set the tone.
Reviews
The film received generally mixed reviews from critics. Review aggregate site Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reported that 39% of critics gave positive reviews, based on 142 reviews. Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
reported 47% with a score of 6.2, based on 32 reviews. Scott Brown of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
called the film "For anyone zombified by creaky thriller clichés, Skeleton is a fine little shot in the head". Manohla Dargis of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
said "One of the most enjoyably inane movies of the season, this faux Southern Gothic offers an embarrassment of geek pleasures". Peter Hartlaub of San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
gave a negative review of the movie and said "A well-intentioned horror film that is weighted down by stellar cast members who for the most part act as if they do not want to be there".