Wendigo (film)
Encyclopedia
Wendigo is a 2001 horror film
by Larry Fessenden starring Patricia Clarkson
and Jake Weber
.
) is a highly-strung professional photographer who is starting to unravel from the stress of his work with a Manhattan
advertising agency. Needing some time away from the city, George, his wife Kim (Patricia Clarkson
), and their son Miles (played by Erik Per Sullivan
) head to upstate New York
to take in the winter sights, though the drive up is hardly relaxing for any of them. George accidentally hits and severely injures a deer that ran onto the icy road. After George stops to inspect the damage, he's confronted by an angry local named Otis who flies into a rage, telling George that he and his fellow hunters had been tracking the deer
for some time. An argument breaks out, which leaves George feeling deeply shaken. When George and Kim arrive at their cabin
, they discover that a dark and intimidating presence seems to have taken it over.
The next day, when they stop at a store in a town near the cabin, a shopkeeper tells Miles about the legend of the Wendigo
, a deformed beast from Indian folklore
who changes from a human to a hideous beast after engaging in cannibalism
. The Wendigo also has supernatural powers and can change its appearance at will. The shopkeeper then gives him a small figurine of a Wendigo. Shaken, Miles can't help but think the Wendigo has something to do with the dark forces at work in the woods near the cabin. Later that day, while sledding together, George suddenly falls to the ground, leaving Miles alone and lost in the woods. Frightened, Miles approaches his dad when he is chased by the wendigo and passes out. He is awakened later by a frightened Kim, who went looking for her family once they didn't come home. Kim and Miles begin a trek deep into the forest, until they end up at the house, where they find a bloody George crawling towards the car claiming Otis shot him. Frantic, Kim and Miles put George in the car and drive to the nearest hospital. It is revealed that George and Miles were sledding near a shooting range and Otis shot George in the liver with a high powered hunting rifle. George undergoes emergency surgery and Miles walks into the hospital, and hallucinates that his father is being assaulted by the Wendigo, faints and awakens only to find that George has died. Otis is confronted by the local sheriff
, but he kills the sheriff and drives away into the night, being stalked by the wendigo until he crashes into a tree
and runs away into the forest, eventually ending up on a road where he is hit by the sheriff deputy's squad car. The movie ends with Otis being carted into the emergency room of the hospital, and being followed by the Indian shopkeeper while Miles watches it all, caressing the Wendigo figurine.
, Phoenicia
and Ulster County, New York.
reports that 58% of critics gave the film positive reviews. The film opened in limited release and was not a major box office attraction.
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...
by Larry Fessenden starring Patricia Clarkson
Patricia Clarkson
Patricia Davies Clarkson is an American actress. After studying drama on the East Coast, Clarkson launched her acting career in 1985, and has worked steadily in both film and television. She twice won the Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in Six Feet Under...
and Jake Weber
Jake Weber
Jake Weber is an English actor, known in film for his role as Michael in Dawn of the Dead and for his role as Drew in Meet Joe Black...
.
Plot
George (Jake WeberJake Weber
Jake Weber is an English actor, known in film for his role as Michael in Dawn of the Dead and for his role as Drew in Meet Joe Black...
) is a highly-strung professional photographer who is starting to unravel from the stress of his work with a Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
advertising agency. Needing some time away from the city, George, his wife Kim (Patricia Clarkson
Patricia Clarkson
Patricia Davies Clarkson is an American actress. After studying drama on the East Coast, Clarkson launched her acting career in 1985, and has worked steadily in both film and television. She twice won the Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in Six Feet Under...
), and their son Miles (played by Erik Per Sullivan
Erik Per Sullivan
Erik Per Sullivan is an American actor best known for his role as Dewey, the younger brother to middle child Malcolm, on the FOX series, Malcolm in the Middle which was on air for 6 years.-Personal life:...
) head to upstate New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to take in the winter sights, though the drive up is hardly relaxing for any of them. George accidentally hits and severely injures a deer that ran onto the icy road. After George stops to inspect the damage, he's confronted by an angry local named Otis who flies into a rage, telling George that he and his fellow hunters had been tracking the deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
for some time. An argument breaks out, which leaves George feeling deeply shaken. When George and Kim arrive at their cabin
Log cabin
A log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...
, they discover that a dark and intimidating presence seems to have taken it over.
The next day, when they stop at a store in a town near the cabin, a shopkeeper tells Miles about the legend of the Wendigo
Wendigo
The Wendigo is a mythical creature appearing in the mythology of the Algonquian people. It is a malevolent cannibalistic spirit into which humans could transform, or which could possess humans...
, a deformed beast from Indian folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
who changes from a human to a hideous beast after engaging in cannibalism
Cannibalism
Cannibalism is the act or practice of humans eating the flesh of other human beings. It is also called anthropophagy...
. The Wendigo also has supernatural powers and can change its appearance at will. The shopkeeper then gives him a small figurine of a Wendigo. Shaken, Miles can't help but think the Wendigo has something to do with the dark forces at work in the woods near the cabin. Later that day, while sledding together, George suddenly falls to the ground, leaving Miles alone and lost in the woods. Frightened, Miles approaches his dad when he is chased by the wendigo and passes out. He is awakened later by a frightened Kim, who went looking for her family once they didn't come home. Kim and Miles begin a trek deep into the forest, until they end up at the house, where they find a bloody George crawling towards the car claiming Otis shot him. Frantic, Kim and Miles put George in the car and drive to the nearest hospital. It is revealed that George and Miles were sledding near a shooting range and Otis shot George in the liver with a high powered hunting rifle. George undergoes emergency surgery and Miles walks into the hospital, and hallucinates that his father is being assaulted by the Wendigo, faints and awakens only to find that George has died. Otis is confronted by the local sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
, but he kills the sheriff and drives away into the night, being stalked by the wendigo until he crashes into a tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
and runs away into the forest, eventually ending up on a road where he is hit by the sheriff deputy's squad car. The movie ends with Otis being carted into the emergency room of the hospital, and being followed by the Indian shopkeeper while Miles watches it all, caressing the Wendigo figurine.
Cast
- Patricia ClarksonPatricia ClarksonPatricia Davies Clarkson is an American actress. After studying drama on the East Coast, Clarkson launched her acting career in 1985, and has worked steadily in both film and television. She twice won the Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in Six Feet Under...
as Kim - Jake WeberJake WeberJake Weber is an English actor, known in film for his role as Michael in Dawn of the Dead and for his role as Drew in Meet Joe Black...
as George - Erik Per SullivanErik Per SullivanErik Per Sullivan is an American actor best known for his role as Dewey, the younger brother to middle child Malcolm, on the FOX series, Malcolm in the Middle which was on air for 6 years.-Personal life:...
as Miles - John Speredakos as Otis
- Christopher Wynkoop as Sheriff Tom Hale
- Lloyd Oxendine as Elder
- Brian DelateBrian DelateBrian Delate is an American actor.He was born in Trenton, New Jersey to Joseph and Patricia Delate, but would be primarily raised in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.Delate served in the Vietnam War before entering a career in acting....
as Everett - Daniel Sherman as Billy
- Jennifer Wiltsie as Martha
- Maxx Stratton as Brandon
- Richard Stratton as Earl
- Dash Stratton as Little Otis
- Dwayne Navara as Mechanic
- Shelly Bolding as Store Owner
- Susan Pellegrino as Nurse
- James GodwinJames GodwinJames Basil Godwin III, a Rear Admiral of the United States Navy, is the Program Executive Officer – Enterprise Information Systems of the Department of the Navy...
as Wendigo
Production
It was filmed in KingstonKingston, New York
Kingston is a city in and the county seat of Ulster County, New York, USA. It is north of New York City and south of Albany. It became New York's first capital in 1777, and was burned by the British Oct. 16, 1777, after the Battles of Saratoga...
, Phoenicia
Phoenicia, New York
Phoenicia is a hamlet in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 381 at the 2000 census.Phoenicia is located in the northeast part of Town of Shandaken, on Route 28. It is the largest community in the town...
and Ulster County, New York.
Reception
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...
reports that 58% of critics gave the film positive reviews. The film opened in limited release and was not a major box office attraction.