 PANIC
ROOM
The
panic room represents that "safe" interior place of the
soul were we go when we are threatened. It is here that we search
for the inner resources to get us through.
Review by David Bruce |
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It
was supposed to be the safest room in the house.
CREDITS
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Directed by David Fincher
Written by David Koepp
Jodie
Foster .... Meg Altman
Kristen Stewart .... Sarah Altman
Forest Whitaker .... Burnham
Jared Leto .... Junior
Dwight Yoakam .... Raoul
Patrick Bauchau .... Stephen
Ian Buchanan .... Evan
Ann Magnuson .... Lydia
Lynch Andrew
Kevin Walker .... Sleepy Neighbour
Mel Rodriguez .... Cop #2
Paul Schulze .... Cop #1
Produced
by
Ce?n Chaffin .... producer
John S. Dorsey .... associate producer
Judy Hofflund .... producer
David Koepp .... producer
Gavin Polone .... producer
Original
music by Howard Shore
Cinematography by Conrad W. Hall and Darius Khondji
Film Editing by Jim Haygood and Angus Wall
Rated
R for Language and Violence
For rating reasons, go to FILMRATINGS.COM,
and MPAA.ORG.
Parents, please refer to PARENTALGUIDE.ORG
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TRAILERS
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POSTER
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Panic
Room
27 in x 40 in
Original Movie Poster Plain,
or Framed
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More
Jodie Foster Posters here
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SYNOPSIS
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 As
David Fincher's PANIC ROOM begins, recently divorced Meg Altman
(Jodie Foster) halfheartedly tours through an old New York City
townhouse with her restless young daughter, Sarah (Kristen Stewart).
Using money from her divorce settlement, the unhappy mother decides
to buy the old, spacious home. The former abode of a wealthy eccentric,
this townhouse contains an unusual extra feature, a supposedly impenetrable
"panic room" equipped with surveillance monitors, a separate phone
line, and other survival aids, where residents can hide in case
of emergency. When three men--Burnham (Forest Whitaker), Junior
(Jared Leto), and Raoul (Dwight Yoakam)--break into their new home,
Meg and Sarah end up using the panic room much sooner than they
could have possibly imagined. And, unfortunately for them, these
intruders are not simple burglars; they possess knowledge that makes
the situation much more perilous.
Almost
Hitchcockian in its confined setting and carefully doled-out suspense,
Fincher's PANIC ROOM is more straightforward than his infamous FIGHT
CLUB, though no less engaging. Foster (who replaced Nicole Kidman
after she injured herself on the set of MOULIN
ROUGE) gives her best performance since THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS.
The thieves are equally compelling--Whitaker shines as a likeable,
sad-eyed security expert; Leto provides comic relief as a talkative
brat; and Yoakam is perfectly loathsome as an armed-to-the-teeth
psycho. Although the film features some of Fincher's trademark hi-tech
effects, its true bells and whistles are the excellent cast, the
stunning photography, the moody score, and the simple yet thrilling
story.
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REVIEW
The Depth of Soul
By
David Bruce
God
planted fear in the soul as truly as he planted hope or courage.
It is a kind of bell or gong which rings the mind into quick life
on the approach of danger. It is the soul?s signal for rallying.
--HENRY WARD BEECHER (1813?1887)
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 THE
HOUSE REPRESENTS NEW LIFE
Following her separation from her husband, Meg seeks a new life. When
viewing this film, think of the interior of the house as the interior
of her being. |
 INNOCENCE
OF A CHILD
Sarah, Meg's daughter, represents the most treasured part of Meg's
inner being. The daughter is the center of her very soul. Evil will
attempt to rob her of this important treasure. Sarah symbolizes the
innocence and vulnerability of our inner soul. |
 NOTHING
ELSE IS AS IMPORTANT
Sarah is positioned against an empty house. The sense here is that
the child is more important than any other thing or concern in Meg's
life. |
 THE
FIRST NIGHT
To further underscore the idea of innocence and vulnerability, the
film presents Meg as completely relaxed in a warm bath with a glass
of wine. Note the use of soft colors. |
 THE
ANGLE OF THE CAMERA
The use of the camera in this movie is a feast for the eyes. It wanders
effortless through the house in some of the best cinematography effect
to date. It also gives us the sense of the presence of evil. Note
the use of menacing green tones throughout the darkened house as the
camera moves about. |
 INNOCENT
AND UNAWARE
Both the bathroom and the bedroom are the most intimate parts of the
house. They represent the most private, personal parts of Meg's inner
being. The camera lets the audience see what Meg cannot. Evil is at
her door and seeks to master her. The problem with evil, of course,
is that it catches us unaware. This photo, also used in the poster,
expresses this dilemma so well. It is the central idea in the film. |
 TECHNOLOGY
IS PRESENTED AS SECURE
There is a safe room in the house: the panic room. It is a fully secured
room. Nothing can get into this room unless the vault-like steel door
is opened. Note the use of strong gray and bluish tones. Technology
is presented as security. |
 
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TECHNOLOGY
IS NOT THE TOTAL ANSWER.
Meg feels safe with all the technology. It is useful. It lets her
know that some evil men have entered the house. Ultimately, however,
the message in the film is that technology cannot address the deep
issues of the soul nor can it overcome the problem of evil. |
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 EVIL
PENETRATES THE HOUSE.
The house, like our inner soul, is vulnerable to evil. The story
takes place in the darkness of night to give the intruding evil
a heightened sinister feel.
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The
story utilizes three men to present various forms of evil.
Forest
Whitaker as Burnham = well intended "harmless" and "logical"
evil.
Jared
Leto as Junior = foolish, mindless and self-centered evil.
Dwight
Yoakam as Raoul = heartless, relentless, and deadly evil
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 LOCKED
IN THE PANIC ROOM
The panic room represents that "safe" interior place of the soul where
we go when we are threatened. It is here that we search for the inner
resources to get us through. |
 THE
SEARCH FOR HELP
How does one overcome evil? The answer here is self determination
and community. The cell phone can represent a prayer for help to the
"outside" world. |
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LIGHT
AND SHADOW
Watch for the use of light and shadow in this film. The mother and
daughter are often presented surrounded by light, while the evil men
are depicted in hard shadows and darkness. The symbolism and its meaning
are obvious. |
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THE
JOURNEY FROM FEAR TO SELF CONFIDENCE
We can prevail over evil. The story takes us from the depths of
despair to the heights of confidence and subsequent victory. It
is a journey from the darkness of hopelessness to the conquest of
fear and evil. What a great feeling. What a great film. What a valuable
lesson. We can prevail over evil.
Spiritual
connections
Review
-click here
Trailers, Photos and Posters -click
here
Spiritual Connections -click
here
Forum -click
here
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PANIC
ROOM BULLETIN BOARD (rules)
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and post to the Panic Room Forum.
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