The Visitation

When I read the book "The Visitation" by Frank Peretti, I couldn't put it down. I loved every minute of it, and recommended it to all my friends and family as a "must-read". Mr. Peretti is a talented author, and has a way of pulling the reader into a story that twists and turns and keeps the reader on their toes. The movie did the the exact opposite. I realize that it is rare that a movie comes close to being as good as the book, but I was hopeful that the spirit of the book, the feeling of the book, or at least the BASIC story of the book be represented well in the movie. It wasn't. Sadly, it fell into the stereotype of a "christian-made" movie. Medeocre. (Which I find frustrating). This was an excellent book, with an excellent story to tell, and it did not deserve to be butchered the way it did. Not only was the story hacked to bits, but the acting was lacking and the cinematography at times was confusing and distracting. As much as I loved and recommended the book, I have to say that this is a movie to avoid.

If you watch "The Rainmaker" you'll think it's a great movie. If you watch it after you read the novel by John Grisham that it's based on, it will leave you wanting a little more. "The Visitation" is very similar. Frank Peretti's books, including "The Visitation", have the tendency to draw the reader in until they are immersed in the fear that oozes from the pages. The movie doesn't quite accomplish that. Of course, if any movie were to contain all of the elements of a Perreti or Grisham novel, it would be 12 hours long.

Having said that, the story is well told, though there are moments where it leaps ahead unexpectedly. The movie's opening scene introduces three mysterious men who proclaim "He is coming." Through the rest of the movie they lurk in the background, creating an uneasy sense of expectancy.

Martin Donovan and Kelly Lynch are very likable as the main characters and Donovan is convincing in the role of reluctant hero. Randy Travis shows he is actually a good actor and provides most of the comic relief, which is a bit surprising.

Edward Furlong as "The Visitor" is a bit melodramatic, but does a good job of keeping you guessing to the end. The rest of the characters could use a little more development in the movie.

One thing I did find irritating about the movie is a device the screenplay writer (not Peretti) uses during the frightening scenes. It is pretty much a rip-off of "The Ring".

Overall, the movie is somewhat frightening. It's not scary in a horror movie fashion, but more in a Hitchcock kind of way. It's more of a disturbing feeling than a desire to scream. Kind of like "The Secret Window".

While Perreti is recognized as a Christian author the movie is not preachy. There are some religious themes, but they flow with the story. It doesn't force messages into the film that don't fit as is so unfortunate in many otherwise good stories.

The budget for the movie is about $2 million. It looks like it. It doesn't look cheap, but it doesn't compare to the films with five times the money in the coffers. Perreti is currently working on a screen play for "The Oath". I hope this movie has enough success to convince someone to front a little bigger budget for his next project.

I rented this movie recently. I never read the original novel, but I knew of Frank Peretti's works. Honestly, I wasn't expecting anything great, but I must say I was surprised to find the film pretty good. Not earth shattering good, but quite a decent flick. For a low-budget, direct to DVD supernatural thriller, I think it's a step above the usual. Quality wise the acting, direction, and special effects is better than most faith based films like "Left Behind". The mystery element to the plot is what kept me watching. Trying to figure out what's happening is what I think helps drive the story. There is suspense, but it's not really too scary. However, I would recommend parents to watch this film with children under 13. I think the PG-13 rating is quite appropriate for the film's content. In the end, "The Visitation" is overall a good picture. Nothing I would buy, but something worthwhile to rent. Recommended.

Looks like the guy that wrote the review before me has some issues. I suspect the film affected him or her in a way that would be say, uncomfortable. My wife and I watched it tonight and were pleasantly entertained. We're both relatively fundamental Christians, and myself am very familiar with Frank Peretti since he wrote "This Present Darkness" in the late 80's. I will be recommending this movie to other believers I work with. It holds the viewer's attention, and alludes to a few New age religious areas that are not so healthy. Yoga being one of them. Sort of risky to do that and the truth may be painful to some. Predictable ending but hey, we know the end of the big story anyway. See it.

Other than the budget, I went into this film knowing very little about it. I must admit that, for the first half-hour or so, I was distracted by the unusual shooting style which didn't seem to fit the flow of the story. However, as the film moved along, the jagged, misframed shots made more and more sense.

As the story unfolded, I found myself increasingly intrigued, and even uneasy. Peretti has a talent for hooking his audience, and then taking them for an unusual ride, and "The Visitation" was no exception.

For the minimal budget, this ended up being a very strong effort. I would definitely recommend it for teens and older audiences, but it may be a little too creepy for younger kids.