Shadow Lake

When the body of a man who's been missing for 14 years is discovered in a bay of Muskoka Lake, an Ontario Provincial Police officer (Graham Greene) tries to put the pieces of the puzzle together to discern what went down. Joy Tanner plays the daughter of the diseased.

"Shadow Lake" (1999) is a well-done crime drama with the superb setting of snowy Canada, focusing on a grand lodge that hails back to 1910. It's a made-for-TV Canadian production reminiscent of Andy Griffith's "Winter Kill" from 25 years earlier. Another comparison, in ways, is "The Legend of Wolf Lodge" (aka "Into the Fire"). This is arguably on par with the former, but way superior to the latter.

The backstory is convoluted and the clues to where such-and-such are located get eye-rolling, yet the flick works if you're in the mood for a murder mystery and appreciate the chilly lakeside milieu. Things that don't make sense are elucidated at the climax, along with effective surprises.

The quality cast is rounded out by: Gabriel Hogan as the renovator of the Inn; Frederic Forrest as the eccentric ex-sheriff; Shirley Douglas as the disillusioned mother of the daughter; Roberta Maxwell & Michael Hogan as the former owners of the hotel; and Mag Ruffman as genial local.

If you like movies like "The Chill Factor" and "A Simple Plan," you'll probably appreciate "Shadow Lake." One actor starts to ham it up, but that's the way his part was written, obviously inspired by "The Shining," just more lowkey.

It runs 1 hour, 34 minutes, and was shot in Bala, Ontario, which is a 2-hour drive north of Toronto. The hotel featured (as the Shadow Lake Inn) happens to be the Bala Bay Inn, which is still in business today.

GRADE: B.

There are some bad things in life. However I would rather attend 30 funerals and tell 25 children that their dog has just died than go through the sheer torture that this film was. The guy that plays the cop isn't too bad, but apart from that there are no, I repeat no redeeming features of this abominable film.

Shadow Lake (1999) is about the discovery of a long-missing body found in shadow Lake. However, there is a much greater secret and story hidden behind the body. Mag Ruffman who plays Louise Garby is the daughter who left town after her father went missing, and now that her fathers body has been discovered she comes back to figure out what occurred the fateful night of her fathers death. But, can she live long enough to find the truth?

I saw this movie for the first time about a year ago. My first impression as I started watching it was that it would be like all of TV Movies and be lame and boring. However, I was pleasantly surprised. The acting was still "TV Acting" but the plot and storyline was nicely done and everything was nicely concluded in the end. I would recommend this movie to those who are looking for a pretty good movie. A good rainy night movie.

3 out of 5 stars

The interesting title "Shadow Lake" might sound intriguing, but the story surrounding the discovery of a body beneath the frozen ice is less than the sum of it's parts. The acting is very spotty. Frederich Forrest is so over the top that he becomes nothing more than a damn annoyance. Joy Tanner in the lead gives a totally unbelievable performance, and not in a good way. Finally, the puzzle solving is so contrived, believability flies out the window, never to return. There really are only two reasons to watch this movie. First, Graham Greene is a terrific actor, and when he is on screen as the modest but wise police chief, the movie is in high gear. Second, Shirley Douglas is wonderful as Joy Tanner's bitter Mother. It's really a shame that these two performances are almost overcome by the inadequate script. - MERK

While this is a made for TV suspense/mystery, the performances are decent and the set atmospheric.

The actor Graham Greene does a good job as local law enforcement, trying to help a young woman solve the murder of her father as his body was found in Shadow Lake. There is an assortment of odd characters, including Frederic Forrest (the war fanatic from "Falling Down").

The location where the film was shot is quite beautiful, and this is a good Halloween movie, similar to "Winter Kill". There are some hotel scenes reminiscent of "The Shining" and the story is at least suspenseful enough where you will be curious to learn the ending.