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Lady in the Water Our rating: Rate this movie   MPAA rating: PG-13 (for some frightening sequences) Genre: Drama, Fantasy Theater release: July 21, 2006 by Warner Bros. Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan Runtime: 1 hour 49 minutes Cast: Paul Giamatti (Cleveland Heep), Bryce Dallas Howard (Story), Cindy Cheung (Young-Soon Choi), M. Night Shyamalan (Vick Ran), Farber (Bob Balaban) Related: Talk About It/Family Corner

Fairy tales work best when—either on screen or page—they suck you into their world and make you a part of the fantasy. There, you see the wonders unfold. You step through the wardrobe. Travel to Mordor. Or skip along the yellow brick road. On these journeys, you discover the complexities and personalities of these fantastic worlds by experiencing them. By walking these tales, the complicated myths become real and understood.

Lady in the Water is also a complex, fantasy-filled bedtime story—but told in a different and ultimately less effective way. It doesn't so much invite you into the world of the story as it displays people hearing about a story.

Paul Giamatti as Cleveland Heep, superintendent of The Cove apartments

The mythic tale at the center of the film involves "those in the water" who, thousands of years ago, lived in concert with the earthbound man. They would inspire mankind as guides and muses. They made man better. But then, man's ugliness severed the bond. But still, the water people tried to reach man. The script by M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Signs, The Village) treats this made-up myth as a story "from the East" that a group of everyday shmoes discovers may be true.

Cleveland Heep (Paul Giamatti) is the dutiful and quiet superintendent of The Cove apartments. Hiding from the world because of past pain, Heep busies himself with repairing toilets and light fixtures. His mundane life is challenged when he discovers someone else hiding at The Cove—a woman called Story (Bryce Dallas Howard) who's been living in the pool.

Heep discovers this woman is actually a Narf, one of those sea-nymph creatures from that Eastern bedtime story. She is there to touch and inspire one tenant who, if moved to continue working on a certain writing project, will change the world. But, according to the myth, there is danger. Wolf-like Scrunts with matted grass hair prey on Story. The only hope is for specific residents of The Cove to band together and return Story to her Blue World safely.

Bryce Dallas Howard is Story, the lady in the water

The film's thematic pulse rests in the mission of The Cove's rogue gallery to send Story home. Heep uncovers all the details of how this supposedly happens by asking questions about the original fairy tale to college girl Young-Soon Choi (Cindy Cheung). Her Korean-speaking mother remembers being told the story "as if it were a prayer. Like it was true." According to Young-Soon's mother, the story featured many humans with special powers who were drawn to where the Narf would arrive. Together, they ensure her safety. There is a Guardian, a Symbolist, a Guild, and a Healer. The Cove residents need to figure out who is who in order to save Story.

The wonderful message at the core of Shyamalan's tale is that everyone has a purpose. You may not know what it is or that you even have a gift, but you do. And too many of us spend our lives hiding from it or searching in vain. Lady's idea of searching for your purpose in life not only has similarities to the biblical notions of gifts and the body of Christ, but also hints at the idea that we are part of a larger world. We don't really know our part in a greater story, but we must have faith that it is there. Story says, "Man thinks he is alone in this … but you are connected."

June Kyoko Lu as Mrs. Choi and Cindy Cheung as Young-Soon Choi

The weaknesses start to show in Lady's narrative as Heep continues to unravel the old myth in order to discover what to do with Story. The first problem is that it feels like Heep goes back to Young-Soon about 900 times for more details, rules and specifics about the myth. Eventually, it feels like this is the longest bedtime story ever. Kids in the East apparently never get to sleep. There are just so many rules and details. Imagine if a movie tried to relate the details and complexities of The Lord of the Rings through talking. Ugh.

Secondly, the plot becomes less of a journey for Heep and friends and more of a literature criticism exercise. They deconstruct the myth to figure out how to spot which residents are which characters in the myth. Who is the Healer? Who makes up the Guild? This process starts off fun. There's a sense that The Cove residents are building their own ragtag little Lord of the Rings fellowship. They need to find this kind of person and this kind of person in order to pass the upcoming test. And you anticipate how their gifts will be used and realized. But then, as the story continues, the plot isn't really about people with gifts joining forces, but more like filling the holes in a predestined arc. What fun is it if they really have no say or no duty, but just need to be there because it's predestined? And honestly, the different roles in the myth turn out to have little more to do than just being there.

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