The Covenant (film)
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| The Covenant | |
|---|---|
 Film Poster |
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| Directed by | Renny Harlin |
| Produced by | Gary Lucchesi Tom Rosenberg |
| Written by | J.S. Cardone |
| Starring | Steven Strait Sebastian Stan Laura Ramsey Taylor Kitsch Toby Hemingway Jessica Lucas Chace Crawford |
| Music by | Tomandandy |
| Cinematography | Pierre Gill |
| Editing by | Nicolas de Toth |
| Distributed by | Screen Gems |
| Release date(s) |   September 8, 2006 |
| Running time | 1 hr 37 min |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
The Covenant is a 2006 horror/thriller film directed by Renny Harlin based on the book "The Covenant" by Aron Coleite and Tone Rodriguez.
Contents |
[edit] Story
In 1692, in the Ipswich Colony of Massachusetts, five families with untold power formed a covenant of silence. One family lusting for more was banished, their bloodline disappearing - without a trace.
Until now.
The Covenant tells the story of the Sons of Ipswich, four young students at the elite Spencer Academy who are bound by their sacred ancestry. As descendants of the original families that settled in Ipswich Colony in the 1600s, the boys have all been given amazing powers, by the right of their heritage.
When the body of a student is discovered after a party, secrets begin to unravel which threaten to break the covenant of silence that has protected the families for hundreds of years.
[edit] Plot
As the new school year begins at Spencer Academy, students have gathered for a wild outdoor party to mark the end of summer. Hundreds of feet above the gyrating bodies, the Sons of Ipswich walk to the edge of a cliff and drop unseen and unscathed before casually joining the fray.
At the party, newcomer Sarah Wenham is introduced to the boys by her roommate Kate, who is Pogue's long time girlfriend. The girls also meet an intriguing transfer student named Chase Collins who quickly ingratiates himself into the group. The DJ informs everybody that the police are coming, the four heroes are slow to disperse and are caught in a chase, and are forced to drive off a cliff but using their powers, land right behind the cops unscathed, who are bewildered and frozen in their places.
The police later discover the body of a student, dead of an apparent drug overdose. The school headmaster immediately suspects Caleb and his friends are somehow involved. Meanwhile, as Sarah, a former Boston public school student, tries to adjust to dorm life at the elite prep school, she can’t shake the creepy feeling that someone – or something – is watching her every move. When she is showering, a light bulb breaks for no apparent reason. When she gets out of the shower, she feels someone watching her and hurries to her dorm room, only to run into Reid, who insists that they check it out. Upon reaching the showers, however, they find nothing, so bidding each other good night they leave.
The next day Caleb is talking to Pogue about the news of the dead student which he has just read, when he sees the student sitting right next to him in the passenger seat. He freaks out and drops his phone, while Pogue tries to ask what happened. Suddenly Caleb looks straight ahead to see that he is about to hit a truck right ahead of him. They slam into each other, while in slow motion we see Caleb using his powers to dismantle the car and rebuild it after the truck has passed to land safely and unscathed from the accident.
He later goes into a pharmacy to get medication for his father, where he meets Kate and Sarah and is joined by Chase. Sarah joins him on his route to deliver the medicine, passing by beautiful scenery and an old shack, which Caleb identifies as the old Putnam barn. Caleb leaves the medicine at his family's old house, which is under the care of a near-sighted man named Gorman. Before leaving, Caleb looks at an armchair facing the fireplace. The only part of the occupant that can be seen, however, is a withered hand.
With tensions rising at the school, Caleb and his friends close ranks. In one scene Caleb is challenged at swimming by Chase. Caleb is about to win when Chase uses his powers to speed up, making Caleb lose focus, hit his head on the pool walls and black out. When he reawakens he is told that Chase saved him, but he is suspicious of Chase because he saw his eyes turn pitch black. That night Caleb and Pogue break into the school records room to take a look at Chase's files. They find the files they want and are looking through them, when they are interrupted by a security guard on his rounds. He enters but finds nothing, we are then shown Caleb and Pogue levitating overhead near the ceiling, and Caleb levitates some papers when they are about to fall on the guard.
Caleb, Pogue, Reid, and Tyler gather together where Caleb fills them all in. Collins was the name of Chase's foster parents. His real name is Pope. According to the Book of Damnation, Goody Pope was a woman who, following the death of her husband, accused John Putnam of coming to her in her dreams as an incubus. Goody Pope's son was born 10 months and 24 days after Goody Pope's husband died, verifying the claim. This means that Chase is the descendant of the fifth family in the covenant.
Meanwhile, Sarah finds that Kate was taken to the hospital. The doctor tells Sarah that Kate is suffering from a very severe allergic reaction, as if she were bitten by lots of spiders. Sarah remembers a frightening dream she had earlier where she and Kate were both covered in spiders and she calls Caleb for help. Caleb tells Sarah to wait in the dorm for him and then tells Pogue that Chase put Kate under a spell. Furious, Pogue sets off and attempts to run Chase over with his motorcycle, only to have the more powerful Chase severely injure him. Chase tells Pogue that he hurt Kate to get to Pogue and that Pogue would be bait for Caleb.
Caleb goes to Sarah's dorm room to find her lying on her bed under a deadly spell by Chase. Chase tells Caleb that shortly before he died, his [Chase's] father willed him his power, making Chase even stronger than a member of the covenant usually becomes at their eighteenth birthday. Chase demands that Caleb also will his new powers to him on Saturday - the Fall Fest and Caleb's eighteenth birthday. After Chase threatens to kill Reid, Tyler, Pogue, Kate, Sarah, and the entire covenant's families, Caleb agrees. Chase removes the spell from Sarah and leaves. On Saturday, Caleb tells Sarah and his mother everything and leaves Sarah with Reid and Tyler at the dance. He enters the Putnam's barn, only to find Sarah lying in it unconscious. Chase had her kidnapped from the dance to ensure that Caleb keeps his end of the bargain. The two men fight, but Caleb is not as powerful, even with his newly acquired powers. Meanwhile, Caleb's mother goes to Caleb's father, a man who, while only 44, used his powers so much that his body wore out and he now looks about 80. She tells him of Caleb's problem and begs him to think of someone other than himself. He responds by willing his power to Caleb making Caleb strong enough to knock Chase into the burning Putnam barn. Caleb rescues Sarah and the firemen come to put out the barn. Caleb has them look for Chase's body, but they don't find it. Sarah and Caleb drive away together. Meanwhile, at the hospital, Pogue and Kate are both shown waking up, indicating that they will both recover from their injuries.
[edit] Excerpts of plot and setting
According to a recent interview with Fangoria magazine, the Four Young Men, or "the Sons of Ipswich" as the director and screenwriter refer to them, have inherited their powers through their respective family bloodlines. Although they appear to be normal teenagers, they share an unspoken bond, not only are they descendants of the original families that settled Ipswich Colony around the time of the Salem witch trials, they also inherited their ancestors’ supernatural powers. But their ability to shape-shift, defy gravity and perform superhuman feats of strength comes at a terrible cost: Every time one of the Sons of Ipswich uses his magical powers, he ages prematurely, and the seductive temptation to abuse the power makes it more addictive than any drug. What’s more, life is only going to get harder for the young friends, at the moment each boy turns 18, he will “ascend,” gaining far more potent – and addictive – powers. With Caleb’s birthday just a few days away, his mother Evelyn is terrified her son will find it impossible to resist the lure of power like his father before him. Caleb assures her he’ll be able to handle his new abilities.
[edit] The Sons of Ipswich
- Caleb Danvers
Caleb Danvers played by Steven Strait is the captain of Spencer Academy's swimming team and the leader of " the Sons of Ipswich". He is exceptionally competitive and expects nothing other than the best from himself. A star student and freestyle champion, his future is lined with his intelligence, hard work and strong will to win. He is the most cautious in the group and is always careful not to use his powers too much. However, the legacy of the Danvers family weighs heavily on him. Living at his big family estate, he harbors a dark secret. He is the only one of the four who has seen up close the terrifying effects of their growing abilities. Now as his 18th birthday approaches, Caleb's abilities will escalate and his power will be beyond imagination.
- Pogue Parry
Played by Taylor Kitsch, he is rude and disorderly. As the only son of one of Ipswich's most well-known families, much is expected from him. However, he is not a very good student and lacks academic interest, and spends most of his free time racing his beloved motorcycle in ways that would make the most reckless daredevils stare in awe. Pogue is an adamant friend, no matter what or how tough the situation is. Kate Tunney is his girlfriend.
- Reid Garwin
Deceitful and roguish Reid Garwin (Toby Hemingway) is a brash and a persistent practical joker. Always looking to stir up trouble, he even gets into a fight with Caleb for picking a fight in a club. Enjoys using his powers more - a little too much more - than anybody else in the group. He also enjoys using them when no one is watching. Although he is reckless, he is very loyal to his friends. He likes to boss people around, although nobody takes his threats seriously.
- Tyler Simms
The youngest of the Sons of Ipswich, Tyler, played by Chace Crawford, is shy and quiet. Tries very hard to impress the other boys and acts somewhat awkwardly in front of girls. He is Reid's "sidekick" and is scared of him. He also has a new truck which he is very proud to show off at every opportunity. Uncomfortable around tension and has a weird tendency to state the obvious.
[edit] Characters
- Chase Collins
The mysterious new kid at school played by Sebastian Stan, later revealed to be the son of the fifth banished family of the covenant. Quickly sucks up to Caleb and the girls, an orphan, seems like a nice young man whose adoptive parents died in a car accident. Has attended many schools and is the heir to a large family trust. Seems more mature than all the other kids at school although in somewhat a sinister way. Challenges Caleb for dominance on the pool and moves in on Pogue's girlfriend.
- Sarah Wenham
Sarah Wenham (Laura Ramsey) is also a new girl at Spencer Academy, her room mate is Kate. Studious and energetic, she is determined to make the most of her scholarship, so that she will be able to get into Harvard. She has a wicked sense of humour and has even gotten the super serious Caleb to loosen up a bit. Although this may seem like a dream at first, she realizes that there are some nightmares that are more realistic than she can handle.
- Kate Tunney
Jessica Lucas plays Kate Tunney, Pogue's girlfriend and one of Spencer's most privileged elite. A daddy's girl, Kate has traveled the world in high style. She is used to getting the best of everything and is difficult to satisfy. Therefore, it is no surprise when she tests her long-term relationship with Pogue to flirt with Chase. A party girl who never misses a chance to have fun, she has taken the new girl Sarah under her wing.
- Evelyn Danvers
Evelyn Danvers (Wendy Crewson) is the mother of Caleb Danvers. Caleb looks after his mother, who is mysteriously sad, yet unrelenting with her commitment to her family.
[edit] Minor Cast
- Robert Crooks - Ryan Bael
- Neil Napier - Coach Hamm
- Stephan McHattie - James Danvers
- Frank Fontaine - Gorman Twoberry
[edit] Crew
- Renny Harlin - Director
- J.S.Cardone - Screenplay/Executive Producer
- Tom Rosenberg - Producer
- Gary Lucchesi - Producer
- Andre Lamal - Executive Producer
- Pierre Gill - Director of Photography
- Nicolas de Toth - Editor
- Anne Pritchard - Production Designer
- April Napier - Costume Designer
- Tomandandy - Music Composer
- Marc Silvestri - Associate Producer
[edit] Trivia
- Shipped to cinemas under the code name "Full Power".
- A slight reference to the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling was made when, just before the Sons of Ipswich drove off a cliff to escape from pursuing police, Reid stated "Harry Potter can kiss my ass!"
- The powers the group of boys possess are reminiscent of a similar type of power held by a group of boys in Stephen King's novel Dreamcatcher. Perhaps as a way of acknowledging this, during a scene in the film set in the boarding school, Spencer Academy in which an instructor is discussing authors, Reid Garwin, a Son of Ipswich, states that "Dreamcatcher was the shit".
- Jessica Lucas and Laura Ramsey who play roommates in the film also both starred in "She's the Man".
- Chase is stated to be a descendant of John Putnam, one of the founders of Salem. This may also be a reference to Thomas Putnam, a character in the Arthur Miller play; The Crucible, as well as a reference to another character in The Crucible, John Proctor, who was actually killed for witchcraft.
- It was filmed in Montreal, Quebec.
- Exterior shots of the town of Ipswich (houses and buildings) are actually shots of the town of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.
- The trailer features the song "Save Yourself" by Stabbing Westward.
- The opening sequence of the movie features a remix of White Zombie's "More Human Than Human".
- Darkwave band Collide contributed two tracks to the film's soundtrack.
- The film was promoted with the tag-line "From the producers of Underworld", which is a reference to Gary Lucchesi and Tom Rosenberg.
- The outdoor shots of Spencer academy were made at Bishop's University, in Sherbrooke, Quebec, filmed in the spring of 2006 - the director had to compromise on many of the shots as it would not stop raining for much of the duration of filming.
[edit] See also
[edit] Reception
The Covenant was widely panned by critics, getting a 3% "Rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes. [1] Upon its release in the United States, the film still managed to top the box office charts with a $9,000,000 opening on what was called a "weak" weekend.
As of October 15, 2006, The Covenant has earned $23,292,105 in the US. The film cost roughly $20 million to produce, not including marketing. [2]
