You know what they say; you reap what you sow . . .
. . . unfortunately with
The Reaping there wasn’t much going on in the way of sowing - at least not in the way of a cohesive plot.
Katherine (Hilary Swank) a former missionary, who lost her faith, spends her time debunking supposed miracles. Father Costigan (Stephen Rea) is a priest who tries to keep in touch with Katherine; however after a family tragedy on a mission, Katherine wants nothing to do with him. Ben (Idris Elba) is Katherine’s former assistant who goes along with her to debunk her latest miracle. Doug (David Morrissey) is a science teacher from a small town who comes to Katherine to help his town of Haven with its supposed deluge of Biblical plagues. And Loren (AnnaSophia Robb) is the little girl supposedly at the center of it all, somehow causing the entire phenomenon.
The phenomenon that first brings Katherine to Haven is the river turning blood red. The townspeople believe that Loren, the daughter of a single mother (Andrea Frankle) on welfare who lives in the swamp, is responsible for this. Since the death of her brother Brody (Mark Lynch) in the river Loren has been suspect.
Once Katherine arrives, other Biblical plagues begin to befall the town of Haven such as; raining frogs, killer boils and swarming locusts. And again the townspeople believe that Loren is the cause of all their misfortune. They as well as Father Costigan try to convince Katherine of this fact as the film progresses.
The problem with The Reaping is that the entire film tries to lead you simultaneously to and away from its twist ending. Aside from the fact that the twist ending was a let down, there was a serious lack of cohesiveness in the flow of the film as well. The sad part of it is that this could’ve been a really great movie. What is more interesting than the 10 Biblical plagues, a satanic cult and the rebirth of the devil himself? And how did they screw it up so badly with a 40 million dollar budget and a decent cast?
I wouldn’t say avoid
The Reaping at all costs but seriously think about what you are willing to pay for a mediocre film that could have been great.
The Reaping Movie Cast and Credits
Directed by
Stephen Hopkins
Writing credits
Carey Hayes (screenplay) (as Carey W. Hayes) and
Chad Hayes (screenplay)
Brian Rousso (story)
Cast (in credits order)
Hilary Swank ... Katherine
David Morrissey ... Doug
Idris Elba ... Ben
AnnaSophia Robb ... Loren McConnell
Stephen Rea ... Father Costigan
William Ragsdale ... Sheriff Cade
John McConnell ... Mayor Brooks
David Jensen ... Jim Wakeman
Yvonne Landry ... Brynn Wakeman
Samuel Garland ... William Wakeman
Myles Cleveland ... Kyle Wakeman
Andrea Frankle ... Maddie McConnell
Mark Lynch ... Brody McConnell
Stuart Greer ... Gordon
Lara Grice ... Isabelle
Cody Sanders ... Hank
Burgess Jenkins ... David Winter
Sabrina A. Junius ... Sarah Winter
Jillian Batherson ... Janet
Karen Yum ... Nun
Afemo Omilami ... Haman
Axel C. Cartagena ... Chilean Boy
Javier Ortiz Cortés ... Monastery Cop
Iris Martínez ... Old Chilean Woman
Axel Anderson ... Blind Man
Robert Alonzo ... Hazmat Worker
Eddie J. Fernandez ... Hazmat Worker
Abraham Henderson ... Man Speaking in Tongues
Felipe Febres Rivera ... Man Speaking in Tongues
Gregorio Allende ... Man Speaking in Tongues
Sixta Rivera Romero ... Woman Speaking in Tongues
Rafael Fuentes Negrón ... Padre Bonilla
Carol Dupuy ... Townsperson (uncredited)
Louis Dupuy ... Townsperson (uncredited)
Brian Tester ... Tourist in Chile (uncredited)
Ashley Wilkes ... Townsperson (uncredited)
More Movie Reviews of The Reaping
Review of The Reaping from ContactMusicThe Reaping Movie Review and Information Page at The Internet Movie Database
