Baby's Breath (2003)

Director:

Matthew Krause

Writer (WGA):

Matthew Krause (written by)

Genre:

Crime | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

A chilling supernatural thriller about the nomadic spirit of a semi-conscious child -- the only one who can identify a brutal killer. |

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Murder Mystery | Suspense | Intentional Bad Acting | Ghost Story

Cast

Lynn Hamilton	...	Dr. Oberholser
Steven Holmstrom	...	Garon Pierce
Gregory Michael Yoder	...	Jake Travers
Jessica Sullivan	...	Anne-Marie Pierce
Kaitlyn Blackburn	...	Jessica Pierce
Connie Ventress	...	Dr. Joseph
Michael Lane	...	Marshall Vardaman
Dave Bonn	...	Det. Jamieson
Noel Vogelsang	...	Traci McTigue
DeAnna DeNae	...	Insp. Clement
Shane P. Krause	...	Al Schulmann
Joy Cha	...	Lori
Darla Hanes	...	Receptionist
Mark A. Thompson	...	Guard
Stephanie Rabig	...	Reporter

Runtime:

USA:103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Kansas, USA

Company:

Dorado Village Films Ltd.

On the whole, I was impressed!

I drove up to Wichita to check out a special private screening of "Baby's Breath" 'cause I read about it on the website. The story involves the ghost of a little girl and a brutal killer and the ghost's inability to ID said killer because she can only communicate in baby talk. I can't say too much more because it would give away a couple of the movie's surprises, one in particular that caught me completely off-guard! What I will say is that despite the story's obvious horror elements, the narrative seems driven by a series of conflicts between people with real motivations and what Harlan Ellison calls "tell-tale tics and tremors." For instance, Dr. Jake, the hero, is a hardened cynic stricken by grief, and Garon Pierce, the principal antagonist, is both creepy and aggravating, yet his actions seem totally understandable.

The good news for all the fans I've chatted with on the web is, this film really creeped me out; the script is strong, full of nice twists and turns, and the production's low budget feel that gave the story a kind of haunting immediacy. I liked the way the image desaturated and turned cold whenever the child's ghost appeared, and her visitations were always announced by eerie whispers that seemed to surround the audience. The film did have a few minor technical issues, but I was caught up in the story and was able to move forward without dwelling on those issues. There was also a scene near the end that could have been written out but it's not too distracting.

all in all, a good movie and I'm looking forward to watching this again ... *** out of 4.