Loch Ness (film)
Encyclopedia
Loch Ness is a 1996 family drama film
starring Ted Danson
and Joely Richardson
. It was written by John Fusco and directed by Jon Henderson.
A short time later in Los Angeles, disgruntled freshman college tutor, Dr. Jonathan Dempsey (Ted Danson
), is obligated to journey to Scotland
to replace Dr. Abernathy, who was searching for the Loch Ness Monster
. Dempsey is reluctant to do so, as he ruined his respected zoology
career after a fruitless three year search for the Sasquatch, and is now considered a joke amongst his colleagues. The only reason he agrees to go is because he is broke and cannot pay alimony
to his demanding ex-wife, Caroline, whom he once named a newly discovered species of wasp after.
Dempsey travels to Scotland and reluctantly begins on a cryptozoology
mission along with Adrian Foote (James Frain
), former assistant to Dr. Abernathy and an eager young Scottish man who fanatically believes in the existence of the creature. Dempsey repeatedly claims there is no mystery, and that the monster is just a hoax created by the locals of Loch Ness to support their economy. Jonathan books into a small inn and meets his grouchy landlady, Laura McFetridge (Joely Richardson
), and her nine year old daughter, Isabel, who quickly grows close to Jonathan.
Jonathan quickly finds himself in hot water with the locals, in particular one named Andy McLean (Nick Brimble
), who sees Dempsey as a rival for the affections of Laura. The water bailiff, (Ian Holm
), guardian and protector of Loch Ness, does all he can to ensure that Dempsey fails in his search and leaves the loch empty-handed. After the sonar equipment is sabotaged by the locals, Dempsey confronts the water bailiff, who insists that the mystery of Loch Ness will never be destroyed. Dempsey challenges him to "come out and watch him". After scanning the entire loch and finding nothing, Dempsey declares it is the end of the Loch Ness monster, leaving Adrian crushed, but the subsequent argument between them ends on a slightly reconciliatory note when Dempsey tells Adrian that, despite his scepticism, he did want to find the monster.
Throughout the film, Laura overcomes her initial dislike of Dempsey and they quickly grow attracted to each other. Isabel possesses a second sight
and is able to foretell certain things, such as her mother's growing affection for Dempsey. The day before Dempsey's departure from Loch Ness, Adrian brings him the remainder of Dr. Abernathy's possessions, including his camera. The next morning Adrian is awakened by Dempsey, who says they are going back out for another sweep of the loch. He reveals that after developing the pictures on Abernathy's camera, the last picture on the roll shows a large, rhomboid shaped flipper submerging into the water. After tracking a 40 ft object chasing a school of salmon, it collides with the boat, sinking it and sending Dempsey and Adrian into water. Dempsey nearly drowns but somehow surfaces after a large dark object is seen moving in the water behind his quickly sinking body. After returning to the inn, he his ecstatic, claiming to have seen the creature while under the water. After Dempsey is beaten up by Andy McLean for "moving in on his woman", Isabel makes him a get well card which features a drawing of what she calls a "water kelpie
." Dempsey realises that Isabel, too, has seen the monster, as her drawing of the creature's fins are identical to the picture taken by Abernathy. After Dempsey promises to buy her the red bicycle that she has always wanted, Isabel agrees to show him the monster.
Later that day, Isabel leads Dempsey to a underground cavern beneath Urquhart Castle
(The castle used in the film was actually Eilean Donan castle which is not on Loch Ness) and warns him not to use lights as it scares the creature's. After a startling encounter with some sea otters, Dempsey prepares to leave, humiliated. Suddenly a plesiosaur
rises from the water and Isabel is shown to know it very well, even being able to communicate with it through a series of whistle-like calls. Responding to the calls, a second creature appears, the two animals apparently being mates. While in an astonished euphoria, Dempsey ignores Isabel's warnings and takes a photograph, the flash alarming the creatures, causing them to dive back into the water and cause havoc. Isabel falls into the water and almost drowns, and Dempsey is saved by the furious water bailiff.
Dempsey develops the photographs, and faces Laura's wrath about him using Isabel and nearly getting her killed. Laura refuses to have anything to do with Dempsey or his discovery of the monster, despite his claims that when he reveals the existence of the creatures, Laura's business will boom as people from all over the world come to the loch to see the monsters. Laura evicts Jonathan and Isabel is deeply hurt that Dempsey used her in such a way. Upset, but not about to give up his chance at vindication, he leaves for London
to attend a press conference where he plans to reveal the photos of the monsters to the world.
The water bailiff follows him on the train, imploring him not to reveal the truth of Loch Ness. Dempsey insists that exposure will be best for the creatures, claiming that science will be able to care for the creatures professionally. Scornful, the water bailiff points out the irony in that it was not science that helped his "discovery", but a little girl. He also reminds Dempsey of the harm done to the planet because of science, and that these creatures have survived unaided since before the ice age
.
At the conference, Dempsey is unable to go through with it and replaces the real photos with Isabel's drawing of the "kelpie
", causing an uproar while he discreetly leaves. On the way out, he tells a baffled Adrian that he had the pictures made by computer before he ever came to Scotland. Adrian, knowing the truth, understandingly plays along. Meanwhile, on a bus headed back to Loch Ness, the water bailiff discovers the pictures inside his suitcase and is moved almost to the point of tears. Dempsey returns to the inn and reunites with Laura, along with the red bicycle he promised Isabel. In Loch Ness, the plesiosaur pair is seen swimming underwater with a baby alongside.
The film score
by Trevor Jones
was released on Perseverance Records
September 9, 2005.
in Scotland, the external hotel and village scenes, where most of the story takes place, were filmed at Lower Diabaig
on the west coast of Highland
.
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
starring Ted Danson
Ted Danson
Edward Bridge “Ted” Danson III is an American actor best known for his role as central character Sam Malone in the sitcom Cheers, and his role as Dr. John Becker on the series Becker. He also plays a recurring role on Larry David's HBO sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm and starred alongside Glenn Close...
and Joely Richardson
Joely Richardson
Joely Kim Richardson is an English actress, most known recently for her role as Queen Catherine Parr in the Showtime television show The Tudors and Julia McNamara in the television drama Nip/Tuck...
. It was written by John Fusco and directed by Jon Henderson.
Plot
Opening on a pub near Loch Ness, a scientist named Dr. Abernathy steps out for some air. Standing on the shore of the loch, he sees something rise from the water. Astonished, he takes a single photograph before slipping and falling on the rocks, killing him.A short time later in Los Angeles, disgruntled freshman college tutor, Dr. Jonathan Dempsey (Ted Danson
Ted Danson
Edward Bridge “Ted” Danson III is an American actor best known for his role as central character Sam Malone in the sitcom Cheers, and his role as Dr. John Becker on the series Becker. He also plays a recurring role on Larry David's HBO sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm and starred alongside Glenn Close...
), is obligated to journey to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
to replace Dr. Abernathy, who was searching for the Loch Ness Monster
Loch Ness Monster
The Loch Ness Monster is a cryptid that is reputed to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is similar to other supposed lake monsters in Scotland and elsewhere, though its description varies from one account to the next....
. Dempsey is reluctant to do so, as he ruined his respected zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
career after a fruitless three year search for the Sasquatch, and is now considered a joke amongst his colleagues. The only reason he agrees to go is because he is broke and cannot pay alimony
Alimony
Alimony is a U.S. term denoting a legal obligation to provide financial support to one's spouse from the other spouse after marital separation or from the ex-spouse upon divorce...
to his demanding ex-wife, Caroline, whom he once named a newly discovered species of wasp after.
Dempsey travels to Scotland and reluctantly begins on a cryptozoology
Cryptozoology
Cryptozoology refers to the search for animals whose existence has not been proven...
mission along with Adrian Foote (James Frain
James Frain
James Dominic Frain is an English stage and screen actor. He is possibly best known for his role in the Showtime series The Tudors in which he appeared as Thomas Cromwell from 2007 to 2009, and for his role as vampire Franklin Mott in season three of the HBO drama True Blood, as well as his role...
), former assistant to Dr. Abernathy and an eager young Scottish man who fanatically believes in the existence of the creature. Dempsey repeatedly claims there is no mystery, and that the monster is just a hoax created by the locals of Loch Ness to support their economy. Jonathan books into a small inn and meets his grouchy landlady, Laura McFetridge (Joely Richardson
Joely Richardson
Joely Kim Richardson is an English actress, most known recently for her role as Queen Catherine Parr in the Showtime television show The Tudors and Julia McNamara in the television drama Nip/Tuck...
), and her nine year old daughter, Isabel, who quickly grows close to Jonathan.
Jonathan quickly finds himself in hot water with the locals, in particular one named Andy McLean (Nick Brimble
Nick Brimble
Nick Brimble , is an English actor known for his performance as Little John in the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and his appearances on various television shows....
), who sees Dempsey as a rival for the affections of Laura. The water bailiff, (Ian Holm
Ian Holm
Sir Ian Holm, CBE is an English actor known for his stage work and for many film roles. He received the 1967 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor for his performance as Lenny in The Homecoming and the 1998 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor for his performance in the title role of King Lear...
), guardian and protector of Loch Ness, does all he can to ensure that Dempsey fails in his search and leaves the loch empty-handed. After the sonar equipment is sabotaged by the locals, Dempsey confronts the water bailiff, who insists that the mystery of Loch Ness will never be destroyed. Dempsey challenges him to "come out and watch him". After scanning the entire loch and finding nothing, Dempsey declares it is the end of the Loch Ness monster, leaving Adrian crushed, but the subsequent argument between them ends on a slightly reconciliatory note when Dempsey tells Adrian that, despite his scepticism, he did want to find the monster.
Throughout the film, Laura overcomes her initial dislike of Dempsey and they quickly grow attracted to each other. Isabel possesses a second sight
Second sight
Second sight is a form of extrasensory perception, the supposed power to perceive things that are not present to the senses, whereby a person perceives information, in the form of a vision, about future events before they happen , or about things or events at remote locations...
and is able to foretell certain things, such as her mother's growing affection for Dempsey. The day before Dempsey's departure from Loch Ness, Adrian brings him the remainder of Dr. Abernathy's possessions, including his camera. The next morning Adrian is awakened by Dempsey, who says they are going back out for another sweep of the loch. He reveals that after developing the pictures on Abernathy's camera, the last picture on the roll shows a large, rhomboid shaped flipper submerging into the water. After tracking a 40 ft object chasing a school of salmon, it collides with the boat, sinking it and sending Dempsey and Adrian into water. Dempsey nearly drowns but somehow surfaces after a large dark object is seen moving in the water behind his quickly sinking body. After returning to the inn, he his ecstatic, claiming to have seen the creature while under the water. After Dempsey is beaten up by Andy McLean for "moving in on his woman", Isabel makes him a get well card which features a drawing of what she calls a "water kelpie
Kelpie
The kelpie is a supernatural water horse from Celtic folklore that is believed to haunt the rivers and lochs of Scotland and Ireland; the name may be from Scottish Gaelic cailpeach or colpach "heifer, colt".-Description and behaviour:...
." Dempsey realises that Isabel, too, has seen the monster, as her drawing of the creature's fins are identical to the picture taken by Abernathy. After Dempsey promises to buy her the red bicycle that she has always wanted, Isabel agrees to show him the monster.
Later that day, Isabel leads Dempsey to a underground cavern beneath Urquhart Castle
Urquhart Castle
Urquhart Castle sits beside Loch Ness in Scotland along the A82 road, between Fort William and Inverness. It is close to the village of Drumnadrochit. Though extensively ruined, it was in its day one of the largest strongholds of medieval Scotland, and remains an impressive structure, splendidly...
(The castle used in the film was actually Eilean Donan castle which is not on Loch Ness) and warns him not to use lights as it scares the creature's. After a startling encounter with some sea otters, Dempsey prepares to leave, humiliated. Suddenly a plesiosaur
Plesiosaur
Plesiosauroidea is an extinct clade of carnivorous plesiosaur marine reptiles. Plesiosauroids, are known from the Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods...
rises from the water and Isabel is shown to know it very well, even being able to communicate with it through a series of whistle-like calls. Responding to the calls, a second creature appears, the two animals apparently being mates. While in an astonished euphoria, Dempsey ignores Isabel's warnings and takes a photograph, the flash alarming the creatures, causing them to dive back into the water and cause havoc. Isabel falls into the water and almost drowns, and Dempsey is saved by the furious water bailiff.
Dempsey develops the photographs, and faces Laura's wrath about him using Isabel and nearly getting her killed. Laura refuses to have anything to do with Dempsey or his discovery of the monster, despite his claims that when he reveals the existence of the creatures, Laura's business will boom as people from all over the world come to the loch to see the monsters. Laura evicts Jonathan and Isabel is deeply hurt that Dempsey used her in such a way. Upset, but not about to give up his chance at vindication, he leaves for London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to attend a press conference where he plans to reveal the photos of the monsters to the world.
The water bailiff follows him on the train, imploring him not to reveal the truth of Loch Ness. Dempsey insists that exposure will be best for the creatures, claiming that science will be able to care for the creatures professionally. Scornful, the water bailiff points out the irony in that it was not science that helped his "discovery", but a little girl. He also reminds Dempsey of the harm done to the planet because of science, and that these creatures have survived unaided since before the ice age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
.
At the conference, Dempsey is unable to go through with it and replaces the real photos with Isabel's drawing of the "kelpie
Kelpie
The kelpie is a supernatural water horse from Celtic folklore that is believed to haunt the rivers and lochs of Scotland and Ireland; the name may be from Scottish Gaelic cailpeach or colpach "heifer, colt".-Description and behaviour:...
", causing an uproar while he discreetly leaves. On the way out, he tells a baffled Adrian that he had the pictures made by computer before he ever came to Scotland. Adrian, knowing the truth, understandingly plays along. Meanwhile, on a bus headed back to Loch Ness, the water bailiff discovers the pictures inside his suitcase and is moved almost to the point of tears. Dempsey returns to the inn and reunites with Laura, along with the red bicycle he promised Isabel. In Loch Ness, the plesiosaur pair is seen swimming underwater with a baby alongside.
The film score
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
by Trevor Jones
Trevor Jones
Trevor Jones may refer to:*Trevor Jones , Australian Deputy Chief of Navy *Trevor Jones , South African orchestral film score composer*Trevor Jones , English cricketer for Somerset...
was released on Perseverance Records
Perseverance Records
Perseverance Records is a record label which releases film scores on CD and online. Releases are usually accompanied by extensive, well-researched booklets...
September 9, 2005.
Location
Although partly shot around Loch NessLoch Ness
Loch Ness is a large, deep, freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands extending for approximately southwest of Inverness. Its surface is above sea level. Loch Ness is best known for the alleged sightings of the cryptozoological Loch Ness Monster, also known affectionately as "Nessie"...
in Scotland, the external hotel and village scenes, where most of the story takes place, were filmed at Lower Diabaig
Lower Diabaig
Lower Diabaig is a remote coastal fishing and crofting township, overlooking the northeast corner of the sea loch, Loch Diabaig and Loch Torridon, in Wester Ross, Scottish Highlands and is in the Scottish council area of Highland....
on the west coast of Highland
Highland (council area)
Highland is a council area in the Scottish Highlands and is the largest local government area in both Scotland and the United Kingdom as a whole. It shares borders with the council areas of Moray, Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross, and Argyll and Bute. Their councils, and those of Angus and...
.
Trivia
- Screenwriter John Fusco wrote the screenplay when he was 23 years-old as a tribute to his Scottish grandmother Isabel Moffat. In the film, the young girl's name is Isabel and she resides at the Moffat Arms Inn.
See also
- Magic in the WaterMagic in the WaterMagic in the Water is a 1995 family film directed by Rick Stevenson and starring Mark Harmon, Sarah Wayne and Joshua Jackson. It is about a fictional lake monster in British Columbia...
(1995) - Mee-Shee: The Water GiantMee-Shee: The Water GiantMee-Shee: The Water Giant is an Anglo-German family film shot in New Zealand and released in 2005. It stars Bruce Greenwood, Rena Owen, Tom Jackson and Daniel Magder....
(2005) - The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep (2007)