The Haunted Mansion (2003 film)

The Haunted Mansion, a 2003 American supernatural horror comedy, was directed by Rob Minkoff from a script by David Berenbaum. It takes loose inspiration from the Disneyland ride of the same name. Eddie Murphy plays a real estate agent who, with his family, gets stuck inside the mansion. Supporting roles are filled by Terence Stamp, Wallace Shawn, Marsha Thomason, and Jennifer Tilly. Buena Vista Pictures Distribution released it in the U.S. on November 26, 2003. Critics panned the film, but it did well commercially, earning $182.3 million worldwide against a $90 million budget. Despite the initial negative reviews, it later gained a cult following. A different film adaptation, directed by Justin Simien, came out in 2023.

The plot follows Jim and Sara Evers, successful realtors in Louisiana with two young children, Megan and Michael. Jim’s workaholic habits strain his family, and after missing his wedding anniversary, he plans a lake vacation to make amends. Sara gets a call from Gracey Manor about a property deal, so Jim stops the family there on the way. They meet owner Edward Gracey and his servants: butler Ramsley, maid Emma, and footman Ezra. A thunderstorm floods the river, forcing the family to stay overnight. Ramsley takes Jim to the library to discuss the deal, but Jim gets trapped in a secret passage. Gracey gives Sara a tour, mentioning his “grandfather” and the supposed suicide of his lover, Elizabeth Henshaw. The children follow a spectral orb to the attic, finding a painting of a woman who looks like Sara. Emma and Ezra identify her as Elizabeth.

Jim meets Madame Leota, a ghost gypsy with her head in a crystal ball. He reunites with his family, and Leota explains that the mansion’s ghosts are cursed from Elizabeth and Gracey’s deaths a century ago; they can only move on when the couple reunites. Sara is thought to be Elizabeth’s reincarnation, but Leota warns things aren’t as they seem. She sends the Evers to the cemetery for a key that reveals the truth. Jim and Megan find the key in a crypt, disturbing undead occupants, but escape with Michael’s help after he overcomes his arachnophobia. Leota leads them to a locked trunk in the attic, where Jim finds a letter from Elizabeth to Gracey, showing she planned to marry him and was murdered. Ramsley appears, confessing he killed Elizabeth to stop Gracey from abandoning his heritage.