Unfairly lumped in with the Exorcist rip-offs that followed that film’s success, Robert Wise’s Audrey Rose doesn’t deal with possession, but rather reincarnation. In this case, Elliot Hoover (Anthony Hopkins) is convinced the soul of his daughter Audrey Rose – who perished in a fire following a car accident – has been transferred to Ivy (Susan Swift), the only child of Janice and Bill Templeton (Marsha Mason and John Beck).
Naturally, the upwardly mobile couple don’t like this idea and treat Hoover as a kook, but every year coming up to her birthday, Ivy has nightmares. This year, they have gotten worse, with the child even burning her hands on the cold windows of her bedroom. Bill is still having none of it, but Janice gradually begins to believe, particularly when Hoover is the only one to calm Ivy down when she has one of these ‘spells’.
Part-supernatural thriller, part-spiritualist, and part-courtroom drama, Audrey Rose is an odd beast. Directed by a cinematic legend, it was written by Frank De Felitta, from his own novel. He would later go on to write the much more successful The Entity (1982) and direct the superb made-for-TV movies The Two Worlds of Jennie Logan (1979) and Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981). So there’s a good pedigree here, not to mention Hopkins, whose subtle, low-key style is perfect as the bereaved parent who’s found solace in Eastern religion. Even child actor Susan Swift is impressive as the tortured Ivy/Audrey Rose. If there’s a flaw to be seen, it’s the script leaning to preachiness when it comes to the religious aspect, as if De Felitta had an agenda to address. The emotional manipulation of the audience is used to a fabulous degree at the climax, however.
Imprint’s Blu-ray release is, as we’ve come to expect, packed with supplementary material that helps us understand the film more, including a new interview with Marsha Mason, who recalls her experience making the film. While the film might not be an essential purchase, this release has enough to bolster interest.
