Jump to content

The Host (2013 film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 31.16.193.20 (talk) at 20:28, 16 July 2013 (Just a point.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

The Host
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAndrew Niccol
Screenplay byAndrew Niccol
Produced byStephenie Meyer
Nick Wechsler
Steve Schwartz
Paula Mae Schwartz
StarringSaoirse Ronan
Jake Abel
Max Irons
Frances Fisher
Chandler Canterbury
Diane Kruger
William Hurt
CinematographyRoberto Schaefer
Edited byThomas J. Nordberg
Music byAntonio Pinto
Production
companies
Distributed byOpen Road Films
Release date
  • March 29, 2013 (2013-03-29)
Running time
125 minutes[1][2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$40 million[2]
Box office$48,227,201[2]

The Host is a 2013 American romantic science fiction film adapted from Stephenie Meyer's novel of the same name. Written and directed by Andrew Niccol,[3] the film stars Saoirse Ronan, Max Irons, Jake Abel, William Hurt, and Diane Kruger. Released on March 29, 2013, the film has been generally panned by critics, and was a modest box office success.

Plot

In the future, the human race has been assimilated by extraterrestrial psychic parasites called "Souls". Melanie Stryder, a human, is captured by the Seeker (Diane Kruger) and infused with a soul called "Wanderer", in order to discover the location of one of the last pockets of non-assimilated humans. However, Melanie survives the procedure and begins to struggle for control of her body.

Wanderer discovers that Melanie was captured while scavenging for food with her brother Jamie and her boyfriend Jared Howe, and that they were looking for Melanie's uncle Jeb, who lives in a cabin in the desert. Wanderer loses control of Melanie and the Seeker decides to be inserted into Melanie to get the information herself. With the help of Melanie, Wanderer escapes and makes her way to the desert, eventually found by a group of humans, including Jeb. She is taken to a series of underground caves, discovering that Jared and Jamie are living there too.

Wanderer is kept isolated from the others, who are hostile towards her because she is seen as another alien, and a potential threat. Eventually, she begins interacting with the humans, who start to slowly trust her, and develops feelings for one of them, Ian O'Shea, all the while beginning to believe the Souls shouldn't steal other people's free will. Although Melanie had instructed Wanderer not to tell anyone she is still alive, the survivors learn the truth from Jamie (the only person she was allowed to tell). Meanwhile, The Seeker learns that the community is located somewhere in the desert and follows Wanderer there, but fails to locate them. After nearly being captured by the Seeker, Ian's brother Kyle attempts to kill Wanderer, but is stopped by Ian and another human, Wes, after which Jared also learns that Melanie is still alive.

Wanderer is horrified to learn that Doc, the community's medic, has been experimenting on people infused with Souls, removing the Souls from their bodies and killing them, and isolates herself from the group, but agrees to help Jared infiltrate a Soul medical facility to steal technology to cure the ill Jamie. In the process, they are attacked by the Seeker, who is then shot and captured by Jeb. The Seeker is taken to the caves, where she is removed from her host and contained in a pod stolen by Wanderer, who then sends the Seeker to a distant planet.

Wanderer teaches Doc how to remove the Souls from people's bodies without harming them, and asks to be removed from Melanie's so Melanie can have her life back. Melanie protests, having bonded with Wanderer, but Doc goes through with the procedure. However, rather than letting Wanderer die, Doc inserts her into Pet (Emily Browning), a human who was left brain-dead after the Soul inside her was removed, thereby ensuring that Wanderer can live without harming another soul. Wanderer, now in Pet's body, begins a relationship with Ian, while Melanie reunites with Jared. A few months later, Wanderer and the others meet another group of humans who have been joined by Souls who have decided to live peacefully among them.

Cast

Main article: List of The Host characters

Production

Development

Producers Nick Wechsler, Steve Schwartz, and Paula Mae Schwartz acquired the film rights to The Host in September 2009, but Open Road Films later acquired the film rights, and made Stephenie Meyer, Nick Wechsler, Steve Schwartz, and Paula Mae Schwartz the main producers.[10] Andrew Niccol was hired to write the screenplay and to direct the film. In February 2011, Susanna White was hired to replace Niccol as director, but he later resumed the role in May 2011.

Saoirse Ronan was also cast in May as Melanie Stryder/Wanderer. On June 27, the release date was set for the film for March 29, 2013, and it was also announced that principal photography would begin in February 2012, in Louisiana and New Mexico.[6][11]

Music

Main article: The Host (soundtrack)

The score for The Host was composed by Antonio Pinto.

Rating

The film received a PG-13 rating from the Motion Picture Association of America for "some sensuality and violence." [12] It was Open Road Films' first film to receive a rating below the usual R.

Release

Distributed by Open Road Films, the film was released theatrically on March 29, 2013. The first official trailer was released on March 22, 2012 and was later shown before The Hunger Games.[13]

Box office

The film has grossed $48,227,201, of which $26,627,201 was from North America. It opened at #6 at the US box office, and for its opening weekend grossed $10,600,112; screened at 3,202 theaters it averaged $3,310 per theatre.[2]

Critical reception

The Host has been near universally panned by critics, currently holding a 9% 'rotten' rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 112 reviews. The consensus states: "Poorly scripted and dramatically ineffective, The Host is mostly stale and tedious, with moments of unintentional hilarity."[14]

CinemaScore polls reported that the average grade moviegoers gave the film was a "B-" on a scale of A+ to F.

IGN gave it a "mediocre" score of 5/10, stating that the movie is "unintentionally laughable" and "frustratingly absurd".[15]

The Host was the penultimate film to be reviewed by film critic Roger Ebert before his death on April 4, 2013, and the last major film to be published in his lifetime. He rated the film 2.5/4 stars, saying "The Host is top-heavy with profound, sonorous conversations, all tending to sound like farewells. The movie is so consistently pitched at the same note, indeed, that the structure robs it of possibilities for dramatic tension."[16]

Home Media

The Host was released on DVD and Blu-ray on July 9, 2013.[17]

See also

References

  1. ^ "THE HOST (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. 2013-03-20. Retrieved 2013-03-20.
  2. ^ a b c d "The Host (2013)". Box Office Mojo. 2013-05-13. Retrieved 2013-05-13.
  3. ^ Schutte, Lauren. "Andrew Niccol to Direct 'The Host'". Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  4. ^ Staskiewicz, Keith. "Saoirse Ronan cast in film of Stephenie Meyer's 'The Host'". Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  5. ^ a b Bentley, Jean. "Max Irons, Jake Abel land male leads in Stephenie Meyer's 'The Host'". Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  6. ^ a b Meyer, Stephenie. "The Host: The Movie". Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  7. ^ a b Sneider, Jeff. "Canterbury, Holbrook land 'Host'". Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  8. ^ Fleming, Mike. "Diane Kruger To Play The Seeker In Stephenie Meyer's 'The Host'". Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  9. ^ "Review: Stephenie Meyer's 'The Host'". Retrieved 26 December 2012. {{cite web}}: |first= missing |last= (help)
  10. ^ McClintock, Pamela. "'The Host' to be Released by Open Road Films in March 2013". Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  11. ^ Wilkinson, Amy. "'The Host' Lands Release Date: Here's What We Know About Stephenie Meyer Adaptation". Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  12. ^ "'The Host,' 'Jack the Giant Slayer' and '21 and Over' in Today's MPAA Ratings Bulletin". Rope of Silicon. February 5, 2013. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
  13. ^ The Host official trailer. YouTube. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
  14. ^ "The Host (2013)". Rotten Tomatoes. 2013-03-27. Retrieved 2013-03-31.
  15. ^ Roth Cornet 28 Mar 2013 (2013-02-14). "IGN The Host Review". Ign.com. Retrieved 2013-03-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  16. ^ Ebert, Roger (27 March 2013). "The Host". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
  17. ^ http://www.amazon.com/The-Host-Saoirse-Ronan/dp/B0090SI4LU/ref=tmm_dvd_title_0
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Host_(2013_film)&oldid=564559410"