What Lies Beneath (2000)

Film and Plot Synopsis

Norman and Claire Spencer are a relatively happily married couple who are struggling with empty nest syndrome. However, Claire’s boredom soon causes her to investigate mysterious occurrences within their home. Soon after, Claire begins to feel like the Spencer home is being haunted by a ghostly woman who may have come to a grisly end. Now, as a couple, Norman and Claire must uncover the secrets of the woman’s death while confronting their own worst fears about what lies beneath.

‘What Lies Beneath’ Movie Summary

Norman and Claire Spencer (Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer) are a long-married couple who live a quiet life at their lakeside home in Vermont. Norman is an accomplished scientist and professor while Claire is a former cellist. Their marriage is in a state of transition as Claire’s daughter, Caitlin (Katharine Towne) has recently left for college, and Claire is struggling with the empty nest. Claire notices that their neighbors, Mary and Warren Feur (Miranda Otto and James Remar), are a couple that fights a lot. After Claire does not see Mary for several days, the bored Claire begins to speculate that Warren may have killed her.

Additionally, Claire believes that she is seeing images of a woman’s body in the lake while also sensing an unseen presence in the house. One day, a framed article about Norman happens to fall off his desk and shatters on the floor. As Claire attempts to clean up the mess, she finds an odd key inside of a vent. Not long after, Claire finds the bathtub filled with water and sees another woman’s reflection in the tub. Claire is unsure where to turn for advice as Norman blows off her concerns. Ultimately, Claire asks her mystic friend Jody (Diana Scarwid) to perform a séance, which ultimately does not solve Claire’s problems. A short time later, Claire finds the bathtub filled for a second time and the message “You know” written on the steamy mirror nearby. Claire’s computer also repeatedly types the initials “MEF” for no reason.

Claire convinces herself that she is being haunted by Mary’s ghost. She confronts Warren, but it is revealed that Mary is alive and simply went to live with her mother in Providence after a fight with Warren. Perplexed on the origin of the spirit in her home, Claire reexamines the fallen article about Norman and notices a story about a missing woman named Madison Elizabeth Frank. Claire decides to follow up on Madison’s disappearance and contacts Madison’ mother (Micole Mercurio). Claire is allowed to see Madison’s room and steals a lock of Madison’s hair and notices a picture of Madison wearing an unusual necklace.

Claire finds a book about ghosts and performs a ritual from it in the hopes that it will conjure Madison’s spirit. However, Claire finds herself possessed by a spirit which aggressively attempts to seduce Norman. Norman is shocked by his wife’s actions until she reverts to her true self after dropping the lock of hair. However, the possession causes Claire to remember a repressed memory of an affair that Norman had with a student named Madison that happened years before when the couple was having marital problems. Norman admits to his infidelity, but Claire leaves and stays the night with Jody. While at her friend’s house, Jody reveals that a year earlier she had seen Norman arguing with a woman in a café in Adamant, a nearby town. Jody apologizes to Claire for never telling her.

Are we hoping the ghost is going to have to use the potty? Jody (Diana Scarwid)

A short time later, Claire returns home to find Norman unconscious in the bathtub. Norman assures Claire that it was merely an accident and not a suicide attempt. Norman further confesses that when he ended the affair with Madison that she became unstable and came to the house. Norman tells Claire that he did not kill Madison, which she believes. Not long after, Claire is standing on a dock with Madison’s hair and finds herself pulled into the lake by an unseen force. While underwater, Claire sees a jewelry box matching Madison’s necklace. Norman pulls Claire to safety before she can grab the box. The couple decide to burn the lock of hair together to stop Claire’s obsession with Madison.

A short time later, Claire’s suspicions return when Norman claims to not know about the café in Adamant, the one where Jody saw him at. Claire becomes even more suspicious when she sees the same necklace and jewelry box at a store in Adamant. Claire recovers the jewelry box from the lake and opens it with the key that she found in the vent in Norman’s office. She discovers Madison’s necklace inside. Claire confronts Norman again. This time Norman states that when he came home that he had found thar Madison had killed herself in their home. In a panic, Norman states that he placed Madison’s body into her car and pushed the car into the lake. Claire insists that Norman confess to the police for his crimes and Norman goes to call law enforcement. However, Claire notices that he calls 411 instead of 911. Norman injects Claire with halothane which paralyzes her. Norman confesses to his wife that he murdered Madison when she threatened to expose their affair to the dean.

Norman places Claire’s paralyzed body into the bathtub with the intention of staging her suicide. Before her face is submerged in the water, Norman notices that Claire is wearing Madison’s necklace and goes to remove it. Claire’s face morphs into Madison’s corpse and Norman recoils in shock. He staggers and hits his head on the sink and loses consciousness. Claire recovers enough mobility to get herself out of the tub before she drowns. She jumps into Norman’s truck and begins to drive away. However, Norman has regained consciousness and jumps into the bed of the truck. Norman attacks Claire as she drives down the road. She crashes into the lake, near where Norman left Madison’s body. While underwater, Norman attempts to drown Claire, but the truck accident dislodges Madison’s body from her submerged car. Madison’s corpse comes to life and grabs onto Norman, pulling the murder deep into the lake where he drowns. Claire reaches the safety of the surface of the lake. The film ends months later with Claire placing a rose on Madison’s grave having given peace to a restless spirit.