By Melissa Antoinette Garza
The Spring is a 2000 TV movie that I had never heard of. From the back cover it sounded interesting enough, and I purchased it at Movie Stop while in Georgia visiting my husband’s awesome family. Sadly, this film wasn’t that great. Generally, I’ve lucked out with Movie Stop. More than not, I’ve found gems that I would have never seen otherwise. This one was really just blah.
It is similar in ways to much better movies like the TV film adaption of the short story The Lottery (1996) or the compelling and dramatic Population 436 (2006).
In The Spring Dennis (Kyle MacLachlan) and his son Nick (Joseph Cross) arrive in a small town after running into a couple on the side of the road who leave their duffle bag behind. The address on the bag leads them to what seems on the surface utopia. Everyone is young and seems extremely nice, yet each keeps a secret from the rest of the world.
Though originally just passing through, Dennis has to stay because Nick gets injured by saving the life of another child by covering him as a truck bed breaks and releases long heavy logs. Nick’s leg is broken and thus he has to stay in the hospital of the town. Meanwhile, Dennis falls for Nick’s doctor Sophie (Alison Eastwood). Dennis’s first wife died in her mid-twenties from cancer, so he is slightly reluctant to get onto the field again. He eventually does and falls in love with Sophie.
Soon, we find out the big secret. There’s a spring that keeps everyone young and heals ailments. Only when the people from the town turn 100 they are drowned as those in control state that no one should live forever. Dennis decides to stay but when he’s chosen to drown one of his friends and refuses, he realizes that he has to leave. As he made an oath to abide by the town’s rules, he is hunted down by the police.
Both he and Nick attempt to escape with Sophie’s help, but on the authorities are on their tale trying to restrict them from leaving as they believe they must keep the secret safe to ensure humanity doesn’t use it for evil.
The movie is just forgettable. It’s watchable, but plays out more like a soap opera than a suspenseful full-length movie. This may have been a really good 30 minute episode of Tales from the Darkside or Monsters. It could have even been a good short in an anthology, but making it full length just made each scene drawn and at times boring.
Kyle MacLachlan really deserves better. He’s a terrific actor who shined in dark movies like Blue Velvet (1986) or the cult classic show Twin Peaks (1990) and the film prequel Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992). The lesson here is that MacLachlan has to reunite with David Lynch because the two are amazing together.
Otherwise, skip this one and just watch Blue Velvet. MacLachlan’s chemistry with Isabella Rossellini is much hotter than the PG awkward love scenes in The Spring.
Scared Stiff Rating: 3.5/10
