Credits
Distributed by
Universal Pictures (North America)
Warner Bros. Pictures (International)
Production company
Morgan Creek Productions
Directed by
Jim Sheridan
Written by
David Loucka
Produced by
James G. Robinson
David C. Robinson
Daniel Bobker
Ehren Kruger
Starring
Daniel Craig
Naomi Watts
Rachel Weisz
Marton Csokas
Elias Koteas
Cinematography
Caleb Deschanel
Edited by
Barbara Tulliver
Music by
John Debney
DETAILS
Will Atenton (Daniel Craig), a successful editor for a New York City publishing house, quits his job to focus on writing a book while spending more time with his wife Libby (Rachel Weisz) and their young daughters, Trish and Dee Dee. The family is initially happy to live in their Fairfield County "dream house" near the forest. Soon, however, they grow uneasy because of a series of unsettling events, including one in which the children see a strange man lurking outside and another involving Will discovering teenagers gathering in the basement. It all seems to tie to a crime committed in the house five years earlier, when a man named Peter Ward apparently murdered his wife and two children and was committed to a mental hospital from which he has been recently released due to lack of evidence. Will tries to enlist the help of the local police, but they appear unwilling to assist. He also approaches his neighbor Ann (Naomi Watts), who seems apprehensive, while her estranged husband Jack (Marton Csokas) demonstrates outright hostility toward Will. Will decides to conduct his own investigations, visiting the facility where Peter Ward was housed, and discovers that he actually is Peter Ward. During the attack that claimed the lives of his wife and daughters, Peter was shot in the head, so he has no memories of the murders. In order to cope with the grief, he fabricated a delusion in which his family is still alive and created a new identity for himself based on his inpatient ID band "W1-1L 8-10-10". Once dismissed, Peter moved back to his abandoned house, which is now condemned and covered in graffiti, but in Peter's mind, it is still unspoiled and inhabited by Libby and the girls. Peter is forcibly removed from the dilapidated house by authorities and is taken in by Ann, who believes in his innocence and used to visit him at the facility. She encourages Peter to move on, but Peter eventually returns to the house to confront his memories, ultimately realizing that he did not kill his wife and children; it was a local man named Boyce (Elias Koteas), who broke into the house and shot Peter's family. Libby, while aiming at Boyce, inadvertently shot Peter. Peter and Ann are suddenly attacked by Jack, who reveals that he had hired Boyce to kill Ann five years earlier, in retaliation for divorcing him and to obtain full custody of their daughter, Chloe. However, Boyce went to the wrong house and mistakenly killed Peter's family. Aided by Boyce, Jack decides to kill Ann himself and set the house on fire, framing Peter for her murder. He also shoots Boyce, to eliminate him as a witness. As Jack ignites a fire, Peter overpowers Jack and saves Ann with the help of his wife Libby who is revealed to be a spirit, as are their daughters, and not a mental projection. Boyce douses Jack in gasoline before being killed, this results in Jack burning to death when he tries to escape through the flames. While Ann and Chloe reunite, Peter says goodbye to the spirits of his wife and children. Some time later, we see that Peter has returned to New York and published a best-selling book called Dream House, in which he recounts his tragic experiences.