- "I'm rooting for the crocodile. I hope he swallows your friends whole."
- ―Mrs. Delores Bickerman
| Lake Placid | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Credits | |
| Title: | Lake Placid |
| Directed by: | Steve Miner |
| Written by: | David E. Kelley |
| Produced by: | Peter Bogart; David E. Kelley; Michael Pressman |
| Music by: | John Ottman |
| Cinematography: | Daryn Okada |
| Edited by: | Marshall Harvey; Paul Hirsch |
| Production | |
| Distributors: | Fox 2000 Pictures; Phoenix Pictures; Rocking Chair Productions |
| Released: | July 16th, 1999 |
| Rating: | R |
| Running time: | 82 min. (1 hr. 22 min.) |
| Country: | USA |
| Language: | English |
| Budget: | $35,000,000 [1] |
| Gross: | $31,770,414 |
| Navigation | |
| Previous: | — |
| Next: | Lake Placid 2 (2007) |
Lake Placid is a 1999 horror-comedy film directed by Steve Miner and based on a script by David E. Kelley. It was produced by Fox 2000 Pictures and released theatrically in the United States on July 16th, 1999. Although Lake Placid was a financial success at the box office, critical reception was lukewarm. A common complaint was that the horror and comedy elements did not sit well together, making the film fail on both counts. Lake Placid features an all-star cast of characters brought together to hunt down and capture a thirty-foot crocodile that has been terrorzing people in the town of Black Lake, Maine. Bill Pullman plays Fish & Game representative Jack Wells who works alongside the cantankerous Sheriff Hank Keough (Brendan Gleeson) as well as New York paleontologist Kelly Scott (Bridget Fonda). Rounding out the cast is eccentric crocodile guru, Hector Cyr (played by Oliver Platt) and a local woman named Delores Bickerman, played by Betty White.
Plot[]
Jack Wells
Sheriff Hank Keough of Aroostook County Maine takes a diver from the Wildlife fish and game organization out into the middle of Black Lake in order to tag some beaver. The diver drops down into the lake and begins searching around, but what he finds is definitely not a beaver. A large shadowy form lunges forward from the depths and chews the man in half. He flails about frantically, but Keough is only able to pull the diver’s top half out of the water. Fleeing back to the mainland, Keough contacts the Fish and Wildlife people who send out Jack Wells to investigate the issue.
News of the attack reaches the scientific community and the reports even wind up in the news files at a museum in New York. Paleontologist Kelly Scott is in a very uncomfortable position. She is in the midst of an affair with her boss Kevin who is likewise fooling around with Kelly's co-worker and friend Myra. In order to get Kelly out of the equation, Kevin sends her on a fact-finding mission in Maine to investigate a recovered reptile tooth.
Kelly arrives in Maine and encounters Sheriff Keough. The two instantly don't like one another and Kelly suspects that Keough may harbor prejudice against "museum people". Eventually Jack Wells shows up and introduces himself to Kelly. They take a drive down to the county morgue where the diver's body has been taken. A reptile's tooth has been extracted from the victim's remains and Kelly gathers that it must be from a creature that is quite old.
They then decide to interview the only person currently living on Black Lake, Mrs. Delores Bickerman. Delores has no idea what could have done such a thing to another human being. Through the course of conversation she reveals that she murdered her husband Bernie two years ago. In her confession, she explains that Bernie was suffering from Alzheimer's and that she was forced to hit him with a skillet in order to end his suffering. According to her, Bernie's remains are buried out near the pier between her farm and the lake.
The group decides to leave Bickerman alone in favor of investigating the attack. They take a boat out onto the lake and begin searching. Keough finds a chewed up moose head floating in the lake. He brings it aboard and accidentally drops it on top of Kelly. Kelly is disgusted by his clumsiness and slaps Keough twice across the face.
Hector Cyr
They later dock and set up tents near the lake. Jack is trying to figure out why Kelly insists on staying with the investigation, as this is no place for a paleontologist. Before she can respond, the two see a helicopter with pontoons landing on the lake near the camp. Out walks Hector Cyr. Hector is a mythology professor as well as an eccentric crocodile hunter. Kelly and he share a past together as he has occasionally helped her out at the museum. Hector heard reports of the man's death and came to investigate as well. He confirms that what they are looking for is a crocodile. Keough insists that crocodiles could not exist in salt water, but Hector believes that this one does.
Later that day, the crew (accompanied by some deputies) takes a canoe out into the lake. They notice a school of perch frighteningly rising to the surface. As they turn to investigate, the canoe carrying Kelly and Hank flips over backwards. They conclude their affairs for the day and head back to land. Back on dry land, Hector discovers the remains of a human toe lying in some underbrush. By observing the digit he concludes that not only is the crocodile hunting on land but his presence is also having an adverse affect on the local ecosystem. Keough and Hector exchange some barbed quips and a strong resentment develops between the two.
That night, everyone settles down in their tents, except for Hector. He is partying it up in his tent with several of Keough's officers in attendance. Hector begins flirting with Deputy Gare. Sheriff Keough busts in and breaks up the party. He leaves angrily and goes off to urinate. Shortly thereafter ,he discovers Hector mucking about in the bushes preparing spring traps for the crocodile. Hank is ready to beat him up, but Jack calms him down.
The following day, the group takes a boat out onto the lake. Jack and Hector go diving, leaving Kelly with the Sheriff and his deputies. The boat is de-anchored and Kelly is knocked off deck in the process. The sheriff spins the boat around to pick her up before the crocodile can get her. Jack and Hector eventually get back on board but they discovered nothing during their diving expedition. As the group argues amongst themselves, the crocodile lunges up the starboard side, biting off Deputy Burke's head. Back on land, Jack calls the U.S. Wildlife department. Hank meanwhile falls prey to another one of Hector’s traps. Jack and Kelly help him down and the disgruntled Sheriff chases Hector off into the woods. He catches up to him, but just before he can lay a hand on him, a bear bursts forward from the bushes. The group scatters and Jack injures his arm on some branches while evading the animal's rampage. The bear stops short on the beach and draws himself up on two legs readying an attack. Before it even has a chance to lunge, the crocodile shoots forward from the water, latching his jaws onto the bear's legs. It consumes the entire bear within seconds then recedes back into the water. After the bear attack, the group returns to camp. Keough beats Hector up and Kelly stitches up Jack's injured arm.
Mid-day snack.
The following day, the group emerges from their tent to check the lakebeds. They find footprints leading away from the shore as well as a severed human head. As the group ponders these bizarre circumstances Jack notices something through the bushes. The section of the lake that they are at is extremely close to the Bickerman farm. As they strain their eyes, they see Delores leading a cow down to the lake. The crocodile is waiting hungrily and gulps the beast down in two bites. Apparently the old woman has been feeding the crocodile in this manner for quite some time. Jack, Hank and Kelly go to interrogate Bickerman while Hector and Deputy Gare take the helicopter out towards the animal's habitat.
Bickerman eventually confesses under pressure. She explains that she lied about murdering her husband because she felt that if she told the police that he was actually killed by the crocodile that they would just try to kill it. Keough places Bickerman under house arrest.
While this is going on, Hector has landed the chopper in the water. He dives in and begins nosing about for the crocodile. The animal attacks him and he barely has enough time to get back in the helicopter. Gare takes off but the animal leaps up, puncturing one of the pontoons. Once they reach the others, Jack berates Hector for endangering the life of a police officer. Unhappy with the response time from U.S. Wildlife, Jack calls Florida Fish and Game who have pledged to come to Maine to eliminate the beast. Hector knows that the Fish and Game people will only try to kill it, and that this crocodile exists as a miracle of modern science. He begs Jack for the opportunity to take him alive. Jack reluctantly concedes and the group formulates a plan.
The following morning, Sheriff Keough goes to Bickerman's farm and appropriates one of her cows. They tie the animal to a pulley and leave it dangling beneath the bottom of the helicopter. Hector flies the chopper while dipping the cow into the lake in order to bait the crocodile. They continue this until well into the evening.
Showdown
Just as they are ready to give up, the crocodile finally emerges. They draw the cow inland and the crocodile gives chase. Jack manages to fire off a dart containing Flaxidyl into the creature's flank. The winch holding the pulley system breaks off and the animal lands in the water. This also causes the helicopter to crash onto the lake about thirty-five feet out from the shoreline. The croc goes on land. Everyone piles into Jack's pick-up as the monster gives chase. Kelly falls out of the vehicle and is forced to flee towards the lake. The crocodile swishes around and chases after her. She swims out towards Hector who promptly helps her into the sinking helicopter. The crocodile dives low, coming up behind the chopper. He bursts forward through the frame and manages to trap himself inside the belly of the helicopter. By this time the drugs finally kick in. Jack fires one more dart into the croc's head just to be certain that isn’t going to be getting feisty any time soon.
Delores Bickerman feeds her "babies".
Hector and Kelly swim back towards the beachhead. As they emerge, a crocodile attacks, biting Hector in the leg. Keough swings his hand cannon about and blasts the animal into pieces. Apparently there was a second crocodile.
With the danger presumably abated, everyone begins to calm down. Hector issues a sarcastic greeting as U.S. Wildlife officers take control of the area. Hank and Hector bond a little bit and Jack and Kelly go on a date. At her farm, Mrs. Bickerman is having the time of her life as she sits on the dock near her home feeding a school of baby crocodiles.
The original crocodile meanwhile is strapped to the flatbed of an eighteen-wheeler bound for Florida.
Cast[]
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Bill Pullman | Jack Wells |
| Bridget Fonda | Kelly Scott |
| Oliver Platt | Hector Cyr |
| Brendan Gleeson | Hank Keough |
| Betty White | Delores Bickerman |
| David Lewis | Walt Lawson |
| Tim Dixon | Stephen Daniels |
| Natassia Malthe | Janine |
| Mariska Hargitay | Myra Okubo |
| Meredith Salenger | Sharon Gare |
| Jed Rees | Deputy Burke |
| Richard Leacock | Deputy Stevens |
| Jake T. Roberts | Officer Coulson |
| Warren Takeuchi | Paramedic |
| Ty Olsson | State trooper |
| Adam Arkin | Kevin |
| Steve Miner | Airplane pilot |
Notes & Trivia[]
- Lake Placid was released to DVD on January 11th, 2000 by 20th Century Fox. The film was also packaged with Python as a double-feature DVD.
- Known in Japan as U.M.A/Lake Placid.
- Despite its title, the actual location of Lake Placid does not appear in the film. The title is derived from a sarcastic comment that Brendan Gleeson's Sheriff Keough makes when asked about the Black Lake region. He says, "Yeah, we wanted to call it Lake Placid, but we heard that name was already taken."
- This is the film that re-invented the onscreen persona of actress Betty White. White is best known for playing the sweet and loveable Rose Nylund on the television sit-com The Golden Girls. Following Lake Placid, White's more popular film and television appearances present her as a more acerbic and judgmental woman, with dialogue consisting of crude statements, sarcasm or profanity.
- In the hospital scene, someone can be heard paging Mister Miner in the background. This unseen character is named after director Steve Miner. Miner also makes a cameo appearance in the film as an airplane pilot.
- Betty White's character, Delores Bickerman, is told that PETA would be interested to learn of her alleged mistreatment of her cows. In reality, Betty White is a major on-air spokesperson for PETA. [2]
- Features a guest appearance by actor Adam Arkin. Arkin also appeared in Steve Miner's Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later.
- In the film, Betty White's character confesses to hitting her husband over the head with a skillet. Betty White also appeared in several episodes of Boston Legal, where she killed a murderer she had been friends with by hitting him across the head with a skillet.
- One of two films where Adam Arkin's character is romantically tied to an actress with famous parents. The other film is 1998's Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later where his character is attached to Jamie Lee Curtis, daughter of Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh.
External Links[]
References[]
 Film Series
Lake Placid • Lake Placid 2 • Lake Placid 3 • Lake Placid: The Final Chapter • Lake Placid vs Anaconda • Lake Placid Legacy |