Spring 2003

North Country's Role in What Lies Beneath

Lake Champlain Claims its Fame

By Rebecca Lyons

What Lies Beneath, directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer, is a thriller of non-stop surprises. The North Country plays a vital role in this movie, because some of the film was shot in the Lake Champlain area, specifically in Crown Point.

The movie is about Clair, played by Michelle Pfeiffer, who unravels a secret about her husband, with the help of a ghost. The spirit, who greatly resembles Clair, is trying to tell her that Clair's husband murdered her. Through out the movie the ghost gives clues to Clair about how she died, and where she can locate some of the clues to solve the mystery of her death. As the movie progresses and the plot thickens, Clair's husband, Norman, played by Harrison Ford, gets crazier and scarier, causing the viewer to jump at unexpected times.

The North Country comes into play in the end, as Clair is trying to get away from her husband. When Norman finds out that Clair discovered he murdered the woman, he attempts to kill Clair. Through out the first struggle, Clair ends up slipping away from Norman and taking off in their beat up truck. This is the part of the movie when Lake Champlain region is really seen. As Clair is madly driving away in the dark, she crosses a bridge. Now for people in California or Oregon, this bridge may not mean anything to them. But for those who live or have visited the North Country, this bridge has a meaning; because it was a remake of the Champlain Bridge. As she is crossing the bridge, Norman pops up from the back, smashes the glass window, and reaches into grab Clair. As he is attacking her, the truck drives off into the water, which would be Lake Champlain. This is such a key time in the film, not only because of the bridge, but also the unexpected happens. However, it's not my place to say what takes place, so you'll just have to watch it and see for your self..