Directed by Steve Miner
Screenplay by David E. Kelley
Lake Placid is a comedy that happens to have a giant monstrous creature in it. Or it’s a creature feature that happens to have really good acting. Or it’s an environmental conservation film that happens to have good writing and special effects. Lake Placid may be The Great American Giant Crocodile Film. The only problem (and it’s not really a problem) is that the setting of Maine isn’t the location we would normally associate with crocodiles or their alligator kin. (For that matter, Martha’s Vineyard wasn’t the first place people would have thought of for a shark film, but there you have it.)
This means there is still room for someone to make a truly iconic American alligator film set in Florida or Louisiana. In the meantime, we have Lake Placid, which is a work of genius. It's a happy film about killer mega crocodiles. It's like Boston Legal, but with crocodiles.
Lake Placid may be one of the most watchable creature features ever made.
Screenplay by David E. Kelley
Lake Placid is a comedy that happens to have a giant monstrous creature in it. Or it’s a creature feature that happens to have really good acting. Or it’s an environmental conservation film that happens to have good writing and special effects. Lake Placid may be The Great American Giant Crocodile Film. The only problem (and it’s not really a problem) is that the setting of Maine isn’t the location we would normally associate with crocodiles or their alligator kin. (For that matter, Martha’s Vineyard wasn’t the first place people would have thought of for a shark film, but there you have it.)
This means there is still room for someone to make a truly iconic American alligator film set in Florida or Louisiana. In the meantime, we have Lake Placid, which is a work of genius. It's a happy film about killer mega crocodiles. It's like Boston Legal, but with crocodiles.
Lake Placid may be one of the most watchable creature features ever made.
Dramatis Personae
Jack Wells, a Fish and Wildlife officer....Bill Pullman (And thus ended the second age of Bill Pullman. Apparently I need to see Torchwood if I’m going to see Bill Pullman in anything these days.)
Kelly Scott, a paleontologist from NYC....Bridget Fonda (Where have you gone Bridget Fonda? Have you seriously not done anything since The Chris Isaak Show? Any chance of a Point of No Return Remake?)
Hector Cyr, a wealthy croc-whisperer....Oliver Platt (This is the point in the cast list at which this film becomes a “must see.”)
Sheriff Hank Keough....Brendan Gleeson (And Brendan Gleeson is the seal on the deal. He and Platt need to do a series of road comedies.)
Deputy Sharon Gare....Meredith Salenger (Damages, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (season 2), Sour Grapes)
Deputy Burke....Jed Rees (Galaxy Quest, The Chris Isaak Show) My favorite part is when he turns inside out and then explodes.
Deputy Stevens....Richard Leacock (21 Jump Street, Slam Dunk Ernest, Doc, Saving God)
Officer Coulson....Jake T. Roberts (The X-Files, Millennium, The Outer Limits, Viper, The New Addams Family, Death Train to the Pacific)
Paramedic...Warren Takeuchi (The X-Files, The Outer Limits, Stargate SG-1, NightMan, Dark Angel, Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers, War)
State Trooper...Ty Olsson (The X-Files, Viper, Cupid, The Chris Isaak Show, The Outer Limits, Battlestar Galactica, Kingdom Hospital, Tru Calling, Stargate SG-1, Class of the Titans, Men in Trees, Voltron Force, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Fairly Legal, V, Human Target and Sheriff Andy from Eureka)
Mrs. Delores Bickerman....Betty White (Let’s face it, it’s the foul mouthed Betty White who made this film as great as it is.)
Walt Lawson....David Lewis (The X-Files, Millennium, Lexx, The Outer Limits, Halloween: Resurrection, John Doe, Tru Calling, Stargate SG-1, The L Word, Eureka, Smallville, Wyvern, Stonehenge Apocalypse, The Day the Earth Stood Still)
Stephen Daniels....Tim Dixon (The X-Files, Cupid, Millennium, Kissed)
Janine....Natassia Malthe (Viper, Millennium, Dark Angel, The Chris Isaak Show, Halloween: Resurrection, Elektra, Bloodsuckers, Skinwalkers, Sex and Death 101, Bloodrayne 2, Bloodrayne 3, The Lightning Thief)
Kevin.....Adam Arkin (Trying to hide in this film, yet so conspicuously.)
Myra Okubo....Mariska Hargitay (It’s really weird to see her outside of Law & Order SVU these days.)
Airplane Pilot....Steve Miner (Director cameo)
Cinematography by Daryn Okada (Captain Ron, Halloween H20, Mean Girls, Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, Sex and Death 101 and several episodes of Castle.)
This is a good film that happens to be a monster movie. It shows how well you can do one of these things if you try hard enough (and have enough of a budget to make it happen.) It’s easy to see the through line in David E. Kelley's work from this show to Boston Legal. In fact, the only thing missing in this film is William Shatner and James Spader. I would not be averse to a re-edit that just includes scenes of them fishing on the lake and talking. You hear that George Lucas? Here’s some work for you.
Director Steve Miner is partly responsible for Friday the 13th and directed Friday the 13th Part 2. He outdoes himself with some truly iconic moments. (Cow in a harness being transported over a lake by helicopter? Genius.)
We have to give a lot of credit to David E. Kelley’s writing. This is a smart film with well-developed characters. It’s the Jaws of killer croc movies. It’s not just a good genre film, it’s a good film.
So what’s so special about Lake Placid?
First and foremost it defies the conventional hero-quest structure. Sure, you can make some arguments that this character or that one is the traditional protagonist, but there are easy cases to be made for any of a number of characters being up for that spot. That means that this is a real ensemble film. It would take someone coming from television (with a degree of self-confidence in his own storytelling) to write something that doesn’t fit into the round peg hole of cinematic storytelling as authorized by the guardians of cinematic literature.
Then there are the profusion of interesting characters. Betty White and Brendan Gleeson alone make this film worthwhile.
Also, it is a film that manages to get by in the absence of a villain. Sure, we have a monster crocodile, but Bridget Fonda and Oliver Platt convince us to save the giant croc instead of killing it. (Though they do have to kill the second one that shows up.) Hector Cyr may be rich dilettante nutcase but he means well and his environmentalist concerns aren’t the cause of any deaths. The local sheriff is a good guy, the fish and wildlife regulator is a good guy, the paleontologist is a good person, even the ostensible cause of the infestation, Delores Bickerman isn’t evil. She’s mean, but in a way that we’d all like to be able to get away with. In fact, Delores Bickerman’s pro-crocodile animal rights stance is just another example of the way this film subverts the need for a traditional antagonist.
No, really, the only people who come close to villainy are Adam Arkin and Mariska Hargitay, but even then it’s not really villainy so much as romantic comedy antagonism. So the film is really a matter of trying to overcome the force of nature represented by the unexpected giant crocodile and the second even more unexpected crocodile.
A political reading of this film is unavoidable. Especially if you continue reading this paragraph. See, Mrs. Bickerman is a true Libertarian. (with a capital L) She doesn’t believe in any form of regulation and just wants to live in her cabin by the lake and feed cows to her illegal crocodile collection. (And why are the crocs illegal? Because of too much stupid government regulation.) Hector Cyr represents responsible environmentally conscious capitalism. Sure, he’s got a pile of money, but it’s nature that he really cares about. Kelly Scott is a scientist working for a museum. (Need I say more?) Jack Wells represents good natured regulatory agencies, the friendly face of the Federal government. And Sheriff Keogh represents simple honest local government, responsible for the welfare of the people, even when the people are old cranky murderesses living in cabins feeding cows to giant crocodiles.
Working together, the forces of science and government (Local, State and Federal), with the help of concerned private citizens of means (the noble rich) are able to avert catastrophe and further human knowledge as well as save a creature from possible extinction/destruction. See, government works, especially if people are cooperative.
In this political narrative the charming libertarianism of Mrs. Bickerman becomes the obligatory antagonist and much less charming when you realize the consequences. (Selfish Betty White not only gets people killed, but she also sacrifices cows for the sake of her pet giant crocodiles.) You could go even further with that allegory and say that the crocodile is a useless intrusive species that represents useless expenditures while the cow represents American industry and the products of American labor being tossed into the gaping maw of death for the amusement and greed of selfish interests.
Jack Wells, a Fish and Wildlife officer....Bill Pullman (And thus ended the second age of Bill Pullman. Apparently I need to see Torchwood if I’m going to see Bill Pullman in anything these days.)
Kelly Scott, a paleontologist from NYC....Bridget Fonda (Where have you gone Bridget Fonda? Have you seriously not done anything since The Chris Isaak Show? Any chance of a Point of No Return Remake?)
Hector Cyr, a wealthy croc-whisperer....Oliver Platt (This is the point in the cast list at which this film becomes a “must see.”)
Sheriff Hank Keough....Brendan Gleeson (And Brendan Gleeson is the seal on the deal. He and Platt need to do a series of road comedies.)
Deputy Sharon Gare....Meredith Salenger (Damages, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (season 2), Sour Grapes)
Deputy Burke....Jed Rees (Galaxy Quest, The Chris Isaak Show) My favorite part is when he turns inside out and then explodes.
Deputy Stevens....Richard Leacock (21 Jump Street, Slam Dunk Ernest, Doc, Saving God)
Officer Coulson....Jake T. Roberts (The X-Files, Millennium, The Outer Limits, Viper, The New Addams Family, Death Train to the Pacific)
Paramedic...Warren Takeuchi (The X-Files, The Outer Limits, Stargate SG-1, NightMan, Dark Angel, Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers, War)
State Trooper...Ty Olsson (The X-Files, Viper, Cupid, The Chris Isaak Show, The Outer Limits, Battlestar Galactica, Kingdom Hospital, Tru Calling, Stargate SG-1, Class of the Titans, Men in Trees, Voltron Force, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Fairly Legal, V, Human Target and Sheriff Andy from Eureka)
Mrs. Delores Bickerman....Betty White (Let’s face it, it’s the foul mouthed Betty White who made this film as great as it is.)
Walt Lawson....David Lewis (The X-Files, Millennium, Lexx, The Outer Limits, Halloween: Resurrection, John Doe, Tru Calling, Stargate SG-1, The L Word, Eureka, Smallville, Wyvern, Stonehenge Apocalypse, The Day the Earth Stood Still)
Stephen Daniels....Tim Dixon (The X-Files, Cupid, Millennium, Kissed)
Janine....Natassia Malthe (Viper, Millennium, Dark Angel, The Chris Isaak Show, Halloween: Resurrection, Elektra, Bloodsuckers, Skinwalkers, Sex and Death 101, Bloodrayne 2, Bloodrayne 3, The Lightning Thief)
Kevin.....Adam Arkin (Trying to hide in this film, yet so conspicuously.)
Myra Okubo....Mariska Hargitay (It’s really weird to see her outside of Law & Order SVU these days.)
Airplane Pilot....Steve Miner (Director cameo)
Cinematography by Daryn Okada (Captain Ron, Halloween H20, Mean Girls, Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, Sex and Death 101 and several episodes of Castle.)
This is a good film that happens to be a monster movie. It shows how well you can do one of these things if you try hard enough (and have enough of a budget to make it happen.) It’s easy to see the through line in David E. Kelley's work from this show to Boston Legal. In fact, the only thing missing in this film is William Shatner and James Spader. I would not be averse to a re-edit that just includes scenes of them fishing on the lake and talking. You hear that George Lucas? Here’s some work for you.
Director Steve Miner is partly responsible for Friday the 13th and directed Friday the 13th Part 2. He outdoes himself with some truly iconic moments. (Cow in a harness being transported over a lake by helicopter? Genius.)
We have to give a lot of credit to David E. Kelley’s writing. This is a smart film with well-developed characters. It’s the Jaws of killer croc movies. It’s not just a good genre film, it’s a good film.
So what’s so special about Lake Placid?
First and foremost it defies the conventional hero-quest structure. Sure, you can make some arguments that this character or that one is the traditional protagonist, but there are easy cases to be made for any of a number of characters being up for that spot. That means that this is a real ensemble film. It would take someone coming from television (with a degree of self-confidence in his own storytelling) to write something that doesn’t fit into the round peg hole of cinematic storytelling as authorized by the guardians of cinematic literature.
Then there are the profusion of interesting characters. Betty White and Brendan Gleeson alone make this film worthwhile.
Also, it is a film that manages to get by in the absence of a villain. Sure, we have a monster crocodile, but Bridget Fonda and Oliver Platt convince us to save the giant croc instead of killing it. (Though they do have to kill the second one that shows up.) Hector Cyr may be rich dilettante nutcase but he means well and his environmentalist concerns aren’t the cause of any deaths. The local sheriff is a good guy, the fish and wildlife regulator is a good guy, the paleontologist is a good person, even the ostensible cause of the infestation, Delores Bickerman isn’t evil. She’s mean, but in a way that we’d all like to be able to get away with. In fact, Delores Bickerman’s pro-crocodile animal rights stance is just another example of the way this film subverts the need for a traditional antagonist.
No, really, the only people who come close to villainy are Adam Arkin and Mariska Hargitay, but even then it’s not really villainy so much as romantic comedy antagonism. So the film is really a matter of trying to overcome the force of nature represented by the unexpected giant crocodile and the second even more unexpected crocodile.
A political reading of this film is unavoidable. Especially if you continue reading this paragraph. See, Mrs. Bickerman is a true Libertarian. (with a capital L) She doesn’t believe in any form of regulation and just wants to live in her cabin by the lake and feed cows to her illegal crocodile collection. (And why are the crocs illegal? Because of too much stupid government regulation.) Hector Cyr represents responsible environmentally conscious capitalism. Sure, he’s got a pile of money, but it’s nature that he really cares about. Kelly Scott is a scientist working for a museum. (Need I say more?) Jack Wells represents good natured regulatory agencies, the friendly face of the Federal government. And Sheriff Keogh represents simple honest local government, responsible for the welfare of the people, even when the people are old cranky murderesses living in cabins feeding cows to giant crocodiles.
Working together, the forces of science and government (Local, State and Federal), with the help of concerned private citizens of means (the noble rich) are able to avert catastrophe and further human knowledge as well as save a creature from possible extinction/destruction. See, government works, especially if people are cooperative.
In this political narrative the charming libertarianism of Mrs. Bickerman becomes the obligatory antagonist and much less charming when you realize the consequences. (Selfish Betty White not only gets people killed, but she also sacrifices cows for the sake of her pet giant crocodiles.) You could go even further with that allegory and say that the crocodile is a useless intrusive species that represents useless expenditures while the cow represents American industry and the products of American labor being tossed into the gaping maw of death for the amusement and greed of selfish interests.
Go ahead, chew on that idea for a while and then sit back and enjoy the unspoiled wilderness of Maine. There's also the classic rural vs. urban conflict between the Sheriff and the outsiders (who he loves to refer to as various kinds of rude) but that's almost too obvious compared to the other readings of the film.
As for aesthetics, there’s not much ground that hasn’t been covered in monster movies. It’s very difficult (nigh impossible) to make a movie featuring a monster in the water without borrowing from the visual language of Jaws. In this case the borrowing includes the Jaws 2 classic sea beast attacking a helicopter's floats scene.
Lake Placid makes good use of late 20th century CGI and mechanics for the creature effects (the overhead views are especially nice).
In the end, for a film where multiple people are hacked into pieces and eaten by giant crocodiles the result is quite funny and enjoyable. I’m partially disturbed by that. But if I think about it too hard then I can just think about the sheer hilarity of Betty White, Brendan Gleeson and Oliver Platt and all is well. Don’t let your fear of amphibious reptiles get in the way of watching this film.
Bonus Features
1. Featurette
Another vapid segment worthy of Entertainment Tonight. Don’t get me wrong, a vapid featurette is better than nothing when I want to extend the experience of staying in the world of a film I like.
2. Television Spots
I’m not sure how effective calling this film “Next Year’s Anaconda” is. I don’t remember Anaconda being as fun as Lake Placid.
3. Trailer
I think selling this as a scary monster movie was either brilliant misdirection or bad marketing.
4. Cast/Crew Bios
These are now mostly out of date, but that just lends them a bit of period charm, if 1999 is a period you find charming.
