Serious script questions aside, The Orphan is a good movie

Rating: 7/10 (1 August 2009)

The Orphan is a movie that uses an old theme. A scary kid who no one believes is evil is in fact the greatest threat to everyone around her. The idea has been used countless times and isn't too original. However, unlike those other movies, this one does stand out for the right reasons. A surprise hit of the summer, The Orphan is worth watching.
John Coleman (Peter Sarsgaard) and his wife Kate (Vera Farmiga) are upscale residents who discover that their life is missing something. The miscarriage that Kate suffered earlier has left a hole that needs to be filled despite the fact they already have two children and wealth. Ignoring their own marriage problems that circle around Kate's alcoholism and John's past affairs, the two still want to continue the marriage. Deciding that a new child would replace the one they lost, and perhaps bring them closer together, they decide to adopt.
Never explaining why they choose an older child to adopt, John and Cole reach out to a Sister Abigail (CCH Pounder) whose orphanage is home to older girls. There, they meet Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman) who appears to be a polite and intelligent child. Not only does she paint she can tell stories, sing, and more importantly, act as a young girl who desperately needs a home. If there was ever a stereotype orphan, Esther is it and John and Kate can't help but want her in their lives. She is everything that a parent would want and they quickly accept her into their family.
Esther soon reveals a darker side though to her new brother Daniel (Jimmy Bennett) and hearing impaired sister Max (Aryana Engineer). Games take a dark turn and Esther shows a vicious side after killing a wounded bird. She then reveals an even darker nature after she forces Max to help her murder Sister Abigail after she attempted to check up on her. From there Esther descends further into the realms of madness and Daniel and Max both find themselves held hostage in their own home.
Kate herself begins to notice that something is wrong. Instead of being the innocent girl they adopted, Esther becomes distant, cold, and eventually hostile. Kate is then convinced that Esther is hiding something despite John's refusal to accept such an idea. The family is slowly torn apart as Esther attempts to destroy everyone in her new family which leaves only Kate willing to stand up to her. The act of desecrating the flowers that honored Kate's lost child shows Esther's willingness to challenge her new mother. John's refusal to accept Kate's belief, however, only alienates her from her him. Kate is eventually forced into rehab after striking Esther after she accuses her of trying to murder Daniel. She finds that she soon has to face Esther if her family is to survive. When it is too late Kate, Daniel, and Max survive but at a cost that should never have been paid in the first place.
The Orphan is a movie that excels in the use of suspense and plot development. However, the use of over exposed ideas such as "scary" music and sound effects, at times limit the effect of the horror. The serious problems exist around the plot holes that eventually develop. It seems hard to believe that a Esther, who was in fact a dwarf who spent time in a mental institute and was 33 years old, could pass herself off forever as a child. And why wouldn't John and Kate spent more time looking into her past? The adoption process itself seems unrealistic as if one could simply pick up a child in a matter of weeks without really understanding who the child is. And if Esther did belong to a mental institute, how could it be that she was so easily adopted first in her own country and then across the world?
Ignoring the plot holes, The Orphan is still a movie that draws you in. Isabelle Fuhrman is an actress we will watch in the future. Her portrayal of a murderous adult whose delusions lead to the deaths of those around her stands out in a character who will be remembered.
7/10