An American Haunting **1/2
Cast: Donald Sutherland, Sissy Spacek, Rachel Hurd-Wood, James D’Arcy, Matthew Marsh, Thom Fell, Sam Alexander
Director: Courtney Solomon
Running Length: 1:31
MPAA Classification: PG-13

In 1818, when a land deal between John Bell (Sutherland) and his neighbor Kate Batts (Brown) goes bad, she blames John for her problems. She then curses John and his family. When things start happening, especially to John and his daughter Betsy (Hurd-Wood), religious leader James Johnson (Marsh), and schoolteacher Richard Powell decide to help the family.

“An American Haunting” is based on a true story, but how “true” it is has been called into question. As a movie, it works fairly well, with a twist ending that is only somewhat satisfying. The wraparound story that feels tacked on serves no real purpose and should have been left out. Despite some good actors, the acting is nothing exceptional. Sutherland and Hurd-Wood have to carry the most weight as the haunted, but neither gives stand-out performances. “An American Haunting” is a slightly above average ghost story that is better off waiting for on DVD.