Directed by: Andrew Douglas
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Chloe Grace Moretz, Melissa George, Jimmy Bennett, Jesse James
Other mistake: Towards the film end, when George climbs up stairs with the gun to kill others, he walks into the passage and shuts the door. A mirror is there in the passage, but there's no reflection of George in it. (01:15:15)
Other mistake: The type of pan George uses to make eggs is far more modern a design than when the movie is supposed to take place in the late 70's.
Character mistake: When Lisa is taken to the hospital, she tells Kathy that she saw the ghost of Jodie DeFeo. The name of both of the DeFeo's daughters wasn't Jodie. Their names were Dawn and Allison. Jodie was the name of a demonic pig that the Lutz's daughter Missy had befriended.
Trivia: George Lutz denounced this remake, stating that it was complete drivel.
Question: Probably it's for dramatic impact, but it seemed strange that Ryan Reynolds' character would rush out to the boathouse on seeing the red balloon. It would have made more sense to check her room first, but he leaves (and even dives into the icy lake) without telling anyone. If it was out and out panic, wouldn't he wake his wife? Apart from as a plot device, any ideas why?
Answer: He sees the balloon, and instantly assumes his step-daughter is inside the boat house, and hence is in danger of slipping and drowning (or perhaps already in such a situation). He rushes straight out to get there as quickly as possible. Checking her room, or telling his wife would take up time, not to mention he is probably running on adrenaline.
Suggested correction: While this is true in the original novel, the writers chose to change it to the DeFeo's daughter's name in the movie. Creative license doesn't count as a mistake.
Torie White
Except that this is based on the real-life incident of the DeFeo family. This entry is not applied to the novel.