Home / Orphan

Orphan

Year:

2009

Duration:

123 min

Genres:

Mystery | Thriller

IMDB rate:

Director:

Jaume Collet-Serra

Awards:

1 win & 6 nominations

Details

Country: USA

Release Date: 2009-07-24

Filming Locations: Centennial College, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Earnings

Opening Weekend: $12,871,483 (USA) (26 July 2009)

Gross: $41,573,740 (USA) (4 October 2009)

Cast

Actor

Character

Jimmy Bennett

Orphan

Vera Farmiga

Kate

Peter Sarsgaard

John

Isabelle Fuhrman

Esther

CCH Pounder

Sister Abigail

Margo Martindale

Dr. Browning

Karel Roden

Dr. Varava

Aryana Engineer

Max

Rosemary Dunsmore

Grandma Barbara

Jamie Young

Brenda

Lorry Ayers

Joyce

Brendan Wall

Detective

Genelle Williams

Sister Judith

Mustafa Abdelkarim

Daniel's Friend

Landon Norris

Daniel's Friend

Julien Elia

Hospital Receptionist

Leni Parker

Delivery Room Nurse

Gemma James Smith

Teacher

Pia Ajango

Saarne Institute Receptionist

Matthew Raudsepp

Saarne Institute Orderly

Sugith Varughese

ICU Doctor

Luis Olivia

ICU Nurse

Ferelith Young

Waiting Room Nurse

Andrew Shaver

Injection Doctor

Zack Kifell

Schoolboy (uncredited)

Did you know?

Trivia

According to the original script, it was strongly implied that Esther enjoyed harming and torturing animals. A minor subplot with Esther killing and dismembering the Coleman family's pet hamster was written, but never filmed.

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In earlier drafts of the script, Esther doesn't stab John to death. As he discovers the black light paintings in her room, she jumps out from beneath the pile of stuffed animals on her bed, stabs him in the eye with a pair of scissors, pushes him down the stairs (breaking his leg), and strangles him with a jump rope.

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The seduction scene between John and Esther was originally written to be longer and more sexually graphic. Much of the content and dialogue was cut.

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Goofs

The hospital documents shown from the Saarne Institute when Dr. Varana is speaking with Kate on the phone are printed and written in English rather than Estonian, where the hospital is located.

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Early in the film, at one point, the family returns home and it is snowing lightly. The windshield wipers stop and there is a brief overhead shot of Kate near the car with a lot of snow collected on the windshield. Not enough time had passed to allow that much snow to collect on the car.

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(at around 1h 55 mins) In the credits the word "Russia" in Russian from Esther's papers is spelled wrong. The first letter should look like the Latin character "P," not "R" as was shown in the film. Cyrill P is Latin R. CPPP = S.R.R.R.

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Quotes

Kate Coleman: You told me you didn't know how to play.

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Brenda: Oh look, Little Bo Peep texted me - she wants her outfit back.

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Kate Coleman: Esther? We have to talk about last night.

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Faq

What is the poem inscribed on Jessica's memorial marker?

I never held you, but I feel you. You never spoke, but I hear you. I never knew you, but I love you.

Why was Kate so upset about the white roses that Esther brought her?

They were the roses from Baby Jessica's dedication garden. Esther knew about the roses because Kate had shown them to her several days ago and told her, 'As long as these roses grow, she will too.'

What is 'Orphan' about?

After suffering a miscarriage, Kate Coleman (Vera Farmiga) and her husband John (Peter Sarsgaard) decide to adopt a child to fill the void. Their choice is nine-year-old Russian orphan Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman). Esther charms John and their five-year-old deaf-mute daughter Maxine 'Max' (Aryana Engineer), but their son Daniel (Jimmy Bennett) is hostile to her,. Bad things seem to happen whenever Esther is around. Soon Kate begins to suspect that Esther isn't the angelic little girl she appears to be and begins to delve into her past.

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