[Sonya]

Welcome to the first Nicole Walker (Fear) Appreciation Thread

Title Fear
Release Date April 12th, 1996
Director James Foley
Screenwriter Christopher Crowe
Co-Starring Mark Wahlberg, Alyssa Milano, William L. Petersen
Genre Drama, Thriller, Horror
MPAA Rating R

Nicole Walker (Reese Witherspoon) is a 16-year old girl who comes from a good upper-middle-class family. When she and her best friend, Margo (Alyssa Milano), go out to a party one night, Nicole meets the handsome and mysterious David (Mark Wahlberg), who she ends up getting together with. After a couple of weeks, Nicole realises that David is becoming very possessive, jealous and even violent.

• Quotables
• "Dad, you're looking at me like you didn't know who I was or something."
• "No dad, you're allowed to do whatever you wanna do. I'm the one who has to ask permission to breathe. Can I go to school now?"
• "Every time I go out with him, I feel like I should be paid for baby-sitting."
• "I'll apologise to her when she apologises to me for calling me a ****."
• "He never has to show off the way other guys do. Then all of a sudden he turns into a monster."
• "This may come as a big shock to you but every move I make does not have to do with you. Turns out I'm living my own life."
• "The fact that you can stand there and act cool and fine, as if nothing ever happened. That's what scares me the most about you."
• "Everybody says one thing and then does another."

• Facts
• Reese and Mark Wahlberg dated in real life.

• Reese considers this film her rock-bottom. She thinks that it is misogynistic and over all not a rewarding experience.


• Reese said
"I did my horror film and it was not an experience I care to repeat... It had nothing to do with Mark. All that screaming and cowering and being tormented is not fulfilling."

"I think a lot of girls are dealing with these kind of abusive, violent, scary relationships, and I thought it was a really timely piece, addressing an issue that's not really popular in American cinema."

"Fear was the straw that broke my back. That was the period where I wasn't challenging myself. I was taking really boring - I would venture to say even misogynistic - roles. Women who weren't exactly walking intellects."

source

[Gilmoregirls_Lover]

Has anyone seen this movie? I was wondering if it was any good?

[Beautiful Lauren]

I've seen this movie, and it was pretty good for a horror type movie. Reese did a great job

[Gilmoregirls_Lover]

I may have to try and find it somewhere.
So Reese did not like doing this movie?

[Beautiful Lauren]

i don't think she didn't like the storyline or the actual movie, she just didn't like screaming all the time.

[Gilmoregirls_Lover]

I can kind of understand that. I think it would get old too.

[Beautiful Lauren]

yeah, i mean, imagine having to go to work every day for 3 months and scream...that's got to be draining, both physically and emotionally.

[Gilmoregirls_Lover]

I'd be afraid I'd lose my voice. After awhile you would think that would happen right?

[Beautiful Lauren]

definitely. and then you're voice is all scratchy and stuff for scenes that are actually normal and don't have so much screaming

[keep the starlight]

Bumping this thread. It was on USA last night and while I understand where Reese is coming from, this film wasn't exactly topnotch, I think that's only natural. You have to come from somewhere, you know? No one expected Walk the Line type material from one of her first films and I just really enjoy watching her when she was so young. You can clearly see how far she's come.

[stealing_kisses]

I agree, Linds. While I have yet to see this film (though I do own it), everyone looks back on their life and probably thinks, why did I do that? But ya gotta pay the bills and get recognition.

I might have to watch this. Its just collecting dust on my shelf (I got it for a buck at the video store) but it sounds interesting. And how did I not know she dated Mark?

[keep the starlight]

LOL. You own it but haven't watched it? It's definitely not that bad. Even then Reese really shines and it's clear she has real talent. Plus, Mark's character is seriously chilling.

[stealing_kisses]

LOL yeah I also own some other movie from her early career. *shrug* Its packed in boxes at the moment. I just don't have time, and I am a wimp when it comes to horror films or stuff like this.

[Jojo]

If you're a wimp, then I'm a wimp too, Em. I don't particularly like horror flicks or the like either. I taped American Psycho but haven't watched it yet.

I did see Fear, though, and it was ok. Nothing special, just ok. But to see Reese's progression from Man in the Moon to Walk the Line (two of my all-time faves) is just amazing. Granted she was very young when she first started and has had a lot of 'practice'. Still

[keep the starlight]

I just think sometimes actresses that take their careers very seriously, like Reese, are a little hard on themselves. I remember this adorable interview by Reese about FEAR and she was saying how she was so determined to do the love scene and get through it, so I know that was a challenge for her, even though she says this film didn't challenge her at all. It was her first film with a love scene, that's a big deal.