watchable, but absurd

I have been into a seventies flicks nostalgia phase last year or so on my kindle fire, so just watched this flick.

Some great acting. Anthony Hopkins of course, the 'parents' and I thought Susan Swift was great too. The apartment was super cool.

But as a whole I just could not enjoy it very much due to how ridiculous some of the plot was. I know you must suspend disbelief for most all movies, and usually I have no problem with that, but this movie asks for a lot.

--warning, spoilers below--

I am sure the novel went into more detail, but just accepting what we see in the movie, the mother would not win any awards for mom of the year. I took Mr. Templeton's side through the whole thing. As much as I like Anthony Hopkins, if I was the father I would have wanted to kill him too. Hoover sets a new standard for stalking in this and the mom seems more than willing to just hand her child over to him at times. Bizarre.

The whole trial was idiotic. Hoover is on trial for kidnapping, yet somehow instead it seems the whole concept of reincarnation is on trial. Even if you accept that the girl was once Audrey Rose, what does it matter? She is still the daughter of the Templeton's so therefore Hoover is guilty.

The end after the poor kid was 'hypnotized' to death (did it not seem the dr. could at least be accused of planting memories during this?) the parents just let their stalker hold her close while they stand by with their thumbs up their be-hinds.