Overlong, pointless reincarnation-thriller takes its cue from "The Exorcist" in that it places a young girl in traumatic, metaphysical circumstances. Anthony Hopkins is well-cast as a mysterious man mourning the death of his little girl Audrey Rose, who perished in a car accident many years ago. He enters the lives of a New York City couple, claiming the soul of their preteen daughter Ivy once belonged to his child (he may be right, but what does he want done about it?). Hopkins is terrific in the film's early scenes, but eventually his speeches about reincarnation and the eternal struggle of souls become tiresome. As the girl's parents, Marsha Mason and John Beck are an unlikely couple; Mason's character (usually on the verge on tears) makes no sense, while vapid Beck is obviously out of his league alongside such acting heavyweights (occasionally twitching his model's mustache, so thick and perfect I expected someone to rip it off him). As the hapless Ivy, Susan Swift screams and cries convincingly enough, and I liked her hypnosis scene at the end, but she's an untrained child-actor with a limited range. Worst of all is a laughable courtroom sequence wherein a handicapped woman is wheeled in to tell her story and goes into such precise and incredible detail about a car wreck that "Audrey Rose" for a moment becomes a self-parody. Director Robert Wise, who interjects footage of natives and their reincarnation rituals into the mix, hasn't the visual style for this kind of material. The film has a dull, square look. There is a striking sequence involving a bonfire, and the well-mounted finale is nicely-done, but Wise is discreet in the worst way. He tiptoes around the plot-holes in the screenplay as if acknowledging them would be too rude. That doesn't make him a smart filmmaker--just one who is out-of-touch. **1/2 from ****
