History Film / LadyInTheWater

The film was notably subject to [[TroubledProduction difficulties in production]], as studio executives at [[Creator/{{Disney}} Walt Disney Studios]], who had released Shyamalan's previous four films (''Film/TheSixthSense'', ''Film/{{Unbreakable}}'', ''Film/{{Signs}}'', and ''Film/TheVillage2004''), did not understand or have faith in the film's story. This upset Shyamalan to the point of claiming that Disney "no longer valued individualism." Although Disney was willing to fund the film regardless, he instead took the film to Creator/WarnerBros, who agreed to finance it. The events that led to the making of the film were featured in a book, ''The Man Who Heard Voices: Or, How M. Night Shyamalan Risked His Career on a Fairy Tale'', by Michael Bamberger.

** Story herself is an InnocentFanserviceGirl, due to not understanding human customs; she first appears [[NakedOnArrival]] (in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment) while she lives in the Cove's pool, and she later greets Cleveland as she steps out of the shower...without any clothes on.

* ThirteenIsUnlucky: The critic, who lives in apartment 13B, dies when the Scrunt corners him alone while everybody else is at a party.

* DeathByGenreSavviness: The critic, whose demise is a thinly veiled TakeThat against people who don't like Shyamalan's movies.

* InnocentFanserviceGirl: Because Narfs' ideas about nudity differ from humans', Story doesn't see the problem with someone seeing her wearing (only) a man's shirt, or greeting Cleveland while she's completely naked and taking a shower.

%%* ItsBeenDone: As Mr. Farber puts it:

%%** Story herself is an InnocentFanserviceGirl, due to not understanding human customs; she first appears [[NakedOnArrival]] (in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment) while she lives in the Cove's pool, and she later greets Cleveland as she steps out of the shower...without any clothes on.

%%* PleasePutSomeClothesOn: Hence why Cleveland gives Story his shirt.
* PowerDyesYourHair: A magic healing turns Story's ginger hair blonde.

* StrawCritic: Harry Farber exists to give the "no originality" spiel and get killed because he thinks he's SeenItAll. (However, Creator/RogerEbert noted in his review that the critic is proven to be ''right'', and Heep misinterpreted everything.)
* TakeThatCritics: The critic, whose demise is a thinly veiled TakeThat against people who don't like Shyamalan's movies. This ''badly'' backfired on Shyamalan, for obvious reasons. Creator/MarkKermode, for example, pointed out in his review that the critics had championed his films in the first place, a fact which made Shyamalan come across as an UngratefulBastard.

* ColorMotif: Like in ''Film/TheVillage'', Story's red hair turning blonde symbolizes safety.

The film was notably subject to [[TroubledProduction difficulties in production]], as studio executives at [[Creator/{{Disney}} Walt Disney Studios]], who had released Shyamalan's previous four films (''Film/TheSixthSense'', ''Film/{{Unbreakable}}'', ''Film/{{Signs}}'', and ''Film/TheVillage''), did not understand or have faith in the film's story. This upset Shyamalan to the point of claiming that Disney "no longer valued individualism." Although Disney was willing to fund the film regardless, he instead took the film to Creator/WarnerBros, who agreed to finance it. The events that led to the making of the film were featured in a book, ''The Man Who Heard Voices: Or, How M. Night Shyamalan Risked His Career on a Fairy Tale'', by Michael Bamberger.

In human reality, the forces of darkness that threaten the heroes of a fairy tale prove to be much more terrifying, and the victory of good over evil is by no means guaranteed. Jeffery Wright, Creator/JaredHarris, and Mary Beth Hurt co-star, as well as Shyamalan himself, playing [[AuthorAvatar the visionary writer Vick]].

As this bizarre revelation sinks in, Cleveland becomes enraptured by her otherworldly charm. As he shelters her in his apartment, other inhabitants of the building begin falling into place as representations of characters from an Eastern myth in which these mermaids, or "narfs," coexist unhappily with more beastly and violent characters.

The film was notably subject to [[TroubledProduction difficulties in production]], as studio executives at Walt Disney Studios, who had released Shyamalan's previous four films, did not understand or have faith in the film's story, which upset Shyamalan to the point of claiming that Disney "no longer valued individualism." Although Disney was willing to fund the film regardless, he instead took the film to Warner Bros., who agreed to finance it. The events that led to the making of the film were featured in a book, ''The Man Who Heard Voices'', by Michael Bamberger.

!! ''Lady in the Water'' contains examples of:

* AndManGrewProud: Man originally lived in harmony with the people of the water, who provided humanity with wisdom and guidance. Over time, however, humans' need to control and dominate drove them further and further inland, away from the guidance of the water people, and into a destructive history of warfare, ignorance and ruin.
* AsianAirhead: Young-Soon Choi, the none-too-stellar Korean student who isn't thrilled by having to read for school.

* CantArgueWithElves: The narfs are presented as wiser and more morally upstanding than humans, and humans war among themselves apparently by not listening to them.
* ChekhovsGunman: Literally every early background character becomes crucial to the plot later on. Reggie foreshadows his role when he talks about how [[spoiler:he's doing his "exercise experiments" because he wants to do something special]]. He's also watching in the background of a lot of crowd scenes. [[spoiler:Y'know, like a watchman, or a ''guardian'', maybe?]]
* TheChosenMany: In order for Story to both recover from the Scrunt's initial attack and return home, a special ritual must be performed which will heal her and summon the Great Eatlon, a massive eagle that will take her back to the Blue World. The ritual requires several specially-chosen individuals: a Healer, a Symbolist, a Guild, and a Guardian. Story assumes that Heep, who initially saved her from the Scrunt, is her Guardian; Heep in turn asks Farber the film critic to fill the other roles, and he names the KindheartedCatLover Mrs. Bell as the Healer, a group of [[TheStoner pot smokers]] as the Guild, and the crossword-loving Dury as the Symbolist. [[spoiler:Unfortunately, every choice is wrong. The ''true'' Chosen Many are as follows: Dury's young son, who makes up stories based on cereal boxes, is the Symbolist; a group of [[RuleOfSeven seven]] women (mostly sisters) from a neighboring apartment building is the Guild; a TopHeavyGuy named Reggie is the Guardian; and Heep himself, a disgraced former doctor, is the Healer; Mrs. Bell also takes on a kind of shamanic role by leading the group in the spell. Once the Chosen Many know and complete their duties, the ritual is complete and Story escapes to safety.]]
* ColorMotif: Like ''Film/TheVillage'', Story's red hair turning blonde symbolizes safety.
* CreatorCameo: Shyamalan does this in all his films. This is the first time he plays a major character. But just what his character will do - [[spoiler:namely, inspire a great world leader with his writing]] -- ticked a lot of people off [[SmallNameBigEgo for obvious reasons]].
* DeathByGenreSavviness: The critic, whose demise is a thinly-veiled TakeThat against people who don't like Shyamalan's movies.
* FieryRedhead: Inverted with Story, who is quite mild-mannered, if not outright timid, despite having gorgeous red hair.
%%* FishOutOfWater: Story, literally, since she's a narf.

%%** Story herself is an InnocentFanserviceGirl, due to not understanding human customs; she first appears [[nakedOnArrival]] (in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment) while she lives in the Cove's pool, and she later greets Cleveland as she steps out of the shower...without any clothes on.

* OurMermaidsAreDifferent: Narfs are sea nymphs that exist to "awaken" people and get carried away by [[GiantFlyer giant eagles]].

* RuleOfSeven: [[spoiler: The Guild -- one of the groups required for Story's healing ritual--is composed of seven women from the neighboring apartment building.]]

* TakeThatCritics: The critic, whose demise is a thinly-veiled TakeThat against people who don't like Shyamalan's movies. This ''badly'' backfired on Shyamalan, for obvious reasons. Creator/MarkKermode, for example, pointed out in his review that the critics had championed his films in the first place, a fact which made Shyamalan come across as an UngratefulBastard.

Marketed essentially as a "grown-up bedtime story," the film is about a UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}} apartment building superintendent named Cleveland (Giamatti) who discovers a magical sea nymph named Story (Howard) who's been transported to this world and is living in the building's swimming pool.

In human reality, the forces of darkness that threaten the heroes of a fairy tale prove to be much more terrifying, and the victory of good over evil is by no means guaranteed. Jeffery Wright, Jared Harris, and Mary Beth Hurt co-star, as well as Shyamalan himself, playing [[AuthorAvatar the visionary writer Vick]].

The film was notably subject to [[TroubledProduction difficulties in production]], as studio executives at Walt Disney Studios (who had released Shyamalan's previous four films) did not understand or have faith in the film's story, which upset Shyamalan to the point of claiming that Disney "no longer valued individualism." Although Disney was willing to fully fund the film regardless, he instead took the film to Warner Bros., who agreed to finance it. The events that led to the making of the film were featured in a book, ''The Man Who Heard Voices'', by Michael Bamberger.

* AndManGrewProud: Man originally lived in harmony with the people of the water, who provided humanity with wisdom and guidance. Over time, however, humanity's need to control and dominate drove them further and further inland, away from the guidance of the water people, and into a destructive history of warfare, ignorance and ruin.

* ChekhovsGunman: Literally every early background character becomes crucial to the plot later on. Reggie foreshadows his role when he talks about how [[spoiler:he's doing his "exercise experiments" because he wants to do something special]]. He's also watching in the background of a lot of crowd scenes.[[spoiler:..y'know, like a watchman, or a ''guardian'', maybe?]]
* TheChosenMany: In order for Story to both recover from the Scrunt's initial attack and return home, a special ritual must be performed which will heal her and summon the Great Eatlon, a massive eagle that will take her back to the Blue World. The ritual requires several specially-chosen individuals: a Healer, a Symbolist, a Guild, and a Guardian. Story assumes that Heep, who initially saved her from the Scrunt, is her Guardian; Heep in turn asks Farber the film critic to fill the other roles, and he names the KindheartedCatLover Mrs. Bell as the Healer, a group of [[TheStoner pot smokers]] as the Guild, and the crossword-loving Dury as the Symbolist. [[spoiler: Unfortunately, every choice is wrong. The ''true'' Chosen Many are as follows: Dury's young son, who makes up stories based on cereal boxes, is the Symbolist; a group of [[RuleOfSeven seven]] women (mostly sisters) from a neighboring apartment building is the Guild; a TopHeavyGuy named Reggie is the Guardian; and Heep himself, a disgraced former doctor, is the Healer; Mrs. Bell also takes on a kind of shamanic role by leading the group in the spell. Once the Chosen Many know and complete their duties, the ritual is complete and Story escapes to safety.]]