The Orphanage (film)

The Orphanage
Spanish release poster
Directed by	J. A. Bayona
Produced by	Mar Targarona Joaquín Padro Álvaro Agustín
Written by	Sergio G. Sánchez
Starring	Belén Rueda Fernando Cayo Roger Príncep Mabel Rivera Montserrat Carulla Andrés Gertrúdix Edgar Vivar Geraldine Chaplin
Music by	Fernando Velázquez
Cinematography	Óscar Faura
Edited by	Elena Ruiz
Production company	Vivo! Laboratorio de Nuevos Talentos Grupo Rodar Rodar y Rodar Cine y Televisión Telecinco Cinema Televisió de Catalunya (TV3) Warner Bros. Pictures de España Wild Bunch
Distributed by	Warner Bros. (Spain) Picturehouse
Release date	May 20, 2007 (Cannes)
Running time	105 minutes
Country	Spain
Language	Spanish
Budget	$4 million
Box office	$78.6 million

The Orphanage (Spanish: El Orfanato) is a 2007 Spanish horror film and the debut feature of Spanish filmmaker J. A. Bayona. The film stars Belén Rueda as Laura, Fernando Cayo as her husband, Carlos, and Roger Príncep as their adopted son Simón. The plot centers on Laura, who returns to her childhood home, an orphanage. Laura plans to turn the house into a home for disabled children, but after an argument with Laura, Simón is found to be missing.

The film's script was written by Sergio G. Sánchez in 1996 and brought to the attention of Bayona in 2004. Bayona asked his long-time friend, director Guillermo del Toro, to help produce the film and to double its budget and filming time. Bayona wanted the film to capture the feel of 1970s Spanish cinema; he cast Geraldine Chaplin and Belén Rueda, who were later praised for their roles in the film.

The film opened at the Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2007. It received critical acclaim from audiences in its native Spain, winning seven Goya awards. On its North American release, The Orphanage was praised by English-speaking critics, who described the film as well directed and well acted, and noted the film's lack of "cheap scares"; subsequently, New Line Cinema bought the rights to the film for an American remake.

In 1975 Spain, a young girl named Laura is adopted. Years later, adult Laura (Rueda) returns to the closed orphanage, accompanied by her husband, Carlos (Cayo), and their seven-year-old son, Simón (Príncep). She plans to reopen the orphanage as a facility for disabled children. Simón claims to have befriended a boy named Tomás, and draws pictures of him as a child wearing a sack mask. Social worker Benigna Escobedo (Montserrat Carulla) visits the house to inquire after Simón, and the audience learn that Laura and Carlos adopted Simón and that he is HIV positive. Incensed at Benigna's intrusion, Laura asks her to leave. Later that night Laura finds Benigna in the orphanage's coal shed, but Benigna flees the scene. Later, Simón teaches Laura a game which grants its winner a wish. Clues lead the two to Simón's adoption file. Simón becomes angry, and says that his new friend told him that Laura is not his biological mother and that he is going to die soon.