Entertainment : From the front row of the Balcony: \'Dream House\' offers thoughtful story

What's the difference between a psychopath and a writer?

It would be unkind of you to ask, "Is there a difference?" Natural, perhaps, but not unkind.

Palace patrons expected to see an inspiring true story on the big screen in Vinton. But a scheduling problem kept "Dolphin Tale" away; "Dream House" took its place.

"Dream House" is a psychological thriller, a horror movie without the blood.

But I am not at all a horror movie fan, Between Iraq, Afghanistan, the economy, teenage drivers and a thousand other real-life issues, life is scary enough without having to go to the movies.

But I went, on Sunday, mostly because I wanted to see the kind of movie I don't usually see.

The story

Will (we don't learn his last name, other than that it's pronounced something like "Eight-ten-ten") is an editor. We meet him as he celebrates his last day in the tall big city office building, and heads for a small town in New England, where he hopes to enjoy some quiet time with his wife and young daughters while writing a novel.

But strange things immediately start happening. Will learns that his house was the scene of a violent murder; someone killed a woman and two children there five years ago. most people suspect the father, a man named Peter.

The local teenagers haunt the place; the neighbors look at him strangely. Even the local police don't seem to be much help. Soon Will begins to question his identity and to ask himself the unthinkable question: Did I kill my family?

Why you should go

You shouldn't, according to the Rotten Tomatoes critics. There only 7 percent of the critics and 39 percent of the audience rated the movie as "Fresh."

As usual, I disagreed with the critics. I liked "Dream House" because it does something that most movies don't: It makes you think. And in the words of critic Chuck Koplinski, it "offers a poignant look at madness." The people who didn't like it compared it to "The Shining." Me, I thought of "A Beautiful Mind."

I have spent the past few weeks researching and writing about murders, and sitting through "Dream House" gave me a new perspective on the cold cases I have been pondering lately. More than other patrons, perhaps, I was paying attention to the impact the crime had on the community, even years later.

What you should know before you go

The movie is rated PG-13, for all of the reasons you would expect: Terror, language, violence.