after the suicide of his wife ( amy irving ) and david callaway ( robert de niro ) take his mentally disturb 9 year old daughter and emily ( dakota fanning ) to a new home in the country in upstate new york . instead of get good and emily begin to withdraw further and and she announce to her father that she have a new imaginary friend name charlie . at first and her father see charlie a a way for emily to express her feeling . then a series of vicious act such a menace writing appear on the bathroom wall and and other mysterious occurrence start happen around the house . david blame emily for do them and but emily say that charlie do it . but be charlie imaginary . you would have to ask emily and who be the only one who can see charlie . charlie may actually be both real and very dangerous . the movie be well craft and suspenseful with a great cast . for a thriller and i do jump a few time . the end be a little disappointing and but not unpredictable . ( 20th century fox and run time 1 represent40 and rat r ) ( positive ) .