Pratik Handore
Directed by Jeff Wadlow, Netflix’s ‘The Curse of Bridge Hollow’ is an adventure comedy film with a Halloween theme and horror elements. It takes viewers to the titular town where Howard and Emily Gordon move with their teenage daughter, Sydney. However, shortly after arriving in the town, Sydney learns about Madam Hawthorne and the legend of Stingy Jack. The two are essential in Bridge Hollow’s history and obsession with Halloween. Therefore, viewers must be wondering if Madam Hawthorne is based on a real person. If you are looking for details about Madam Hawthorne and how she defeated Stingy Jack, here is everything you need to know! SPOILERS AHEAD!
Is Madam Hawthorne Based on a Real Woman?
In ‘The Curse of Bridge Hollow,’ Sydney and her family arrive in Bridge Hollow and make an old mansion their home. Soon, Sydney discovers the house belonged to Madam Hawthrone, a former village resident. She was a fabled figure in the town and died years ago, leaving the large estate to her daughter. After Madam Hawthrone’s daughter moved to a nursing home, the Hawthorne house was auctioned along with other items belonging to Madam Hawthrone. A statue of Madam Hawthorne exists in the local school.
She is described as a spiritual medium, a person able to interact with paranormal beings. However, a flashback sequence depicts Madam Hawthorne as a witch with magic and powerful spells at her disposal. She used her powers to trap the spirit of Stingy Jack. In reality, the legend of Stingy Jack is associated with Halloween, but there is no mention of a woman named Madam Hawthorne trapping the evil entity. Given the supernatural element attached to the character, it is safe to say that Madam Hawthorne is a fictional character. Like the titular town, Madam Hawthorne being fictional helps the story to give the festival of Halloween a fresh twist.
How Did She Trap Stingy Jack?
In the film, Sydney discovers the legend of Stingy Jack. He was a cruel and wicked man who lived in Bridge Hollow years ago. Stingy Jack tormented the townsfolk and created problems for them. One day the villagers decided to kill Stingy Jack. However, the Devil showed mercy to Stingy Jack and granted him a lantern with flames of Hell so her could exact his revenge on Bridge Hollow. Flashbacks reveal that the lantern made Stingy Jack incredibly powerful, and it was near impossible to stop his rampage.
However, Madam Hawthorne stepped in to save the town from the evil entity. She used a magical spell to trap the spirit inside the lantern, which granted it powers. Thus, Madam Hawthorne stopped Stingy Jack from destroying the town and its Halloween. While the exact nature of Madam Hawthorne’s spell and the extent of her supernatural powers remains unknown, she could not completely destroy Stingy Jack’s spirit.
Madam Hawthorne’s powers were likely no match to the flames of Hell. Therefore, she could not defeat Stingy Jack and dispel him to the realm of the dead. Instead, she managed to trap Stingy Jack inside the lantern and pretend the entity to emerge on Halloween, just as it would every year. Ultimately, Madam Hawthorne helps Sydney and Howard trap Stingy Jack again by revealing the spell she initially used to stop the spirit’s mayhem. By depicting Madam Hawthorne as the person who defeated Stingy Jack, the film drastically alters the original Irish myth of Stingy Jack.
Read More: Where Was Netflix’s The Curse of Bridge Hollow Filmed?
