Imaginary Heroes (2004)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Dan Harris

Writer (WGA):

Dan Harris (written by)

Release Date:

25 February 2005 (Denmark)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

People are never who they seem to be

Plot:

The Travis family façade is destroyed by an event incomprehensible to them -- an event which will open...

Plot Keywords:

Irreverence | Nose Bleed | Ecstasy | Sexual Awakening | Coming Of Age

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Sigourney Weaver	...	Sandy Travis
Emile Hirsch	...	Tim Travis
Jeff Daniels	...	Ben Travis
Michelle Williams	...	Penny Travis
Kip Pardue	...	Matt Travis
Deirdre O'Connell	...	Marge Dwyer
Ryan Donowho	...	Kyle Dwyer
Suzanne Santo	...	Steph Connors
Jay Paulson	...	Vern
Luke Robertson	...	Jack Johnson
Lee Wilkof	...	Mitchell Goldstein
Terry Beaver	...	Dr. Montey
Sara Tanaka	...	Shelly Chan
Ned Benson	...	Undercover Hippie
Larry Fessenden	...	Store Clerk
Ryan Patrick Bachand	...	Sid
Lori Yeghiayan	...	Veteran Home Receptionist
Heidi Newhart	...	Angela
Ari Graynor	...	Jenny
Erin Fritch	...	Emily Slaff
Wayne Kasserman	...	Robert
Matthew Carey	...	Brett Tabisel
Henry Strozier	...	Dr. Davis
Stephen Rowe	...	Emergency Room Dr.
John Rue	...	Hal
Sylvia Kauders	...	Hattie
Jen Jones	...	Sophie
Lee Brock	...	Inappropriate Soccer Mom #1
Barbara Gulan	...	Inappropriate Soccer Mom #2
Adam LeFevre	...	Bob Clyde
Bruce Norris	...	Mr. Barnes
Justin Bond	...	Kiki
Kenny Mellman	...	Herb
Nicole Tubiola	...	Tabitha
Fran McGee	...	Martha
Raymond Anthony Thomas	...	Police Officer (as Ray Anthony Thomas)
Chuck Patterson	...	Dean Demarco
John Bliss	...	Murph
Jack Donner	...	Kenny
Linda S. Nelson	...	Mrs. Johnson
Valerie Wright	...	Nurse
Michael Lawson	...	Manny
Alberto Vazquez	...	Manuel - Driver
Robert Emmet Lunney	...	Principal
Gordon Joseph Weiss	...	Scraggly Homeless Man
Tonye Patano	...	Big Mean Teacher (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Francis Benhamou	...	Monica (uncredited)
Marcia DeBonis	...	Nurse Lindy (uncredited)
Danny Hayden	...	Lester the Molester (uncredited)
Joe Knizeski	...	Student (uncredited)
Gray Madder	...	Bobby (uncredited)
Olga Merediz	...	Maria (uncredited)

Directed by
Dan Harris

Writing credits (WGA)
Dan Harris		(written by)

Produced by
René Besson	....	associate producer
Rudy Cohen	....	executive producer
Illana Diamant	....	producer
Moshe Diamant	....	producer
Jan Fantl	....	executive producer
Frank Hübner	....	producer
Tommy Johnson	....	associate producer
Deborah Lee	....	co-producer
Art Linson	....	producer
Gina Resnick	....	producer
Denise Shaw	....	producer

Original Music by
Deborah Lurie

Cinematography by
Tim Orr

Film Editing by
James Lyons

Casting by
Lori Eastside
Jennifer Euston
Ellen Lewis
Meghan Rafferty

Production Design by
Rick Butler

Art Direction by
Mila Khalevich
Heesoo Kim

Set Decoration by
Mila Khalevich

Costume Design by
Michael Wilkinson

Makeup Department
Karen Asano-Myers	....	hair department head (as Karen Asand-Myers)
Robin Day	....	assistant hair stylist
Marjorie Durand	....	makeup department head
Anthony Veader	....	hair department head

Production Management
René Besson	....	post-production manager
Nicole Haeussermann	....	production supervisor: Kolin S.A.
Christina K.Y. Lee	....	production supervisor: Los Angeles
Rob York	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
René Besson	....	second unit director
Stephen Booth	....	second assistant director
David Allen Cluck	....	first assistant director: Los Angeles
Steven Holtzman	....	second second assistant director
Paul-Edouard Laurens	....	first assistant director
Tony Phillippe	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Jill Alexander	....	property master
Hilary Craven	....	art production assistant
Guido DeCurtis	....	leadman
Chantal Faurer	....	portrait artist
Shannon Finnerty	....	set dresser
Isaac Gabaeff	....	set dresser
Emily Gaunt	....	scenic
Emile Hirsch	....	drawings
Arlo Hoffman	....	art department production assistant
Leo Holder	....	graphic artist
Jon Kim	....	set dresser
Alanna Levy	....	art department coordinator
Greg O'Donohue	....	set dresser
Adam Roffman	....	set dresser
Nixon Stephenson	....	storyboard artist
Beau Tipton	....	art assistant
JoAnn Vara	....	assistant set decorator
James Whelan	....	on-set dresser: New Jersey
Mary Prlain	....	assistant property master (uncredited)

Sound Department
Laurel Bridges	....	boom operator
Stuart Deutsch	....	production sound mixer
Stuart Deutsch	....	sound
Paul Drenning	....	adr mixer
Stephen Fitzmaurice	....	sound re-recording mixer
Stephen M. Galvin	....	adr editor
Stephen M. Galvin	....	dialog editor
Patrick M. Griffith	....	supervising sound editor
Steve McCarty	....	sound editor
Stacey Michaels	....	foley mixer
Timothy Pearson	....	foley artist
Noah Timan	....	boom operator
Noah Timan	....	playback operator
Noel Vought	....	foley artist
Debby VanPoucke	....	sound post-production coordinator (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Shawn Broes	....	digital mastering editor
Veronica Giambastiani	....	electronic graphics
Brian Gyss	....	digital imaging: Modern VideoFilm
Christian Severin	....	visual effects
Toby Wilkins	....	additional visual effects

Stunts
Damian Achilles	....	stunt double
Scott Dale		(stunt double: Emile Hirsch
Danny Downey	....	stunt double
Cheryl Lawson	....	stunt double: Erin Fritch
Declan Mulvey	....	stunts
Manny Siverio	....	stunt coordinator
Gary J. Wayton	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
George Bianchini	....	Steadicam operator
Greg Brooks	....	dolly grip: Los Angeles
Michael Burke	....	camera loader
Sean Cassidy	....	grip
John Clifford	....	still photographer
David Elwell	....	assistant chief lighting technician
John Frisbie	....	electrician
Richard Girolami Jr.	....	electrician
Keith Gordon	....	grip
Michael N. Green	....	electrician
Susan Heller	....	additional electric
Jendra Jarnagin	....	lighting balloon operator
Mako Koiwai	....	additional first assistant camera: Los Angeles
Thomas Miligan	....	second assistant camera: Los Angeles
Scott Miller	....	gaffer
Anna Novick	....	grip
Matthew A. Petrosky	....	first assistant camera: Los Angeles
Craig Pressgrove	....	first assistant camera
Geoff Shotz	....	Steadicam operator: Los Angeles
Linda Slater	....	second assistant camera
Laura Thompson	....	camera loader: Los Angeles
David Troutman	....	grip
J. Dan Wright	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Christina Martin	....	casting assistant: LA

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Catherine George	....	assistant costume designer
Rebecca Hofherr	....	wardrobe intern
Erin Aldridge Orr	....	set costumer
Kate Quinlan	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Jenny Brandt	....	digital intermediate project manager
Joe Finley	....	digital intermediate colorist
Suzanne Spangler	....	associate editor

Music Department
Kevin McKeever	....	music recording engineer
Joey Newman	....	conductor
Joey Newman	....	music producer
Joey Newman	....	orchestrator
John Ottman	....	composer: main theme
Julie Pearce	....	music editor
Casey Stone	....	music scoring mixer
Christopher Tin	....	orchestrator

Other crew
René Besson	....	video unit producer
Matthew Cassel	....	location manager: Los Angeles
Paulette D. Clark	....	location assistant
Joan Devilla	....	payroll accountant
Kareem Elseify	....	production associate
Dan Fabrizio	....	location assistant
Mia Farrell	....	unit publicist
Laura Fearon	....	accounting intern
Lindsay Feldman	....	production secretary
Jordan Brendan Finnegan	....	key set production assistant: Los Angeles
Jessica Fox	....	production assistant
Scott Franklin	....	office production assistant
Graham Goetz	....	production assistant
Sammy Goldsmith	....	assistant to producer
Michael Heithaus	....	stand-in: E. Hirsch, Los Angeles
Jason Henson	....	production assistant
Dylan Jovine	....	production assistant
Jason Killingsworth	....	production assistant
Eric Klein	....	location manager
John Malloy	....	location scout
Jennifer Markowitz	....	production office intern
Matthew Mason	....	production assistant
Lauren McAuliffe	....	script supervisor
Jamie McKeown	....	production office intern
Melody M.	....	production coordinator
Jennifer Monatlik	....	production assistant
Pete Mozes	....	location manager
Omri Navot	....	assistant to producer
Matt Osgood	....	assistant production coordinator
Anthony Pettine	....	script supervisor
James Portolese	....	assistant to producer
James Portolese	....	producer: second unit
William Sepulveda	....	craft service
Christopher Sergeeff	....	stand-in: Emile Hirsch, New York
Susan Silas	....	location scout
Eugene Stamos	....	craft service
Eva Vedock	....	key craft service
Christian Vendetti	....	production assistant
Stacie Dekker	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
Gregg Araki	....	thanks
Bill Condon	....	thanks
Bryan Singer	....	thanks

Production Companies

• ApolloProMedia GmbH & Co. 1. Filmproduktion KG (I)
• QI Quality International GmbH & Co. KG
• Signature Pictures (in association with)
• Art Linson Productions (uncredited)

Distributors

• Mongrel Media (2004) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Quasar Films (2005) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2004-2005) (USA) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Releasing (2005) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Releasing (2005) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2007) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Business Affairs  production counsel
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• Milan Records  soundtrack published by

MPAA:

Rated R for substance abuse, sexual content, language and some violence.

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA | Germany | Belgium

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:15 (re-rating) (2005) | UK:18 (original rating) | Germany:12 | Brazil:16 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Iceland:12 | Netherlands:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Canada:G (Quebec) | Finland:K-15 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:NC-16 (cut) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Chatham, New Jersey, USA

Company:

ApolloProMedia GmbH & Co. 1. Filmproduktion KG (I)

Trivia:

The tune that Steph plays on the piano while she and Tim are at the party is "Today" by the Smashing Pumpkins.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Matt's swimming time at the start of the movie is 44.3 for a 100 meter long course swim. This time would better the world record of 47.84. If he had been swimming in a short course yard (instead of long course meters) pool this time would have been a great time, but not a world record.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Tim Travis: Matt Travis was a great swimmer. But it wasn't just that he was a great swimmer, it was simply that he was greater at swimming than anyone I ever knew was good at whatever they were good at.

Movie Connections:

Spoofs Die unendliche Geschichte (1984)

Soundtrack:

Lose Your Mind

mature work from a very young script-writer and director

It is hard to judge 'Imaginary Heroes' without referring to the fact that director and script writer Dan Harris is only 25. You can hardly believe seeing this film, which is not only a mature piece of work, professional and deep, but also with some of the defects of routine specific to older directors.

The setting is the American suburb, too familiar from 'American Beauty' or 'Desperate Housewives'. As in 'American Beauty'the film turns around a suicide, but here it happens at the beginning of the movie, and we are left watching a mid-class family coping with the death of the gifted sportsman brother and son. Emile Hirsch plays the younger brother, Sigourney Weaver is the mother, both are excellent trying to cope with the loss, to find the reason and motivation to survive. Harris drives his actors with a sure hand, and the first two sections of the film (there are four in total, as the seasons of the year) build a wonderful tension, with credible dilemmas and real questions. It is the second part of the film that disappoints slightly, it looks too tired and conventional, and I suspect that the producers may have interfered in the work of the young script-writer and director, trying to bring him closer to the Hollywood convention. That's how this film fails to be a somber version of 'American Beauty', with a different focus. I am sure however that we will hear a lot about Dan Harris in the coming years.