Customer Reviews

Imaginary Heroes

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Imaginary Heroes

It's amazing the contrasting reactions this movie has illicited. Some people dislike it's slow pace and some seem bothered that it's theme, the disintegrating American family, has been portrayed before by better known and more glamorous films. That's no surprise. All of those points are valid to a degree, but they do not take into account the main audience for this movie: actors or lovers of acting.

Yes, the pacing is rather slow, yet there are movies that are made where this is intentional. The end result is that you have no fanfare, no quick plot progressions. You are just left with the mundane feelings of everyday life. And really, for most people, isn't that what life is?

Yes it's true, suicide is a common theme, and the movie gives away the main plot element right in the beginning, so no spoiler there. Yet how do people deal with losing a brother, a son, a friend? Each character's reaction is a testament to great writing and great acting as well. And it takes great directing to bring those two things together.

This movie is hard to watch because it's supposed to be. While it's not a great "film-watching" experience, it is an excellent study of various acting techniques. Therefore, students of acting or actors will find a lot to admire here.

Sigourney Weaver, Jeff Daniels, Michelle Williams and Emile Hirsh all show tremendous range here, and each does it using very distinct and different techniques. We have method acting, sense memory, character acting and some plain old amazing acting. Some of those differences are subtle but if you watch this a few times the effect is impressive.

Yes, the slow pacing and lack of groundbreaking themes perhaps make this a 3 star movie at best, yet the incredible performances and well written material deserve a 4 star rating.

Don't watch this movie with any other movie in mind. Let this movie stand on it's own. If you are able to reflect and enjoy studying how actors work, then this movie is for you. If you're looking for a fun Friday night movie, you may want to check out something else.

Enjoy.

IMAGINARY HEROES plays a faded concept very well, your basic "quiet suburban family starts to unravel and buried secrets come to light" plot (AMERICAN BEAUTY, anyone?). Key players Sigourney Weaver and Emile Hirsch drag you by the hand through a story about suicide, betrayal, and love as it hides behind the prim lawns and clean windows of the two-story houses in America. You're probably getting bored already, but the story isn't what's captivating about this movie - it's the way the characters are drawn, how they connect with each other and the strong emotions they all have inside them.

When swimmer Matt Travis (Kip Pardue, who has little screen time but still manages to make an impact) shoots himself, the entire Travis family begins to disintegrate into its parts - emotionally detached office dad (Jeff Daniels), bored housewife experimenting with pot, the remaining son (around whom the story is centered), hiding some secrets about the late brother - who in his death is now exalted within the family, even so much that Jeff Daniels's character insists they set out a plate of dinner for him every night - and the independent college daughter (Michelle Williams). Sigourney Weaver's Sandy is battled against next-door-neighbor housewife Marge in a sixteen-year-old grudge that is important to the plot, though Marge's delinquent drug-running son Kyle bridges the enmity as the best friend of Sandy's son Tim.

The story mostly follows Tim's exploits as he tries new things to deal with his brother's death, to ignore the things his brother did to him, through casual drugs, a pushy girlfriend, and a brief, ecstasy-induced one night stand with best friend Kyle. When Sandy drops a bomb of a revelation on his head towards the end of the movie, Tim finally manages to confront the deep-seated resentment he feels for his dad and his brother, which brings the movie to a satisfying conclusion after a lot of tension and confusion.

It's worth a watch, at least once - and it throws a monkey wrench in the cogs of the suburban profile a few times, giving the viewer a few interesting surprises to digest - but it isn't going on my favorites list, it just isn't original enough.

It's always hard to find a good drama. I just happened to stumble across this one. Imaginary Heroes is a must-see and (in my case) a must-own movie gem.

Sigourney Weaver flat-out shines throughout the entire picture as does the rest of the terrific cast including Jeff Daniels, Emile Hirsch and Michelle Williams.

The story? True. There's nothing false about it. Don't mistake this for some horrific Hollywood mess where the characters are wooden, the plot is unrealistic and the acting is unconvincing. No, this is the real deal.

There is a website that I like to check out sometimes called Rotten Tomatoes. It's a little place where all the critics like to gather and tear apart movies as they release. They were alot less than kind with Imaginary Heroes. A movie has to be 60% or higher to recieve a fresh label. Heroes recieved a 34%, earning a rotten label. I was in shock. I even read some of the reasons the critics gave. One read "just too damn depressing." Here's my response: SHOVE IT. This person must obviously loves all the hollywood trash that takes up 99% of the room on the shelves at the local Hollywood or Blockbuster video. All the trash there today that paints pictures of perfect families, sending out messages that say things will always work out perfectly and everyone always goes home happy in the end. Life is not like that and that is what Imaginary Heroes is trying to say. Don't get me wrong, though. You can watch those other films for pleasure and enjoyment, but don't try and actually believe them. I really don't like critics. Being a critic shouldn't be a job, it should be a hobby.

Oh yeah, here's a note to all those who are looking for a good film, but can't find any. I began to realize this after I kept watching more and more films over the years (by the way, I'm 18):
MOVIES THAT ARE NOT WIDE-RELEASE FILMS, AND I REPEAT, MOVIES THAT ARE NOT WIDE-RELEASE FILMS USUALLY ARE THE MUCH BETTER FILMS. Movies like Imaginary Heroes and other unheard of or non wide-release films deserve alot more credit than they end up getting.

The words "suburban family dramady" sends up red flares in my personal taste for movies. As a rule, movies dealing solely with a single, suburban household and the various ins and outs, overblown turmoil and melodrama that innevitably surrounds them, almost always fall short of their mark. Not only are most of these films boring, but in an attempt to build them up to something remotely interesting or meaningful, they're filled with melodramatic subplots involving the kinds of things that seem particularly devastating to suburban families - but hardly anyone else. In short, it's hard to find a good quality about most of the films in this vein. "Imaginary Heroes" however pulls a one-two punch to the gut, and manages to strike a certain chord, using realism as a strong right-jab, and strong character development as its follow-up left hook. The single most impressive element of this movie, however, that if for no other reason, makes it worth watching, is the chemistry between Emile Hirsch and Sigourney Weaver, who play mother and son in the film. For romance films, actors who play lovers occasionally stumble across a counterpart whom they have genuine chemistry, and more often than not, can forge a certain feeling for a person strong enough to carry the film. This is not a romance movie, nor do these actors play lovers. These two seemed to have genuinely stumbled upon a rare bond, at least as far as the screen can show. They genuinely connect in a mother/son sort of way, with an uncanny bond and affection for one another. Mother's close with their sons - suburban or otherwise - will validate that there is a certain element of unspoken connection between one another. This is genuinely displayed in this movie, not in a forced kind of way, nor an obvious ploy, but as a real element of the actor's relationship. Whether this holds true outside the film reel or not, it's enough to penetrate the viewer's initial skepticism and build a powerful involvement with the characters and their outcome.

Criticisms have been hurled at this movie. "Too many subplots." "Melodramatic elements abound." Etc... etc... I have to say, this is exactly the kind of thing that initially warned me away from this movie - not because I'd heard bad things about the film, but because I hold these criticisms true for every movie along similar plotlines. I have to say though, "Imaginary Heroes" works beautifully, achieiving a sense of art both in movement, and as an end product. The script is eloquent but real, which is in fact where most of the movie draws its realism from. Despite what "Entertainment Weekly" has to say, "Imaginary Heroes" is a movie strongly routed in realism, and powerfully so. The characters here are real portrayals of real people. Perhaps a tad to one extreme or the other at times, but they are never overdone nor overplayed. To those who are worried that too much is tackled in this film - let's look at it objectively. I won't argue with people who say a lot happens, because it sure does. It's an onslaught of tension and tragedy, one after the other, but honestly, in the wake of a serious tragedy in any family, in any walk of life, everything that may have been loose at the seams, begins to fall apart. Bad things often spawn from bad things, because when people fail to cope, they turn to destruction, of self or otherwise, and cause increasing turmoil. This is beautifully and truthfully exemplified in this film, and manifested superbly in the actors portrayal of their respective characters. The movie strikes close to home, no matter where you're from, and uses powerful character development and inter-character connections, put to the test and built stronger to hit home with the viewer. An overlooked film, lost in the gray area between art-film reviewers (looking for something more extreme or artsy,) and the mainstream critics (looking for something glossier or more flambuoyant,) "Imaginary Heroes," it's eloquent characters and poignant story seems doomed not to be truly recognized, but lends it an unusual power: it makes it a rare gem, a diamond in the rough, and gives it an uncanny personal impact with the viewer, similar to the aftermath of an intimate one-on-one conversation.

IMAGINARY HEROES is an engrossing, if somewhat bleak, look at a typical American family that is devastated when the oldest son, a star swimmer, takes his own life. The reactions of his siblings range from extreme grief (the parents) to a somewhat apathetic acceptance (his brother and sister). Dan Harris' script takes some unexpected turns, and somehow seem a little "cheap" by the end, but nonetheless, he has crafted a sturdy tale of emotional ambivalance. His talented cast also helps: Emile Hirsch as the brother whose own sexual confusion and feelings of unacceptance come to surface; Sigourney Weaver as his upbeat mother who tries to establish some kind of communication with her family; Jeff Daniels is superb as the father whose obsessive love has underlying motivations. Not always easy to watch, IMAGINARY HEROES joins films like ORDINARY PEOPLE in trying to show the devastative impact of suicide.

there is only one word to describe this movie... awesome!!!! This is the movie that has everything. It has humor and twists. And Tim's Song at the end haunts you for hours after you have seen this movie. This movie deserves a lot more publicity. Don't listen to the cridicts reviews saying "It's a depressing movie". This movie is depressing at times, but has a lot of good morals and has a VERY good ending. I suggest you buy this movie.

No movie ever gets it completely right, it is Hollywood afterall but this one that gets pretty damn close! It's dark and true in a very human way. The acting is... seamless, they are these people, I believed this was their life. This is what the Oscars should be about, an honest almost to the point of cruelty, view of family as it dysfunctionally is.

Sigourney Weaver gives a stellar performance in this great independent film. The story centers around a family who has to go through the unthinkable--the suicide of a child and brother. The movie starts out at this point, and it takes the audience through the unravelling of a family where everything looked great on the outside before the suicide, however, after the event the dysfunction rears its ugly head. Besides Weaver's character, Sandy, audiences will also find themselves sympathizing with Tim, the son that wasn't "the star" and who has to confront some demons of his own concerning the tragedy. This movie is highly recommended for everyone to see, and do be prepared for a shocking ending. It is very surprising, and makes the film really worthwhile. You'll be thinking about it several hours after leaving the theater. One of the best indy films of the year...so far.

Sigourney Weaver (Sandy) as a modern mother, brings back her magic in this ensemble dramatizing a family in crisis. The Travis family's eldest son, a swimming star, unexpectedly commits suicide; forcing the family to either mend it's structure or fall to pieces. Despite the obvious reference to "Ordinary People" this film is much more poignant with plenty of dark humor to keep it from being morbid. The secrets of each family member are slowly revealed throughout the film with clever and believable script writing. Jeff Daniels plays the devastated father to perfection, but the real star is their son Tim, who deals with `seemingly' casual maturity to every event. The plot twists make sense as the story is unraveled and it is an original screenplay, but not entirely unfamiliar with the American family life. The previews showed a remarkable scene where Sandy (Sigourney Weaver) is busted for possession of marijuana just when she finds something that will help her deal with her current situation. Mild sexual situations and lots of drug use references. It's priceless!

Dan Harris is mostly well known for his writing efforts with Bryan Singer (for whom he wrote X2-United and Superman Returns)."Imaginary Heroes" opened in 2004 to mostly lukewarm reviews, most of them comparing the film to Robert Redford's "Ordinary People". Dan Harris actually managed to create a film that is captivating, dynamic and filled with well developed characters, that are really well flushed out by his wonderful cast. The film could've easily fallen into "film of the week" material, but it never does, mostly thanks to the really intelligent script and the great performances of the entire cast. Jeff Daniels is as always great, playing the absent and demanding father, Emile Hirsch is a revelation playing the young son trying to find his own identity, but the show really belongs to Sigourney Weaver. This is a great role for her - it mixes humor with poignant drama, and she gets a chance to really bring those elements together. A film definitely worth checking out.