Imaginary Heroes (2004)
The post-millennium "Ordinary People,"
the best American film about suburban family disfunction
since "American
Beauty," "Imaginary Heroes" would have been at
number one of my Top
Ten films of 2004 if I had only seen it last year
when it played at the Austin Film Festival. This is
a wonderful film, full of odd emotional surprises
and moments captured in time that are sorrowful, poetic
and utterly human. I haven't been so emotionally captivated
by a film in quite a long time.
It doesn't reveal too much to explain
that, like "Ordinary People," this is a film about
a suburban upper middle class family dealing with
the death of a teenaged son. Here, in addition to
mother, father and younger brother, there is also
a college-aged sister in the family. What is amazing
about this film is how the family deals with the situation.
At almost every turn, we are taken into new territory
in story. While the father reacts rather typically
(shutting down emotionally almost completely), the
reaction of the mother is quite unique. The younger
brother only seems to want to move past it but it
is he who pulls us through the film, revealing much
to our shock and surprise about the history of the
family. The sister, home only for a moment and on
subsequent holidays, meanwhile, seems to be the only
normal, clear- headed one of the bunch.
To be sure the film's biggest appeal
is the wonderfully untraditional relationship between
the mother, as played by the always compelling Sigourney
Weaver, and the younger brother, played by one of
the most interesting young actors to take Hollywood
indie films by storm lately, Emile Hirsch ("The Dangerous
Lives of Altar Boys"). Weaver is simply awesome here.
Why she wasn't nominated for an Oscar is anyone's
guess but I can only assume that distributor Sony
Pictures Classics didn't work hard enough to promote
her or the film. Likewise for Jeff Daniels as the
father. This is his best performance in decades. These
two should be the darlings of the Independent Spirit
Awards this year; they should both be nominated for
their roles. It is a travesty that this film might
be ignored and the work of these two amazing actors
might go unnoticed.
Hirsch, meanwhile, who is the eye
of the quiet storm that is this film, does a wonderful
job. Yes, he has a couple of iffy moments but overall
his performance here is simply amazing. This young
man is most assuredly going to continue to provide
some of the most remarkable young characters in film
over the next few years. Start watching his work now!
But the best part of the film for
every gay guy and teenage girl who sees the film is
Ryan Donowho. This young man is not only the most
beautiful person working in films today, he is also
one of the most talented. When he is on screen, the
image flickers more vibrantly and more ferociously.
Donowho takes every moment he is in front of the camera
and makes it come to life brilliantly. Yes, his gorgeous
face is part of this charm but there is something
beautiful and tentative inside Donowho that fills
the screen when he is on it. Donowho was my choice
for the Best Young Actor of 2004 for his performance
in "A Home at the End of the World" with only about
five minutes of screen time. In those scant five minutes,
he provided more than just the base of the film, he
provided a springboard for all that happens after
his appearance as well as a pair of cupped hands which
held the film gently and allowed it to slosh, trickle
and flow through frame after frame until its final
moment. Donowho is the wellspring and the riverbed
for the film. His work here is equally impressive
and "Imaginary Heroes'" climactic moment between he
and Hirsch is all the more awesome from his being
here. Part wounded doe, part raving teenager, part
sexual poet, part post-millennium hippie and part
Adonis, Donowho is perhaps the most important and
amazing young actor working in film today. He is certainly
the most visually stunning.
Writer and director Dan Harris,
perhaps best known for scripting "X-Men 2," creates
one of the most unique and emotionally gripping films
that has come from the American independent scene
in several years with "Imaginary Heroes." He script
is almost a masterpiece, his direction is promising
and his choice of actors is brilliant. If there is
any real problem with the film, it is his wrong-headed
choice of where to end the film and his horrible taste
in music. This is a film that could have been heralded
as a masterpiece if his music was more well chosen.
The songs and score here almost never work to charge
a scene but rather usually bask in the nondescript
background lacking any ambition to propel the scene
into the emotional depth that it deserves. Harris'
choice of pop songs is also completely wrong. (Can
you imagine this film with some Nick Drake, Judy Collins
or the like!?!) The perfect example of this is the
end of the film.
First, let me warn you of spoilers
here: Don't read these last paragraphs if you haven't
already seen the film!
Harris ends "Imaginary Heroes" far
too hopefully and optimistically. He seems determined
to finish his film with a "happy ending" where everyone
is emotionally healed and all problems are resolved.
This film is far too complex and deep for such an
ending to occur. Even though we love the characters
and we want to see them happy, we feel somewhat slightly
manipulated by this ending. A far better ending would
have come had Hirsch's Timmy sat down to play his
composition at graduation, placed his hands on the
keys and played a note which we do not hear. As he
strikes this first noiseless note, the film cuts to
black and then, after an appropriate pause, the credits
could begin. As this happens a song could begin but
it should NOT contain piano.
Harris goes from Timmy's nice composition
to a warm fuzzy and into a trite pop piano song. It's
horrible. It nearly ruins the end of the film.
But even with this, "Imaginary Heroes"
is still one of the most interesting, compelling,
heartbreaking, emotional and beautiful films to emerge
in the last few years. This is one of those films
that you will want to see again and again. This is
a film that, like a great expansive modern novel,
finds a way deep inside of your heart and touches
it long after it is over giving you characters to
love and a story to own.
Notes:
Also with Kip Pardue.
The film premiered at Toronto in
September 2004. It played on the opening night of
the Austin Film Festival in October of 2004 but I
assumed it would play theatrically here in town so
I went to see "Overnight"
instead. Ironically, "Overnight" played here in Austin
in December 2004 and this film isn't scheduled to
open here until later this year. The film had an Academy
qualifying run in December of last year making it
an official 2004 release.
Viewed at a press sneak at the Dobie
in February of 2005. Dan, the manager there, told
me there had been some false fire alarm at the mall
where the theater is located in the morning and sure
enough, as we were getting into the film, a false
alarm went off. Being the unflappable and dedicated
critics that we are, no one moved. Dan came and stopped
the film until the alarm was over and I looked at
my watch and saw that we were only 40 minutes into
it. It was so good and I was enjoying the film so
much that I was actually happy there was at least
another hour to go. The rest of the film played fine
until the end credits began and the film had a brain
wrap causing it to catch in the projector and burn.
The end credits song was so lame that I didn't mind.
