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Movies / On DVD / Imaginary Heroes
Imaginary Heroes

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Imaginary Heroes (2004)

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Reviews Counted:101

Fresh:35

Rotten:66

Average Rating:5.2/10

Consensus: Imaginary Heroes is a muddled, melodramatic and unconvincing drama.

Runtime: 1 hr 57 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:Dec 17, 2004 Limited

Synopsis: This realistic family film starring Sigourney Weaver and Emile Hirsch as a loving mother and son asks some deep questions about mortality, the risks of depression, and staying together verses... This realistic family film starring Sigourney Weaver and Emile Hirsch as a loving mother and son asks some deep questions about mortality, the risks of depression, and staying together verses splitting up. Living in a beautiful house in a manicured suburban neighborhood, the Travis family seems flawless at first glance. That is, until the handsome eldest son (Kip Pardue), a star swimmer, commits suicide, leaving the family in pieces. The father (Jeff Daniels), rejects the other members of the family, becoming distant and aloof. The college-student daughter (Michelle Williams), rarely visits home any more. The mother (Weaver), resorts to petty quibbles with her next-door neighbor (Deirdre O'Connell), and develops a minor--but highly amusing--marijuana habit. And the youngest son, Tim (Hirsch)--who is the protagonist and the real victim in the story--searches for meaning, identity, and solace from the chaos that surrounds him. Tim's best friend Kyle (Ryan Donowho) experiments with drugs and sex, providing for some understated and poignant coming-of-age situations. But for the most part, it is the chemistry between expert actors Weaver and Hirsch that carries the film, making IMAGINARY HEROES a lovely, sensitive meditation on the mid-life family crisis. [More]

Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Emile Hirsch, Jeff Daniels, Deirdre O'Connell

Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Emile Hirsch, Jeff Daniels, Deirdre O'Connell, Kip Pardue, Ryan Donowho, Michelle Williams, Suzanne Santo

Director: Daniel Harris

Director: Daniel Harris
Screenwriter: Daniel Harris
Producer: Illana Diamant, Gina Resnick, Art Linson, Denise Shaw
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

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Release:

Jun 7, 2005

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Reviews for Imaginary Heroes

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Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
02/19/05
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Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
04/01/05
Arizona Republic
N/R

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Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Time Out
N/R

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Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
04/02/05
Deseret News, Salt Lake City
N/R

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Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
07/05/05
BBC
N/R

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Full Review Source: Independent | comment Comment
12/06/05
Independent
N/R

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Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution | comment Comment
03/26/05
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
N/R

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Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
09/26/05
AV Club
N/R

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Full Review Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | comment Comment
07/05/05
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
N/R

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Full Review Source: Daily Mirror [UK] | comment Comment
07/05/05
David Edwards
David Edwards
Daily Mirror [UK]
N/R

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Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
04/29/09
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed
N/R

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Full Review Source: New York Magazine | comment Comment
05/12/06
Ken Tucker
Ken Tucker
New York Magazine
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Time Out New York | comment Comment
08/16/07
Wally Hammond
Wally Hammond
Time Out New York

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Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
07/05/05
Empire Magazine

Daniels' character is so sullen, he sucks the life out of the movie. It's just too much to handle.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
12/17/04
E! Online

An ambitious, uneven directorial debut.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
03/11/05
Ann Hornaday
Ann Hornaday
Washington Post

Emotional impact [is] lost in the mire of multiple motivations, less than fully realized characters, and tangential excursions.

Full Review Source: culturevulture.net | comment Comment
12/16/04
Arthur Lazere
Arthur Lazere
culturevulture.net

Whatever kudos go to Harris for the length of his reach tend to be overshadowed by inexperience and enslavement to genre.

Full Review Source: Dallas Observer | comment Comment
02/25/05
Bill Gallo
Bill Gallo
Dallas Observer

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Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | comment Comment
03/06/05
Brian Marder
Brian Marder
Hollywood.com

A depressing yarn.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
02/25/05
Bruce Westbrook
Bruce Westbrook
Houston Chronicle
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