The Invisible Circus (1999)

A teenage girl travels to Paris in the 1970s trying to find out about her sister's suicide, and falls in love with her dead sister's boyfriend.

Director:

Adam Brooks

Writers:

Jennifer Egan (novel), Adam Brooks (screenplay)

Stars:

Cameron Diaz, Jordana Brewster, Christopher Eccleston

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Cameron Diaz	...	Faith
Jordana Brewster	...	Phoebe
Christopher Eccleston	...	Wolf
Blythe Danner	...	Gail
Camilla Belle	...	Phoebe, Age 10-12
Patrick Bergin	...	Gene
Isabelle Pasco	...	Claire
Moritz Bleibtreu	...	Eric
Philipp Weissert	...	Safehouse Leader
Nikola Obermann	...	Hannah
Robert Getter	...	American Statesman
Ricky Koole	...	Nikki

Storyline

In 1975, at age 18, Phoebe is unhappy. When she was about 10, her father died of leukemia; her older sister Faith became a political radical, left for Europe with her boyfriend Wolf, and commits suicide in Portugal a year later. Phoebe, who has romantic ideas about both her father and Faith, decides to trace Faith's steps, find Wolf, and learn what really happened. She finds Wolf in Paris, and he tells her stories of Faith's radical activities, including joining the Red Army in Berlin. Phoebe has visions of her sister, seems close to madness, and may be headed for suicide herself. It's the trip to the cliffs of Portugal that will make the difference: breakthrough or breakdown?

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Plot Keywords:

suicide | father | europe | drugs | paris france | 

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Taglines:

The journey is the destination.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexuality, language and drug content

Details

Official Sites:

e-Pipoca [br] (Portuguese)- synopsis, gallery, trailer New Line / FineLine Feature

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 February 2001 (Spain)

Also Known As:

Le cirque invisible

Filming Locations:

Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$55,388 (USA) (2 February 2001)

Gross:

ESP 12,562,430 (Spain) (29 June 2001)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fine Line Features, Industry Entertainment, Nicolas Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

In the beginning of the movie, Phoebe and her mother, Gail, are watching TV which is showing the opening credits to the show "The Rockford Files." The sound coming out of the TV is not the opening theme for "The Rockford Files."

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Connections

References Breathless (1960)

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Soundtracks

"Hot Rod Lincoln"
Written by Charley Ryan and W S Stevenson
Performed by Commander Cody & His Lost Airmen
Courtesy of MCA Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

when the book is better....

Those disappointed in the film "The Invisible Circus" would make a better investment by purchasing the novel by Jennifer Egan. Written from the perspective of eighteen-year-old Pheobe, the novel is an enchanting coming-of-age story with the added intrigue of her lost "hippie" sister.

Most of the narrative focuses on Pheobe's inner thoughts; which no doubt made translating it to the screen a difficult task. Debates on whether it is a "chick flick" are warranted; both the film and the novel center heavily on the female viewpoint.

In response to the first posted review, the paintings by Pheobe's father, Gene, are *supposed* to be awful. Part of the narrative focuses on Pheobe's realization that her father was not a sainted, thwarted artist, but an ordinary man.