Birth (2004)

Director:

Jonathan Glazer

Writers:

Jean-Claude Carrière (written by) &
Milo Addica (written by) ...

Release Date:

3 November 2004 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Be careful what you wish for.

Plot:

A woman (Nicole Kidman) becomes convinced that a ten year old boy is the reincarnation of her dead husband.

Plot Keywords:

Reincarnation | Widow | Death | Supernatural Power | Pedophilia

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 9 nominations

Cast

Nicole Kidman	...	Anna
Cameron Bright	...	Young Sean
Danny Huston	...	Joseph
Lauren Bacall	...	Eleanor
Alison Elliott	...	Laura
Arliss Howard	...	Bob
Michael Desautels	...	Sean
Anne Heche	...	Clara
Peter Stormare	...	Clifford
Ted Levine	...	Mr. Conte
Cara Seymour	...	Mrs. Conte
Joe M. Chalmers	...	Sinclair
Novella Nelson	...	Lee
Zoe Caldwell	...	Mrs. Hill
Charles Goff	...	Mr. Drummond

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality.

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Taiwan:R-18 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | South Korea:15 | Philippines:R-13 | Sweden:7 | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Brazil:12 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Chile:14 | Finland:K-15 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Hong Kong:III (director's cut) | Ireland:15 | Netherlands:MG6 | Norway:11 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:M18 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #40949) | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Brightwaters, Long Island, New York, USA

Company:

New Line Cinema

Trivia:

The type of cake served at Eleanor's birthday and which Sean has a left-over piece of is a Red Velvet Cake which is also known as a Waldorf Astoria Cake.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the second bath scene near the end of the movie, the amount of mud on Sean's face changes between shots.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Voice of Sean: Ok, let me say this... If I lost my wife and, uh, the next day, a little bird landed on my windowsill, looked me right in the eye, and in plain English said, 'Sean, it's me, Anna. I'm back' What could I say? I guess I'd believe her. Or I'd want to. I'd be stuck with a bird. But other than that, no. I'm a man of science. I just don't believe that mumbo-jumbo. Now, that's gonna have to be the last question. I need to go running before I head home.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Zomergasten: (#18.2)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Bridal March from 'Lohengrin'

If you are the type that talks at movies, don't go to see this one.

(Disclaimer) If you like popcorn flicks, and are incapable of thinking during a movie, Birth is not for you, go see The Grudge instead. It may be more your speed.

Birth is a film for the thinker, the moviegoer that doesn't automatically shut down in the theater. This movie had me constantly trying to sort things out all the way through to the end.

I have read a few of the reviews on here and some of you might not be into the whole film-making process. Those that really study film and cinematography; will be treated to a 100 minutes of pure beauty in film-making. I loved how he transitioned between one shot and the next. The one scene that I found surprisingly effective is when he focused on Kidman's face for 3 minutes straight. He chose to use her silent acting abilities as a method to describe her consideration of this strange child. I am a lover of all forms of film, and I'm constantly on the lookout for the next film that gets my mind going. The last film to do that was Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Before that, it was Vanilla sky. Both of these films have been less than favored by the mass public. Its strictly because they DO cause you to think beyond "when is the hero going to prevail"