IMDb > Elephant (2003)
Elephant
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Elephant (2003) -- Theatrical Preview
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Overview

User Rating:
7.3/10   32,600 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 7% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer (WGA):
Gus Van Sant (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Elephant on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
3 October 2003 (Italy) more
Genre:
Tagline:
An ordinary high school day. Except that it's not.
Plot:
Several ordinary high school students go through their daily routine as two others prepare for something more malevolent. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
5 wins & 6 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(40 articles)
Decade in Review: 2003 Top Ten
 (From FilmExperience. 8 December 2009, 6:30 AM, PST)

The Naughts: The Actor of the '00s
 (From IFC. 3 December 2009, 10:06 AM, PST)

User Comments:
Elegantly Disturbing and Shallow more (637 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Alex Frost ... Alex
Eric Deulen ... Eric

John Robinson ... John McFarland
Elias McConnell ... Elias
Jordan Taylor ... Jordan
Carrie Finklea ... Carrie
Nicole George ... Nicole
Brittany Mountain ... Brittany
Alicia Miles ... Acadia
Kristen Hicks ... Michelle
Bennie Dixon ... Benny

Nathan Tyson ... Nathan

Timothy Bottoms ... Mr. McFarland
Matt Malloy ... Mr. Luce

Ellis Williams ... GSA Teacher (as Ellis E. Williams)
more
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Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for disturbing violent content, language, brief sexuality and drug use - all involving teens.
Runtime:
81 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Company:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Most of the shots in the movie are very long and Steadicam-based. The shot of the three girls walking through the cafeteria is 5 minutes and 19 seconds long. more
Goofs:
Boom mic visible: When the three girls are getting their trays in the cafeteria, there is a male student standing to the left. The microphone pole casts a shadow on the back of his neck. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Mr. McFarland: What? Hey! Where are you going? Come here.
John McFarland: Oh, my God, Dad.
Mr. McFarland: Get in the car. You're gonna be late for school. Come on.
John McFarland: Mom's gonna kill you.
more
Soundtrack:
Tueren der Wahrnehmung more

FAQ

Why did Alex and Eric kiss in the shower?
What happened at the end of the movie?
Who gets shot in the freezer at the end of the film?
more
52 out of 98 people found the following comment useful.
Elegantly Disturbing and Shallow, 3 October 2005
7/10
Author: David H. Schleicher from New Jersey, USA

I've never been a believer in Gus Van Sant the auteur. "Drugstore Cowboy" was a quasi-entertaining and promising first feature most notable for its pretty North Western scenery and the even prettier Heather Graham in her film debut, but nothing too special ever followed, and the "Pscyho" remake was an abomination on every level. Van Sant's mainstream films were successful for reasons beyond his artistic input. "To Die For" heralded Nicole Kidman's first tour de force, and "Good Will Hunting" launched the careers of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck for better and for worse.

Here, with "Elephant" Van Sant returns to the same pretty North Western scenery (just an in "Drugstore Cowboy" the movie was filmed on location in Portland, Oregon) and populates it with even prettier young men and women sleepwalking through an "interpretation" of the events of the Columbine Massacre. There's an elegant listlessness to the camera-work as Van Sant lulls us into a beautifully mundane day in the life of some random high school students. There's a creepy undercurrent, not only in the voyeuristic way in which he films his young charges, but also in the long lingering single shots of students walking through hallways and sidewalks from behind. Suddenly, as the plot of two alienated young men comes to fruition, you realize that the camera-work is meant to copy the "killer's-eye-view" of the violent and sadistic video games the young men play before making it a reality at their school. There's a rising tension that few film-makers have been able to craft, and for that Van Sant deserves accolades.

For all the artificial prettiness, this is without a doubt a highly disturbing viewing experience. In the end, some of it seemed too random (what was the point of the "Benny" character or the kiss in the shower?), and it culminates ambiguously with all the loose ends untethered. A more capable story-teller would have offered a conclusion, but all Van Sant leaves us is with some haunting classical music and beautiful shot of a cloud covered North Western sky.

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Message Boards

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Recent Posts (updated daily)User
me dont like elephant fst5000
What happened to Alex? badmofo6662004
The Best Movies You've Never Heard Of... brianpritchard
The GAY Point of the Movie (Spoliers) - Comments Welcome calawoffice
What's in a name? sebeljub
What did Alex whisper to himself? eekmonique
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