Elephant (2003)

Several ordinary high school students go through their daily routine as two others prepare for something more malevolent.

Director:

Gus Van Sant

Writer:

Gus Van Sant

Stars:

Elias McConnell, Alex Frost, Eric Deulen

8 wins & 11 nominations.

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)

Storyline

A day in the lives of a group of average teenage high school students. The film follows every character and shows their daily routines. However two of the students plan to do something that the student body won't forget.

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Plot Keywords:

violence | student | psychotic | shooting | school | 

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Taglines:

An ordinary high school day. Except that it's not.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for disturbing violent content, language, brief sexuality and drug use - all involving teens

Details

Official Sites:

Fine Line Features [United States] Official site [France]

Country:

USA

Language:

English German

Release Date:

14 November 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Elefante

Filming Locations:

Whitaker Middle School, 5700 NE 39th, Portland, Oregon, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$1,229,210 (France) (24 October 2003)

Gross:

$1,227,000 (USA) (26 December 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

HBO Films, Fine Line Features, Meno Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film is heavily influenced by the Alan Clarke TV drama from 1989 of the same name (_"Elephant" (1989)_). Both films chronicle senseless killings and contain many long and wandering takes of its main characters.

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Goofs

There's too much time between the two guys (Alex and Eric) encountering the blond guy (in the yellow T-shirt) and arriving in the library - in an earlier scene they are arriving just after the guy with the camera.

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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.

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Connections

Followed by Last Days (2005)

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Soundtracks

Tueren der Wahrnehmung
Written and Performed by Hildegard Westerkamp

User Reviews

Making a vacuum out of a tragedy

Imagine it: A horrific tragedy has taken place in a local school, the violence and inexplicability of which has stunned everyone who has heard of it. A meeting is announced that will address the issues that such an event has raised. At the meeting, the main speaker takes the floor, stares at his audience for a few long seconds, then shrugs his shoulders and mumbles "S**t happens". What? You ask. That's it? "Well," he says, "you can't expect me to provide YOU with the answers. But I did take some nice photos".

That's "Elephant".

It would be hard to tackle such a topic without sinking into "Movie of the Week" territory, so Van Sant avoids this by sitting down and not doing much of anything. But artfully.

Why was this film made? What does it tell us about the events? That they happened. What does he tell us about the victims? Nothing, absolutely nothing. We follow them around, interminably (I feel I knew the backs of their heads intimately, if nothing else) and it's a lot like reality tv -- dull: uninvolving, unrevealing and uneventful. What does it tell us about the perpetrators? Nothing we don't already know, haven't already read. Insights? None. It exists in its own universe, blank and unfeeling, a perfect circle, Art for Art's sake.

As far as it goes, there are some beautiful touches, here -- the overlapping time frames, the slowing down of the action to signify a small, private, joyful moment -- but Van Sant bottles out on taking them anywhere, afraid as he seems to be of taking a stand, making a statement or engaging, emotionally, in any way with anything here.

All in all, an Artsy and pointless exercise in navel-gazing, one that masquerades as something much deeper, and hopes its own silence and blankness will be taken for wisdom.