Elephant (2003)

Director:

Gus Van Sant

Writer (WGA):

Gus Van Sant (written by)

Release Date:

3 October 2003 (Italy)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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.

Plot Keywords:

Student | High School | Delivery Man | Bully | School Shooting

Awards:

6 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

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)
Chantelle Chriestenson Nelson	...	Noelle (as Chantelle Chriestenson)
Kim Kenney	...	Assistant Principal's Secretary
Marci Buntrock	...	Assistant Secretary
Roman Ostrovsky	...	Red Haired Kid
Vana O'Brien	...	P.E. Instructor
Michael Paulsen	...	Bully
Alfred Ono	...	Mr. Fong
Marychris Mass	...	Alex's Mom
Jim Steinpreis	...	Alex's Dad
Jeremy Simpson	...	Delivery Man
Sherilyn Lawson	...	Teacher #1
Sarah Lucht	...	Teacher #2
Larry Laverty	...	Teacher #3
Dave Stippich	...	Teacher #4
Jimmy Gomez	...	Kid on Bike
Joe Cronin	...	Science Teacher
Wolfgang Williams	...	Punk Guy
Caroline Donovan Boyd	...	Punk Girl
Travis Ferguson	...	Science Student
Ernest Truly	...	GSA Teacher
Mary Muldrew	...	GSA Student
Sarah Bing	...	GSA Student
Kether Hayden	...	GSA Student
Natascha Snellman	...	GSA Student
Ruben Bansie	...	GSA Student
Joe Sackett	...	GSA Student
Jason Seitz	...	GSA Victim
Shanti Cho	...	Student in Darkroom
Theara Sao	...	Eli's Friend
Tiana Woods	...	Eli's Classmate
Griffin Goins	...	Football Player
Max Horner	...	Football Player
Thomas Trullinger	...	Football Player
Ty Schwoeffermann	...	Football Player
Ray Monge	...	Janitor
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
William S. Burroughs	...	Voice (text excerpts) (voice) (archive sound) (uncredited)
Adolf Hitler	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Mahdad Rezaujan	...	Student (uncredited)

Directed by
Gus Van Sant

Writing credits (WGA)
Gus Van Sant		(written by)

Produced by
Laura Albert	....	associate producer (as JT Leroy)
Jay Hernandez	....	associate producer
Diane Keaton	....	executive producer
Bill Robinson	....	executive producer
Dany Wolf	....	producer

Cinematography by
Harris Savides

Film Editing by
Gus Van Sant

Casting by
Mali Finn
Danny Stoltz

Art Direction by
Benjamin Hayden

Costume Design by
Marychris Mass		(uncredited)

Production Management
Jen Wall	....	production supervisor
Dany Wolf	....	unit production manager
Greg Spence	....	post-production supervisor (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sally Sue Beisel	....	second assistant director
Kathy Krause	....	second second assistant director
Dany Wolf	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Philip Blackburn	....	set dresser (as Phil Blackburn)
Ken Erck	....	lead scenic
Sean Fong	....	assistant props
Greg McMickle	....	props assistant
Robert Melchior	....	leadman (as Rob Melchior)
John Pearson-Denning	....	prop master
Teresa Tamiyasu	....	set dresser (as Teresa J. Tamiyasu)
Jeffrey Brian Johnson	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Daniel Rowland	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Felix Andrew	....	sound mixer
David A. Cohen	....	dialogue editor (as David Cohen)
Neil Riha	....	boom operator
Leslie Shatz	....	sound designer
Tanya Smith	....	sound assistant
Concha Solano	....	sound assistant
Frank Canonica	....	supervising sound recordist (uncredited)
Samuel Cohen	....	post-production sound (uncredited)
Michael 'Gonzo' Gandsey	....	adr recordist (uncredited)
Michael 'Gonzo' Gandsey	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Martin Schloemer	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Austin Storms	....	adr recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Charles Cooley	....	special effects assistant
Jor Van Kline	....	special effects coordinator
Ardy Brent Carlson	....	special effects assistant (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Collin Fowler	....	visual effects coordinator: Illusion Arts (uncredited)
Mark Kenaston	....	digital artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Thomas M. Ficke	....	stunt coordinator (as Tom Ficke)
Danny Downey	....	stunts (uncredited)
Casey Easlick	....	utility stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Christopher Blauvelt	....	first assistant camera
Eric Alan Edwards	....	time-lapse photographer (as Eric Edwards)
Bruce 'Sarge' Fleskes	....	gaffer
Scott Patrick Green	....	still photographer (as Scott Green)
Mike Hanauska	....	grip
Brent Lawson	....	best boy grip
Brian C. Lawson	....	dolly grip (as Brian Lawson)
Bruce Lawson	....	key grip
Stephen MacDougall	....	loader (as Steve MacDougall)
Matías Mesa	....	Steadicam operator (as Matias Mesa)
Steve Pape	....	electrician
Steve Purcell	....	electrician
Hector Rodriguez	....	second assistant camera
Chris Steele	....	electrician
Shawn Sundby	....	grip
Scott Walters	....	best boy electric
James Walton	....	24 frame playback operator: Cascade Video Systems
Leonard Romie	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Sally Gates	....	extras casting: Extras Only Casting
Jonathan Leeder	....	casting associate (uncredited)
David Rapaport	....	casting associate (uncredited)
Danny Stoltz	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marsha Barlett	....	costumer
Tamy Cropper	....	set costumer
Leslie Gilbertson	....	costumer
Marychris Mass	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Peter Appleton	....	first assistant editor
John Dowdell	....	video colorist
Kiersten Harter	....	first assistant editor
Mato	....	color timer
Veronica Vichit-Vadakan	....	apprentice editor
Bruce Bolden	....	colorist (uncredited)

Other crew
Wendy Arnold	....	craft service assistant
Carolyn Barber	....	assistant to producers
Ryan Brown	....	production assistant
Ardy Brent Carlson	....	production assistant (as Brent Carlson)
Erin Corzine	....	assistant to producers
Patricia Donahue	....	craft service assistant
Jeff Ettlin	....	production assistant
Dara Etzel	....	assistant production coordinator
Roger D. Faires	....	location manager (as Roger Faires)
Jack Gibson	....	production assistant
Mary Jasionowski	....	accountant
Heather Jenkins	....	extras coordinator
Michael D. Jones	....	assistant production coordinator (as Michael Jones)
Kelsey Kline	....	extras coordinator
Alicia Kreutzkampf	....	craft service assistant
Eric Lahey	....	production assistant
Chris Lawson	....	production assistant
Corwin Light-Williams	....	video game designer
Nick Monahan	....	assistant accountant
Greg Moutran	....	key set production assistant
Dawnn Pavlonnis	....	extras coordinator
Deborah Ricketts	....	video clip clearance
Taylor Saxon	....	set medic
Leah Sinrich	....	assistant to producers
Gabe Smith	....	production assistant
Rebecca Thornell	....	clearances
Don Williams	....	assistant craft service
Patsy Williams	....	key craft service
John C. Worsley	....	video game designer
Amy Davies	....	extras coordinator/pa (uncredited)
Stephen Finders	....	location assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
Richard Francis	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• HBO Films (presents)
• Fine Line Features (in association with)
• Meno Films
• Blue Relief Productions
• Fearmakers Studios (uncredited)

Distributors

• HBO Films (2003) (USA) (all media)
• Fine Line Features (2003) (USA) (theatrical) (an AOL Time Warner company)
• A-Film Distribution (2004) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• BIM Distribuzione (2003) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Elephant Picture (Japan) (theatrical)
• Frenetic Films (2003) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Kinowelt Filmverleih (2004) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Lighthouse Pictures (2004) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Rialto Distribution (2004) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Rialto Distribution (2004) (New Zealand) (theatrical)
• Tokyo Theaters Company (Japan) (theatrical)
• Vértigo Films (2003) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2004) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2004) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2004) (Argentina) (VHS)
• HBO Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Impuls Home Entertainment (2004) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD) (Arthaus label)
• Madman Entertainment (2003) (Australia) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Canada) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Illusion Arts (special visual effects)

Other Companies

• Barnes, Morris, Mark, Yorn & Levine  production attorney (as Barnes Morris Klein Mark Yorn Barnes & Levine)
• Camera Service Center  cameras
• DTC Grip & Electric  electrics
• DownStream  video dailies
• Extras Only  extras casting (as Extras Only Casting)
• FotoKem Laboratory  color by (as Fotokem)
• Negative People  negative cutting
• Oregon Film & Video Office  special thanks
• Pacific Title  opticals
• Portland Public Schools  special thanks
• Premiere Catering of Oregon  caterer (as Premier Catering)
• Saul Zaentz Film Center  sound re-recording facilities (as The Saul Zaentz Film Center)
• Team Neophonic  special thanks (as Neophonic)
• Technicolor Creative Services  video telecine
• Title House Digital  titles
• Wilshire Stages, The  sound re-recording facilities (as Wilshire Stages)

Also Known As:

MPAA:

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

Runtime:

81 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Chile:14 | Finland:K-15 | Germany:12 | New Zealand:R16 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:18 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #40167) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Zurich) | Iceland:16 | Netherlands:12 | Hungary:16 | France:-12 | Japan:R-15 | Brazil:16 | Netherlands:16 | South Africa:16LV | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | Italy:VM14

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

HBO Films

Trivia:

Almost all the kids in this film are non-actors, and their real first names are used.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Eli is developing his roll of film, the width is too wide for 135 mm film; it looks more like 120/220 film.

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.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Story of Film: An Odyssey: Episode #1.14" (2011)

Soundtrack:

Für Elise

Brilliant and deeply affecting

On April 20, 1999, two boys wearing trench coats carried a daunting arsenal of weapons harnessed with military web gear into Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, and systematically gunned down thirteen students. Gruesome though it was, the incident was just one of eight fatal high school shootings between 1997 and 1999. These traumatizing events began a debate about what was wrong with the nation's youth, an issue that is the subject of Gus Van Sant's Elephant.

Winner of the Golden Palm at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival, Elephant is a brilliant and deeply affecting film that makes a courageous attempt to grasp the malaise of today's youth culture. Van Sant does not attempt to explain Columbine or uncover its underlying causes, and there is no revealing epiphany. His film is a highly stylized, dreamlike tone poem that defies linear conventions and is almost surreal in its approach. Using flashbacks and recurring images from different points of view, the film captures the mood and tone of its adolescent world: its perceptions, its self-absorption, and ultimately its darkest instincts.

The camera is a detached observer, and the strength of the film lies in its acute power of observation and detail. Van Sant shows us all the surface rituals: the girl cheerleaders, the boys playing football, the locker-lined hallways, the academic discussions, yet an ineffable feeling of loneliness pervades. The picture features impeccable acting by a group of non-professionals from the Portland, Oregon area. Each character is introduced separately and we see them going about their business on a seemingly ordinary school day. The steadicam-tracking camera follows them as they walk through the sterile halls that seem endless. The school appears without life -- a place where one feels a desperate sense of loss.

We see John (John Robinson), a blonde-haired surfer type, take over the driving from his father who has had too much to drink, then get called to task by an administrator for being late for school. Eli (Elias McConnell) is a photographer who asks classmates, including John, to pose for pictures. Football player Jordan (Jordan Taylor) meets his girlfriend Carrie (Carrie Finklea) for lunch. Three friends Nicole (Nicole George), Brittany (Brittany Mountain), and Acadia (Alicia Miles) gossip and argue about who is whose best friend. Michelle (Kristen Hicks) refuses to wear shorts, is admonished by her teacher, and then goes to work in the library. The paths of these students crisscross throughout the film and each has their own destiny to fulfill when the violence erupts.

The main protagonists, Alex (Alex Frost) and Eric (Eric Deulen) are modeled after Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold of Columbine. When we first meet Alex, he is being shunned by his fellow students, called names and pelted with spitballs in science class. Alex is more outgoing and creative, Eric more passive, but their personalities complement each other. Alex and Eric wait at home until a strange package arrives in the mail while Alex plays Beethoven's "Fur Elise" on the piano. When they return to school, they are dressed in combat gear and ready to kill.

Rather than giving us pat answers, Van Sant bases his approach on the elusiveness of truth, and our insatiable desire to know more. The imagery and camerawork are almost painfully beautiful, while the disconnected narrative deliberately withholds closure. On top of all this, the pacing is superb, slowly building up the almost unbearable tension. When it is finally released, the explosion hits you with a frightening energy that is as unforgettable as it is chilling.