Imaginary Heroes (2004)

Director:

Dan Harris

Writer (WGA):

Dan Harris (written by)

Release Date:

25 February 2005 (Denmark)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

People are never who they seem to be

Plot:

The Travis family façade is destroyed by an event incomprehensible to them -- an event which will open...

Plot Keywords:

Black Comedy | Trailer Home | Depression | Teen Angst | Blood

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Sigourney Weaver	...	Sandy Travis
Emile Hirsch	...	Tim Travis
Jeff Daniels	...	Ben Travis
Michelle Williams	...	Penny Travis
Kip Pardue	...	Matt Travis
Deirdre O'Connell	...	Marge Dwyer
Ryan Donowho	...	Kyle Dwyer
Suzanne Santo	...	Steph Connors
Jay Paulson	...	Vern
Luke Robertson	...	Jack Johnson
Lee Wilkof	...	Mitchell Goldstein
Terry Beaver	...	Dr. Montey
Sara Tanaka	...	Shelly Chan
Ned Benson	...	Undercover Hippie
Larry Fessenden	...	Store Clerk
Ryan Patrick Bachand	...	Sid
Lori Yeghiayan	...	Veteran Home Receptionist
Heidi Newhart	...	Angela
Ari Graynor	...	Jenny
Erin Fritch	...	Emily Slaff
Wayne Kasserman	...	Robert
Matthew Carey	...	Brett Tabisel
Henry Strozier	...	Dr. Davis
Stephen Rowe	...	Emergency Room Dr.
John Rue	...	Hal
Sylvia Kauders	...	Hattie
Jen Jones	...	Sophie
Lee Brock	...	Inappropriate Soccer Mom #1
Barbara Gulan	...	Inappropriate Soccer Mom #2
Adam LeFevre	...	Bob Clyde
Bruce Norris	...	Mr. Barnes
Justin Bond	...	Kiki
Kenny Mellman	...	Herb
Nicole Tubiola	...	Tabitha
Fran McGee	...	Martha
Raymond Anthony Thomas	...	Police Officer (as Ray Anthony Thomas)
Chuck Patterson	...	Dean Demarco
John Bliss	...	Murph
Jack Donner	...	Kenny
Linda S. Nelson	...	Mrs. Johnson
Valerie Wright	...	Nurse
Michael Lawson	...	Manny
Alberto Vazquez	...	Manuel - Driver
Robert Emmet Lunney	...	Principal
Gordon Joseph Weiss	...	Scraggly Homeless Man
Tonye Patano	...	Big Mean Teacher (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Francis Benhamou	...	Monica (uncredited)
Marcia DeBonis	...	Nurse Lindy (uncredited)
Danny Hayden	...	Lester the Molester (uncredited)
Joe Knizeski	...	Student (uncredited)
Gray Madder	...	Bobby (uncredited)
Olga Merediz	...	Maria (uncredited)
Laura Somma	...	High school Student (uncredited)

Directed by
Dan Harris

Writing credits (WGA)
Dan Harris		(written by)

Produced by
René Besson	....	associate producer
Rudy Cohen	....	executive producer
Illana Diamant	....	producer
Moshe Diamant	....	producer
Jan Fantl	....	executive producer
Frank Hübner	....	producer
Tommy Johnson	....	associate producer
Deborah Lee	....	co-producer
Art Linson	....	producer
Gina Resnick	....	producer
Denise Shaw	....	producer

Original Music by
Deborah Lurie

Cinematography by
Tim Orr

Film Editing by
James Lyons

Casting by
Lori Eastside
Jennifer Euston
Ellen Lewis
Meghan Rafferty

Production Design by
Rick Butler

Art Direction by
Mila Khalevich
Heesoo Kim

Set Decoration by
Mila Khalevich

Costume Design by
Michael Wilkinson

Makeup Department
Karen Asano-Myers	....	hair department head (as Karen Asand-Myers)
Robin Day	....	assistant hair stylist
Marjorie Durand	....	makeup department head
Anthony Veader	....	hair department head

Production Management
René Besson	....	post-production manager
Nicole Haeussermann	....	production supervisor: Kolin S.A.
Christina Lee Storm	....	production supervisor: Los Angeles (as Christina K.Y. Lee)
Rob York	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
René Besson	....	second unit director
Stephen Booth	....	second assistant director
David Allen Cluck	....	first assistant director: Los Angeles
Steven Holtzman	....	second second assistant director
Paul-Edouard Laurens	....	first assistant director
Tony Phillippe	....	second assistant director
Gary S. Rake	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Jill Alexander	....	property master
Sarah Berney	....	charge/camera scenic artist
Hilary Craven	....	art production assistant
Guido DeCurtis	....	leadman
Chantal Faurer	....	portrait artist
Shannon Finnerty	....	set dresser
Isaac Gabaeff	....	set dresser
Emily Gaunt	....	scenic
Emile Hirsch	....	drawings
Arlo Hoffman	....	art department production assistant
Leo Holder	....	graphic artist
Jon Kim	....	set dresser
Alanna Levy	....	art department coordinator
Greg O'Donohue	....	set dresser
Adam Roffman	....	set dresser
Nixon Stephenson	....	storyboard artist
Beau Tipton	....	art assistant
JoAnn Vara	....	assistant set decorator
James Whelan	....	on-set dresser: New Jersey
Mary Prlain	....	assistant property master (uncredited)

Sound Department
Kevin Becker	....	sound utility: Los Angeles
Laurel Bridges	....	boom operator
Mark F. Dennett	....	boom operator: Los Angeles
Stuart Deutsch	....	production sound mixer
Stuart Deutsch	....	sound
Mary Jo Devenney	....	sound mixer: Los Angeles
Paul Drenning	....	adr mixer
Stephen Fitzmaurice	....	sound re-recording mixer
Stephen M. Galvin	....	adr editor
Stephen M. Galvin	....	dialog editor
Patrick M. Griffith	....	supervising sound editor
Steve McCarty	....	sound editor
Stacey Michaels	....	foley mixer
Timothy Pearson	....	foley artist
Noah Timan	....	boom operator
Noah Timan	....	playback operator
Noel Vought	....	foley artist
Debby VanPoucke	....	sound post-production coordinator (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Shawn Broes	....	digital mastering editor
Veronica Giambastiani	....	electronic graphics
Brian Gyss	....	digital imaging: Modern VideoFilm
Christian Severin	....	visual effects
Toby Wilkins	....	additional visual effects

Stunts
Damian Achilles	....	stunt double
Scott Dale		(stunt double: Emile Hirsch
Danny Downey	....	stunt double
Cheryl Lawson	....	stunt double: Erin Fritch
Declan Mulvey	....	stunts
Manny Siverio	....	stunt coordinator
Gary J. Wayton	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
George Bianchini	....	Steadicam operator
Greg Brooks	....	dolly grip: Los Angeles
Michael Burke	....	camera loader
Sean Cassidy	....	grip
John Clifford	....	still photographer
David Elwell	....	assistant chief lighting technician
John Frisbie	....	electrician
Richard Girolami Jr.	....	electrician
Keith Gordon	....	grip
Michael N. Green	....	electrician
Susan Heller	....	additional electric
Jendra Jarnagin	....	lighting balloon operator
Mako Koiwai	....	additional first assistant camera: Los Angeles
Thomas Miligan	....	second assistant camera: Los Angeles
Scott Miller	....	gaffer
Anna Novick	....	grip
Matthew A. Petrosky	....	first assistant camera: Los Angeles
Craig Pressgrove	....	first assistant camera
Daniel Salk	....	video assist operator
Geoff Shotz	....	Steadicam operator: Los Angeles
Linda Slater	....	second assistant camera
Laura Thompson	....	camera loader: Los Angeles
David Troutman	....	grip
J. Dan Wright	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Christina Martin	....	casting assistant: LA

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Catherine George	....	assistant costume designer
Rebecca Hofherr	....	wardrobe intern
Erin Aldridge Orr	....	set costumer
Kate Quinlan	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Jenny Brandt	....	digital intermediate project manager
Joe Finley	....	digital intermediate colorist
Suzanne Spangler	....	associate editor
Dan Williams	....	post-production assistant

Music Department
Kevin McKeever	....	music recording engineer
Joey Newman	....	conductor
Joey Newman	....	music producer
Joey Newman	....	orchestrator
John Ottman	....	composer: main theme
Julie Pearce	....	music editor
Casey Stone	....	music scoring mixer
Christopher Tin	....	orchestrator

Other crew
René Besson	....	video unit producer
Matthew Cassel	....	location manager: Los Angeles
Paulette D. Clark	....	location assistant
Joan Devilla	....	payroll accountant
Kareem Elseify	....	production associate
Dan Fabrizio	....	location assistant
Mia Farrell	....	unit publicist
Laura Fearon	....	accounting intern
Lindsay Feldman	....	production secretary
Jordan Brendan Finnegan	....	key set production assistant: Los Angeles
Jessica Fox	....	production assistant
Scott Franklin	....	office production assistant
Graham Goetz	....	production assistant
Sammy Goldsmith	....	assistant to producer
Michael Heithaus	....	stand-in: E. Hirsch, Los Angeles
Jason Henson	....	production assistant
Dylan Jovine	....	production assistant
Jason Killingsworth	....	production assistant
Eric Klein	....	location manager
Melody M.	....	production coordinator
John Malloy	....	location scout
Jennifer Markowitz	....	production office intern
Matthew Mason	....	key set production assistant
Lauren McAuliffe	....	script supervisor
Jamie McKeown	....	production office intern
Jennifer Monatlik	....	production assistant
Pete Mozes	....	location manager
Omri Navot	....	assistant to producer
Matt Osgood	....	assistant production coordinator
Anthony Pettine	....	script supervisor
James Portolese	....	assistant to producer
James Portolese	....	producer: second unit
William Sepulveda	....	craft service
Christopher Sergeeff	....	stand-in: Emile Hirsch, New York
Susan Silas	....	location scout
Eugene Stamos	....	craft service
Eva Vedock	....	key craft service
Christian Vendetti	....	production assistant
Stacie Dekker	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
Gregg Araki	....	thanks
Bill Condon	....	thanks
Bryan Singer	....	thanks

Production Companies

• ApolloProMedia GmbH & Co. 1. Filmproduktion KG (I)
• QI Quality International GmbH & Co. KG
• Signature Pictures (in association with)
• Art Linson Productions (uncredited)

Distributors

• Mongrel Media (2004) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Quasar Films (2005) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2004-2005) (USA) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Releasing (2005) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Releasing (2005) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• RTL Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (TV) (RTL8)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2007) (Germany) (DVD)
• Teleview International (2004) (Lebanon) (TV) (Middle East)

Other Companies

• Business Affairs  production counsel
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• Milan Records  soundtrack published by

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for substance abuse, sexual content, language and some violence

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA | Germany | Belgium

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:15 (re-rating) (2005) | UK:18 (original rating) | Germany:12 | Brazil:16 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Iceland:12 | Netherlands:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Canada:G (Quebec) | Finland:K-15 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:NC-16 (cut) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Chatham, New Jersey, USA

Company:

ApolloProMedia GmbH & Co. 1. Filmproduktion KG (I)

Trivia:

The tune that Steph plays on the piano while she and Tim are at the party is "Today" by the Smashing Pumpkins.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Tim is asleep on the kitchen table, the contents of the pickle jar he was eating from jumps from empty to half full between shots.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Tim Travis:Matt Travis was a great swimmer. But it wasn't just that he was a great swimmer, it was simply that he was greater at swimming than anyone I ever knew was good at whatever they were good at.

Movie Connections:

Spoofs The NeverEnding Story (1984)

Soundtrack:

Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 77

Well written - Well acted - Great story

This film is a powerful commentary on family life in North America today. The story is so well constructed, it almost feels like its happening across the street, right now! If you are connected with your family and community in any way, this film will grab you and transport you to the Travis' home and not allow you to leave until the credits are done.

Our imaginary heroes, through a myriad of innocent circumstances, often unwittingly, lead us down a path of sorrow, confusion and isolation. The Travis family, after a terrible tragedy, invite each of us; father, mother, brother and sister, into their respective lives to share their experience in a dynamic set of circumstances that just doesn't quit. We see all of the above and eventually the joy, in powerful performances by the major players and the rest of the cast, making this film a movie-goers absolute treasure.

In a film so well done as this, it is usually difficult to to find something special, but Sigourney Weaver's portrayal of Sandy Travis was outstanding. I would be surprised if others didn't recognize it as such.

Clearly a 10. Well done!