In the Realms of the Unreal (2004)

Director:

Jessica Yu

Writers:

Henry Darger (writings)
Jessica Yu (writer)

Release Date:

29 March 2008 (Japan)

Genre:

Documentary | Biography

Plot:

A documentary on Henry Darger, visionary artist, janitor, and novelist.

Plot Keywords:

Poverty | Artist | Novel | Janitor | Art

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Larry Pine	...	Henry Darger (voice)
Dakota Fanning	...	Narrator / Vivian Girls (voice)
Frier McCollister	...	Additional Voice (voice)
Wally Wingert	...	Additional Voice (voice)
Janice Hong	...	Additional Voice (voice)
Ruby McCollister	...	Additional Voice (voice)
Paul Robert Langdon	...	Additional Voice (voice)
Mary O'Donnell	...	Herself - Neighbor
Kiyoko Lerner	...	Herself - Landlady
Mary Rooney	...	Herself - Parish Bookkeeper
David Berglund	...	Himself - Neighbor
Regina Waters	...	Herself - Neighbor
Mark Waters	...	Himself - Neighbor
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Henry Darger	...	Himself (photos)

Also Known As:

In the Realms of the Unreal: The Mystery of Henry Darger (Australia) (DVD title)

Runtime:

81 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Australia:M | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Cherry Sky Films

Quotes:

[last lines]
[end title cards]
Title Card: After Darger's death in 1973, the Lerners decided to share their discovery of his work, preserving his room and its contents.
Title Card: Since then, Henry Darger's work has been exhibited and collected worldwide. His art has inspired the creation of paintings, poetry, music, and works in theatre, dance, and opera.
Title Card: The room was dismantled in 2000.

Soundtrack:

Innocent When You Dream (78)

Enter the realms of the unreal!!

This was a very impressive documentary. Although it was different from the films I generally go to see, I remained interested in Henry Darger's life throughout the whole movie. He was portrayed as quite an interesting person. As a child, he is taken to an asylum and thought to be insane. When he finally escapes this life, he becomes a janitor and later, a part of the army. His neighbors play an important role in the movie because they describe his personality and what they knew about him. It was interesting to hear each perspective. Much of what they had to say about him was the same, but some of it varied at least through word choice which I felt was significant because it revealed each of their attitudes toward who they thought he was. Henry Darger's artwork was amazing. The illustrations of the Vivian sisters provided insight into his eyes. The most impressive thing was how the lives of these girls seemed to represent his life and feelings toward it. If you are interested in learning something, I encourage you to see, "In the Realms of the Unreal."