The Fountain (2006)

Spanning over one thousand years, and three parallel stories, The Fountain is a story of love, death, spirituality, and the fragility of our existence in this world.

Director:

Darren Aronofsky

Writers:

Darren Aronofsky (screenplay), Darren Aronofsky (story),

Stars:

Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz, Ellen Burstyn

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 6 wins & 15 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Hugh Jackman	...	Tomas / Tommy / Tom Creo
Rachel Weisz	...	Isabel / Izzi Creo
Ellen Burstyn	...	Dr. Lillian Guzetti
Mark Margolis	...	Father Avila
Stephen McHattie	...	Grand Inquisitor Silecio
Fernando Hernandez	...	Lord of Xibalba
Cliff Curtis	...	Captain Ariel
Sean Patrick Thomas	...	Antonio
Donna Murphy	...	Betty
Ethan Suplee	...	Manny
Richard McMillan	...	Henry
Lorne Brass	...	Dr. Alan Lipper
Abraham Aronofsky	...	Lab Technician
Renee Asofsky	...	Lab Technician
Anish Majumdar	...	Dr. Spencer

Storyline

Three stories - one each from the past, present, and future - about men in pursuit of eternity with their love. A conquistador in Mayan country searches for the tree of life to free his captive queen; a medical researcher, working with various trees, looks for a cure that will save his dying wife; a space traveler, traveling with an aged tree encapsulated within a bubble, moves toward a dying star that's wrapped in a nebula; he seeks eternity with his love. The stories intersect and parallel; the quests fail and succeed.

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Plot Keywords:

tree | dying | love | mayan | eternity | 

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Taglines:

What if you could love forever?

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of violent action, some sensuality and language

Details

Official Sites:

TFM Distribution [fr] Warner Bros. [us]

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English Maya

Release Date:

22 November 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

La fuente de la vida

Filming Locations:

Cité du Cinéma, Montréal, Québec, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$98,297 (Brazil) (24 November 2006)

Gross:

$10,139,254 (USA) (2 February 2007)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros, Regency Enterprises, Protozoa Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Aronofsky approached Hugh Jackman backstage during his performance of The Boy From Oz. The next day, the actor agreed to star in the film.

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Goofs

The map used by the conquistadors to find the Tree of Life is erroneous. The priest says the three points which form an equilateral triangle on the map are Chichen Itza, Yaxchilan, and Tikal. However in reality, the three Mayan sites form an obtuse triangle, with Chichen Itza being the northern-most and the eastern-most point.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Tomas Verde: Let us finish it.

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Crazy Credits

The entire credits run against a star field background, then at the very, very end there is one final sigh as they fade to black.

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Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Episode dated 25 November 2006 (2006)

User Reviews

Absolutely Fantastic

Fantastic in every sense. This film is indeed poetry, and a beautiful testament to love and the cycle of life, and the impermanence of death. Wow. The script is tight, and the non-linear presentation works very well. The scene compositions were exquisite. The score enhanced without being overbearing, which is so often the case in contemporary film.

The acting is absolutely superb, but then it's got Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz. I can't imagine Brad Pitt doing any sort of justice to this film. Darren Aronofsky lucked out in the long run by getting someone who has the range to portray the vast emotions required for Tomas/Tommy/Tom. Weisz has the depth for regal intrigue and spirited grace. Their chemistry makes their stories even more entrancing.

This film does require a thinking brain to be appreciated.