Imagine That (2009)

A financial executive who can't stop his career downspiral is invited into his daughter's imaginary world, where solutions to his problems await.

Director:

Karey Kirkpatrick

Writers:

Ed Solomon, Chris Matheson

Stars:

Eddie Murphy, Thomas Haden Church, Yara Shahidi

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Eddie Murphy	...	Evan Danielson
Thomas Haden Church	...	Johnny Whitefeather
Yara Shahidi	...	Olivia Danielson
Ronny Cox	...	Tom Stevens
Stephen Rannazzisi	...	Noah Kulick
Nicole Ari Parker	...	Trish
DeRay Davis	...	John Strother
Vanessa Williams	...	Lori Strother
Martin Sheen	...	Dante D'Enzo
Lauren Weedman	...	Rose
Timm Sharp	...	Tod
Daniel Polo	...	Indigo
Stephen Root	...	Fred Franklin
Richard Schiff	...	Carl Simons
Marin Hinkle	...	Ms. Davis

Storyline

A financial executive who can't stop his career downspiral is invited into his daughter's imaginary world, where solutions to his problems await.

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Plot Keywords:

sleepover | competition | blanket | feather | family relationships | 

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Taglines:

What if your daughter's imagination... Was the secret to your success?

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Family | Fantasy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some mild language and brief questionable behavior

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [France]

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 June 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Me & Olivia

Filming Locations:

Denver, Colorado, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$55,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$5,503,519 (USA) (12 June 2009)

Gross:

$16,088,610 (USA) (14 August 2009)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies, Di Bonaventura Pictures

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Eddie Murphy was nominated for two Razzie awards, as he was nominated for Worst Actor and won Worst Actor of the Decade. This marks the first Nickelodeon film to be nominated for a Razzie award, an award ceremony dishonoring the worst in motion picture industry. The second was its next film, The Last Airbender (2010).

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Goofs

In the big meeting with D'Enzo, he states (referring to Johnny Whitefeather) "And your great-grandfather was one-half Navaho. So what would that make you? One-thirty-second?" This is factually wrong. If his great-grandfather was half Navaho, then he would be 1/16th Navaho (his grandfather would be 1/4 and his father would be 1/8th). Martin Sheen either read the line wrong and it should have been "great great-grandfather", or it was simply written wrong.

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Quotes

Tod: Mr. E, I talked to the lawyer guy upstairs and he confirmed my hunch, uh, about the whole stabbing of Mr. Whitefeather thing. It's a definite no can do from a legal standpoint.

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Connections

Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Fast & Furious/Adventureland/Sugar (2009)

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Soundtracks

Here Comes the Sun (End Title Version)
Written by George Harrison
Performed by Mikal Blue & Colbie Caillat
Produced by Karey Kirkpatrick & Mikal Blue
Colbie Caillat performs courtesy of Universal Republic Records
Mikal Blue performs courtesy of Immergent Records

User Reviews

A Family Night Winner

Sometimes a little film can be a big surprise. Eddie Murphy has been making a lot of little films lately, some with mixed results. His latest small carat movie, Imagine That, twinkles in all the right places.

Eddie Murphy once again plays a workaholic parent, Evan Danielson, who is too busy to notice the world immediately outside of his corporate office. The world, in this instance, is his adorable daughter, Olivia, played by Yara Shahidi. Olivia copes with his absence by enjoying a fantasy world of her own, complete with three wish-granting divas, dragons, and castles.

Evan, a stressed-out stock consultant, is embroiled in a battle for a promotion against the legendary Johnny Whitefeather, played by Thomas Haden Church. Whitefeather is a New Age snake-charmer, complete with half-baked motto's that pass for ancient Native American wisdom. Evan finds it hard to compete with his incense, power chants, and dirty tricks until Yara and her divas lend him a hand.

For those who fondly remember a standard high-amped Eddie Murphy vehicle, this story may seem a bit simple. The script is a bit weak, falling back on the frustrated ex-wife routine, and yes - the ending is tooth-numbing sweet. Yet it's the genuine chemistry between Murphy and Shahidi - and the cutthroat conflict between Evan and Johnny - that is sure to delight the family on movie night.

Maybe the Buddhists do have it right - less is more.