Restless (I) (2011)

The story of a terminally ill teenage girl who falls for a boy who likes to attend funerals and their encounters with the ghost of a Japanese kamikaze pilot from WWII.

Director:

Gus Van Sant

Writer:

Jason Lew

Stars:

Henry Hopper, Mia Wasikowska, Ryo Kase

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Henry Hopper	...	Enoch Brae
Mia Wasikowska	...	Annabel Cotton
Ryo Kase	...	Hiroshi Takahashi
Schuyler Fisk	...	Elizabeth Cotton
Lusia Strus	...	Rachel Cotton
Jane Adams	...	Mabel
Paul Parson	...	Edward
Thomas Lauderdale	...	Minister
Christopher D. Harder	...	Funeral Director
Morgan Lee	...	Driver
Kenneth L. Peterson	...	CT Technician
William J. Eggleston	...	X-Ray Technician (as William Eggleston)
Chin Han	...	Dr. Lee
Jhon Goodwin	...	Nurse Goodwin (as John Goodwin)
Kelleen Crawford	...	Nurse Laura

Storyline

Annabel is a terminally ill cancer patient and is quietly awaiting her death spending her time studying nature. Enoch is struggling to recover from the death of his parents and spends his time attending funerals with his only friend - a ghost named Hiroshi who was a WWII Japanese kamikaze pilot. Just as Annabel's sister is trying to cope with Annabel's impending death, Annabel and Enoch fall in love. They both finally have a reason to live, but is it too late to have a life together?

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Plot Keywords:

funeral | japanese | ghost | kamikaze | death | 

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Taglines:

Who do you live for?

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements and brief sensuality

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Facebook [fr]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 April 2011 (Egypt)

Also Known As:

Untitled Gus Van Sant Project

Filming Locations:

Portland, Oregon, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$15,467 (USA) (16 September 2011)

Gross:

$163,141 (USA) (16 December 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, Imagine Entertainment, 360 Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS (as Datasat Digital Sound) SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie's first-time screenwriter Jason Lew and (co-producer) Bryce Dallas Howard attended New York University together and it was there that Lew first wrote the story as a play. Howard, who had acted in plays with Lew, got a peek at the story and encouraged him to write it as a screenplay.

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Quotes

Annabel Cotton: About the hospital. I don't work there. I am a patient.

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Connections

Referenced in Estrenos Críticos: Mientras Duermes, Contagio, Sin Salida (2011)

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Soundtracks

"Twenty-Four Robbers"
Written and Performed by Fats Waller and his Rhythm

User Reviews

A flawed indie drama that misses its potential.

Mia Wasikowska seems to be drawn to these quirky indie movies, and she should be because she's good at them. She's the best thing about Restless, a drama about an emotionally wounded young man, a dying young woman, the ghost of a Japanese kamikaze pilot, and birds. 

Unfortunately, she's not the main character. That's Enoch, played by Henry Hopper. He's just not right for the role, and veers between unlikable and uninteresting. Restless also seems a bit unfocused, as well, as if the concept wasn't properly expanded by the writer into a full story. It starts off with promise, only to lose some of my interest on the way to the mishandled ending. 

As a result, the movie just isn't everything it could have been. I liked it, it's just hard to not be somewhat disappointed by the wasted potential. There are resonant moments throughout the story, but there are just as many scenes that just seem hollow or misplaced. Restless could have been very good, instead it's just okay.