One Hour Photo (2002)

A mentally unstable photo developer targets a middle-class family after his obsession with them becomes more sick and disturbing than any of them could imagine.

Director:

Mark Romanek

Writer:

Mark Romanek

Stars:

Robin Williams, Connie Nielsen, Michael Vartan

6 wins & 22 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robin Williams	...	Seymour Parrish
Connie Nielsen	...	Nina Yorkin
Michael Vartan	...	Will Yorkin
Dylan Smith	...	Jakob Yorkin
Erin Daniels	...	Maya Burson
Paul Hansen Kim	...	Yoshi Araki
Lee Garlington	...	Waitress
Gary Cole	...	Bill Owens
Marion Calvert	...	Mrs. Von Unwerth
David Moreland	...	Mr. Siskind
Shaun P. O'Hagan	...	Young Father
Jim Rash	...	Amateur Porn Guy
Nick Searcy	...	Repairman
Dave Engfer	...	Sav-Mart Clerk
Jimmy Shubert	...	Soccer Coach

Storyline

Middle aged Sy Parrish works as a technician at a one hour photo lab located in a SavMart store in a suburban mall. Sy is a lonely man, never having had any friends. He knows much about his customers through the photographs they have developed. But he knows more about the Yorkin family - specifically Nina Yorkin and her adolescent son Jake Yorkin, the two in the family who drop off and pick up the family's photofinishing - the family about whom he is obsessed, than anyone else. Nina's husband, Will Yorkin, is incidental to his obsession since Sy has only seen him in photographs. Sy's obsession includes fantasizing about being their favorite "Uncle Sy". He has even been making an extra set of prints for himself of all of their photographs since Jake was a newborn. After an incident at work and after Sy finds out more about the family through a set of photographs, he decides to right the injustices he sees in the only way he knows how. His actions demonstrate his true mental state.

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Plot Keywords:

photography | photo lab | unfaithfulness | adultery | nude photo shoot | 

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Taglines:

There's nothing more dangerous than a familiar face.

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual content and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 September 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Retratos de una obsesión

Filming Locations:

20770 Madrona Avenue, Torrance, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$321,515, 25 August 2002, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$31,597,131, 5 January 2003

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$19,500,000, 2 February 2003

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox Searchlight Pictures, Catch 23 Entertainment, Killer Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby DTS (uncredited)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jack Nicholson was originally offered the role of Sy, but turned it down.

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Goofs

Sy and the AGFA engineer discuss a ".3 blue shift", but Sy later tells his manager that the shift is towards cyan. (Although in layman's terms "cyan" is light-blue, blue is technically an equal mixture of cyan and magenta. A photo technician would not use the terms interchangeably).

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Quotes

Bill Owens: Sy, there's a 1000 other places where you can do your photos. There's no reason to come all the way down other than to fuck with me.
Sy Parrish: There's a very good reason. I calibrated that machine personally. It's the best mini-lab in the state.

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Alternate Versions

An early cut of the film had several differences than the theatrical version.

• The opening Fox Searchlight logo briefly becomes a negative image as it fades out. This is obviously a reference to picture negatives.
• An alternate prologue before the main titles featured a narration by Williams on the red eye effect in human's and animals, while a photo of a family with red eyes, footage of animals with this effect and video of what's happening in the eye when this happens.
• There was also a scene near the end where a police detective reviews the pictures Sy took of Will & Maya at the hotel. In the theatrical version these photos were never shown and it was left in question whether they were actually taken.
• The argument between Sy and the photo machine repair guy was extended.

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Connections

References Peeping Tom (1960)

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Soundtracks

Five Customers
Composed by Reinhold Heil and Johnny Klimek

User Reviews

Not Hitchcock but closer than most

A seemingly innocuous man's descent into madness, and its effect on a family, gives One Hour Photo an advantage over most attempts at psychological thrillers. As with most movies, even critical darlings by the master himself, Mr. Hitchcock, there are questionable plot contrivences and scenes where reality has to be suspended, but these annoyances did not interfere with the total enjoyment of the movie. Williams was eerily brilliant as "Sy, The Photo Guy", and was able to travel between chillingly detached and forcefully angry with ease. The brilliant use of stark colors fleshed out the film, and those that garner enjoyment from the sets and cinematography, as well as the dialogue, will be pleased. This is a film for those that enjoy the total movie experience, and those that appreciate an intensity in their psychological thrillers will not be disappointed. After viewing this film, the question now becomes who gets the Oscar, Williams for One Hour Photo, or Pacino for Insomnia ?