A mentally unstable photo developer targets an upper middle-class family after his obsession with them becomes more sick and disturbing than any of them could imagine.A mentally unstable photo developer targets an upper middle-class family after his obsession with them becomes more sick and disturbing than any of them could imagine.A mentally unstable photo developer targets an upper middle-class family after his obsession with them becomes more sick and disturbing than any of them could imagine.
Paul Kim Jr.
- Yoshi Araki
- (as Paul Hansen Kim)
Andy Rolfes
- Officer Lyon
- (as Andrew A. Rolfes)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAfter the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, Robin Williams overheard viewers say that they forgot it was Williams in the lead role 15 minutes into the film. An observation that made Williams proud.
- GoofsRed light is added by the filmmakers to show the film moving through the developing machine. Color film is sensitive to all light, therefore all of that film would be fogged. Red light is only used for black and white paper print developing.
- Quotes
Sy Parrish: And if these pictures have anything important to say to future generations, it's this: I was here. I existed. I was young, I was happy, and someone cared enough about me in this world to take my picture.
- Alternate versionsAn 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.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Anatomy of a Scene: One Hour Photo (2002)
- SoundtracksComing Home
Written by William Aura, Craig Dobbin and Alain Eskinasi
Performed by 3rd Force
Courtesy of Higher Octave Music
Review
Featured review
I was here, I existed and someone cared about me enough to take my picture.
One Hour Photo is written and directed by Mark Romanek. It stars Robin Williams, Connie Nielsen, Michael Vartan, Dylan Smith, Gary Cole and Eriq La Salle. Music is scored by Reinhold Heil and Johnny Klimek and cinematography by Jeff Cronenweth.
Sy Parrish (Williams) is a loner photo technician at SavMart's one hour photo shop who becomes obsessed with a family whose photographs he develops....
No one takes a photograph of something they want to forget.
2002 was a stellar year for Robin Williams, it saw him give two dramatically potent performances that dampen down the bile spewed up by those who haven't been able to forgive him his comedy excesses. Insomnia has (rightly) found a more appreciative audience since 2002 because of the rise of its director, one Christopher Nolan. One Hour Photo, though, still seems to be striving for recognition for its qualities, in fact, for its understated qualities.
It's evident now that many have gone into the film expecting some psycho stalker movie, and subsequently have been disappointed to find One Hour Photo is nothing of the sort. What unfolds is a sedately paced story of a fractured mind, of a loner who is so detached from society he imagines himself being part of a family, by way of his job, that he thinks is perfect. When the family of his selection turns out to not be a bastion of Americana, the little thread in his head clinging to sanity finally breaks, and then......
Here's the problem. This is no slasher, people need to understand that mental illness or isolation from society does not mean psycho death killer, and thus Romanek's film becomes an observational character study of someone detached from realism. Creepiness permeates the picture, big time, but you shouldn't be putting this in the horror genre. Romanek always holds the upper hand, structured as it is, we the audience find ourselves holding on to see just how far Sy Parrish went with his pursuit of family harmony? With that comes the question of if the finale delivers substance? Well that depends on if you want red blood histrionics or brainy grey area.
There were cuts and studio interference, and in the finale an explanation for Parrish's mental issues reeks of a writer being "handed" a solution by the studio paying his bills. Yet this is mature pot-boiling stuff, a film that dares to simmer and not let the pot spill over for multiplex appeasement. While Williams is nothing short of terrific, an edgy and understated performance that only makes us lament that he didn't do more of these portrayals at his peak. 8/10
Sy Parrish (Williams) is a loner photo technician at SavMart's one hour photo shop who becomes obsessed with a family whose photographs he develops....
No one takes a photograph of something they want to forget.
2002 was a stellar year for Robin Williams, it saw him give two dramatically potent performances that dampen down the bile spewed up by those who haven't been able to forgive him his comedy excesses. Insomnia has (rightly) found a more appreciative audience since 2002 because of the rise of its director, one Christopher Nolan. One Hour Photo, though, still seems to be striving for recognition for its qualities, in fact, for its understated qualities.
It's evident now that many have gone into the film expecting some psycho stalker movie, and subsequently have been disappointed to find One Hour Photo is nothing of the sort. What unfolds is a sedately paced story of a fractured mind, of a loner who is so detached from society he imagines himself being part of a family, by way of his job, that he thinks is perfect. When the family of his selection turns out to not be a bastion of Americana, the little thread in his head clinging to sanity finally breaks, and then......
Here's the problem. This is no slasher, people need to understand that mental illness or isolation from society does not mean psycho death killer, and thus Romanek's film becomes an observational character study of someone detached from realism. Creepiness permeates the picture, big time, but you shouldn't be putting this in the horror genre. Romanek always holds the upper hand, structured as it is, we the audience find ourselves holding on to see just how far Sy Parrish went with his pursuit of family harmony? With that comes the question of if the finale delivers substance? Well that depends on if you want red blood histrionics or brainy grey area.
There were cuts and studio interference, and in the finale an explanation for Parrish's mental issues reeks of a writer being "handed" a solution by the studio paying his bills. Yet this is mature pot-boiling stuff, a film that dares to simmer and not let the pot spill over for multiplex appeasement. While Williams is nothing short of terrific, an edgy and understated performance that only makes us lament that he didn't do more of these portrayals at his peak. 8/10
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- hitchcockthelegend
- Sep 30, 2012
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