Elephant (2003)

Several ordinary high school students go through their daily routine as two others prepare for something more malevolent.

Director:

Gus Van Sant

Writer:

Gus Van Sant

Stars:

Elias McConnell, Alex Frost, Eric Deulen

8 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alex Frost	...	Alex
Eric Deulen	...	Eric
John Robinson	...	John McFarland
Elias McConnell	...	Elias
Jordan Taylor	...	Jordan
Carrie Finklea	...	Carrie
Nicole George	...	Nicole
Brittany Mountain	...	Brittany
Alicia Miles	...	Acadia
Kristen Hicks	...	Michelle
Bennie Dixon	...	Benny
Nathan Tyson	...	Nathan
Timothy Bottoms	...	Mr. McFarland
Matt Malloy	...	Mr. Luce
Ellis Williams	...	GSA Teacher (as Ellis E. Williams)

Storyline

A day in the lives of a group of average teenage high school students. The film follows every character and shows their daily routines. However two of the students plan to do something that the student body won't forget.

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Plot Keywords:

violence | teenager | mass murder | high school shooting | held at gunpoint | 

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Taglines:

An ordinary high school day. Except that it's not.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for disturbing violent content, language, brief sexuality and drug use - all involving teens

Did You Know?

Trivia

The school this was filmed at (Whitaker Middle School, formerly Adams High School in Portland, OR) was torn down in 2007 due to asbestos and black mold. The school had already been shut down when the film was shot.

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Goofs

When John is going out from the school (first scene, the dog one) Alex and Eric are coming to the school with the bags of weapons, they all are walking in the concrete path. In the second scene (which is supposed to be the same) they all are on the grass section, but when the camera returns to John, magically he's on the concrete path again.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Mr. McFarland: What? Hey! Where are you going? Come here.
John McFarland: Oh, my God, Dad.
Mr. McFarland: Get in the car. You're gonna be late for school. Come on.
John McFarland: Mom's gonna kill you.

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Connections

Referenced in From Gerry to Elephant (2004)

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Soundtracks

Piano Sonata No. 14 in C Sharp Minor, No. 2 Moonlight - Adagio Sostenuto
(1800-01)
Traditional
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Courtesy of FirstCom Music, Inc.

User Reviews

Wow...!

Elephant is one of those rare movies that really captures the essence of its subject. Van Sant made an incredible decision to cast high school students instead of 'real' actors because it adds, with a positive effect, to the overall feel of the film. This decision actually made the film even more shocking towards the climactic scenes. The movie, as realistic as it may seem, also had elements of fantasy. Some of it didn't seem quite real (by some of the students' reactions, or some of the dialogue), but that added to the effect of the film. It made it seem like what we're all thinking: "This could never happen to me." With those elements of fantasy, we picture this situation as something that will never actually happen to us, but it does, all over the place. It isn't something that we can ignore, or push aside. This is real. This is stuff, not just the shootings, but all of the conflicts, that we face each and every day. It's not a dream, it's reality. I also liked the decision for the name "Elephant". It kind of acted as a social commentary on the ways that we view the school system, and the lack of protection that people were putting on it; the lack of supervision, or the lack of caring for the people. It all seemed to come together, in one very important, and realistic, horrifying film. It shocked me at the end, even though you know what's going to happen, just watching it gave me the creeps because when you're watching the shooter, he actually seems like a person I know. Excellent film, must be watched by all! 4 out of 4.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German

Release Date:

14 November 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Elephant

Filming Locations:

Whitaker Middle School, 5700 NE 39th, Portland, Oregon, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$93,356, 26 October 2003

Gross USA:

$1,266,955

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$10,012,022

Company Credits

Production Co:

HBO Films, Fine Line Features, Meno Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1