The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things (2004)

Seven-year-old Jeremiah is pulled from his foster home and thrown into a troubled life on the road with his teenage mother, Sarah.

Director:

Asia Argento

Writers:

Laura Albert (short stories) (as J.T. LeRoy), Asia Argento (screenplay)

Stars:

Asia Argento, Dylan Sprouse, Cole Sprouse

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Asia Argento	...	Sarah
Jimmy Bennett	...	Young Jeremiah
Kara Kemp	...	Social Worker #1
Brent Almond	...	Cop #1
David Dwyer	...	Cop #2
Kip Pardue	...	Luther
Jeremy Renner	...	Emerson
David Brian Alley	...	Doctor (as David Alley)
Lydia Lunch	...	Social Worker #2
Ornella Muti	...	Grandmother
Dylan Sprouse	...	Older Jeremiah
Cole Sprouse	...	Older Jeremiah
Peter Fonda	...	Grandfather
John Robinson	...	Aaron
Lindy Maguire	...	Girl

Storyline

The dysfunctional twenty-three-year-old Sarah takes her six-year-old natural son Jeremiah from the home of his beloved foster parents with the support of the social service to live with her. Along the years, the boy shares her insane and low lifestyle and is introduced to booze and drugs and mentally, physically and sexually abused by Sarah, her lovers and her religiously fanatic family.

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Plot Keywords:

child abuse | written and directed by cast member | prostitute | child molester | female nudity | 

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Taglines:

Behind the greatest hoax of our time is the heartbreaking story that started it all.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for intense depiction of child abuse/neglect, strong sex and drug content, pervasive language and some violence

Details

Country:

USA UK France Japan

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 January 2005 (France)

Also Known As:

A szív csalfa vágyai

Filming Locations:

Knoxville, Tennessee, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,000, 12 March 2006, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$29,058, 30 March 2006

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$176,153, 27 February 2005

Company Credits

Production Co:

Above All Things Inc.,Artist Film,Metro Tartan Distribution Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min 97 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film stars three Oscar Nominees; Peter Fonda, Jeremy Renner and Winona Ryder.

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Goofs

When Chester stumbles out of the meth lab after the explosion, he is obviously severely burnt as evidenced by his face. Yet the white embroidery on his black leather vest is undamaged in any way.

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Quotes

Older Jeremiah: [picks up two pieces of coal and see's faces on them] Oh, you gonna cry if you don't get what you want?
Older Jeremiah: [slams the largest piece of coal off the floor and draws on it with a red pencil] You killed your momma, look, thats blood. You killed your momma, I'm all you got left.

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Connections

References Santa Sangre (1989)

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Soundtracks

Two Time Girl
Written and Performed by Knoxville Girls
Published by Loathsome River Music (BMI)
Courtesy of In The Red Records

User Reviews

It's really fiction

Just so you know, New York Magazine has outed JT LeRoy as a 40ish mother living in San Fancisco. The JT in magazines and premieres is an actor hired by this woman, Laura Albert, to impersonate her creation. So please those of you who were hesitant to criticize elements that are missing in the story, don't worry. "Heart" really is fiction! It's interesting that people are hesitant to criticize when they think a story is true. Finding out "author" JT LeRoy was in fact a literary hoax makes this movie very different for me. What could have been a "Basketball Diaries" slice of life is nothing more than an ordinary work of fiction and a rather unbelievable one at that.