Primer (2004)

Four friends/fledgling entrepreneurs, knowing that there's something bigger and more innovative than the different error-checking devices they've built, wrestle over their new invention.

Director:

Shane Carruth

Writer:

Shane Carruth

Stars:

Shane Carruth, David Sullivan, Casey Gooden

3 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Shane Carruth	...	Aaron
David Sullivan	...	Abe
Casey Gooden	...	Robert
Anand Upadhyaya	...	Phillip
Carrie Crawford	...	Kara
Jay Butler	...	Metalshop Worker
John Carruth	...	Man On Couch #1
Juan Tapia	...	Man On Couch #2
Ashley Warren	...	Hostess
Samantha Thomson	...	Rachel Granger
Chip Carruth	...	Thomas Granger
Delaney Price	...	Laney
Jack Pyland	...	Aaron's Co-worker
Keith Bradshaw	...	Clean Room Technician
Ashok Upadhyaya	...	Laboratory Technician

Storyline

Engineers Aaron, Abe, Robert and Phillip are working on an invention, the prototype being built in Aaron's garage. This project is beyond their day jobs. The project truly does belong to Aaron and Abe, as they use all their free time working on it, primarily trying to overcome the many engineering related problems they've encountered. It is during one of his tests with the invention running that Abe discovers that a protein inside the main unit has multiplied much more rapidly than it could in nature. Rather than the invention being a protein super incubator, Abe, using himself as a guinea pig, and a very meticulous one at that, discovers that the invention can be used as a time machine. In his self experiment, Abe was especially careful not to interfere with his own self in that time warp. Abe passes along this discovery to Aaron, who he expects will tell his wife Kara in what is the sanctity of their marriage, but he doesn't want to tell either Robert or Phillip. Much to Abe's ...

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Plot Keywords:

changing the future | time travel | nonlinear timeline | invention | independent film | 

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Taglines:

What happens if it actually works?

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Genres:

Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

G

Did You Know?

Trivia

The budget for the entire film was around $7000. Most of the money was spent on film stock.

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Goofs

When Abe and Aaron are in the walk-in freezer at the university laboratory, at the end of the scene, the knee of a crew member holding the microphone is visible when they walk out the door.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Aaron: [Sound of a phone ringing. Aaron, voiceover:] Here's what's going to happen. I'm gonna read this, and you're gonna listen, and you're gonna stay on the line. And you're not gonna interrupt, and you're not gonna speak for any reason. Some of this you know. I'm gonna start at the top of the page.
[pause]
Aaron: Meticulous, yes. Methodical, educated; they were these things. Nothing extreme. Like anyone, they varied. There were days of mistakes and laziness and in-fighting, and there were days, ...

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Crazy Credits

Thanks to Scott Douglass for having the faith to invest in the final stages of marketing and post production

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Connections

Edited into Hollywood Burn (2006)

User Reviews

Very scientific, yet haunting

There's something about this one. I just watched it three times straight through, and that's not normal. As a film, it's technically fine (music, direction, camera), even though it's an "amateur" production. I take some issue with the editing, however as it relates to the story-telling. Part of why I had to watch it a few times is that I wasn't figuring out what was going on. Portions were hard to follow or just not spelled out when they needed to be. I don't need hand-holding, but there's a lot of technical information to absorb in this one and I wish a few scenes were a bit more clear. But that adds mystery, I guess.

I found the dialog to be extremely believable and it made me really believe that this could be something actually happening. That's part of what makes it haunting for me, I guess.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

27 May 2005 (Spain)

Also Known As:

Inventia

Filming Locations:

Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$7,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$28,162, 10 October 2004

Gross USA:

$424,760

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$545,436

Company Credits

Production Co:

ERBP

Technical Specs

Runtime:

77 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1