The Lazarus Project (2008)

A former criminal is drawn into a criminal endeavor and subsequently finds himself living an inexplicable new life working at a psychiatric facility.

Director:

John Glenn (as John Patrick Glenn)

Writers:

John Glenn (screenplay) (as John Patrick Glenn), Evan Astrowsky (story)

Stars:

Paul Walker, Piper Perabo, Brooklynn Proulx

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Paul Walker	...	Ben Garvey
Piper Perabo	...	Lisa Garvey
Brooklynn Proulx	...	Katie Garvey (as Brooklyn Proulx)
Bob Gunton	...	Father Ezra
Lambert Wilson	...	Avery
Linda Cardellini	...	Julie Ingram
Tony Curran	...	William Reeds
Malcolm Goodwin	...	Robbie
Ross McMillan	...	Dr. James
Aaron Hughes	...	Caleb
Sean Skene	...	Orderly
John Callander	...	The Lineman
Shawn Hatosy	...	Ricky Garvey
Alex Sol	...	Phelps
Peter Jordan	...	Male Tech

Storyline

A harrowing and frightening thriller about a man who has everything he's ever loved stripped away from him; and to earn his life and family back, he must face obstacles of mystical origins, endure countless tests of his faith, struggle with his own sanity, and explore the depth and the power of his soul..

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Plot Keywords:

ex convict | secret | dallas texas | prison | lethal injection | 

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Taglines:

Some realities have no escape

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some violence, disturbing images and thematic material

Details

Country:

USA Canada UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 October 2008 (Taiwan)

Also Known As:

The Heaven Project

Filming Locations:

Brandon, Manitoba, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$9,750,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$9,162

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mandeville Films, Inferno Distribution, Be Good Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Paul Walker was the first choice for the lead role in the film.

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Goofs

When a dog suddenly appears and is eventually befriended by Ben, it follows him around presumably leaving paw-prints all over the place (particularly since it was often raining), yet later when Ben is told by the manager of the psychiatric institute that there couldn't have been any dog because animals were not permitted, all Ben would have had to do was to calculatingly arrange for the manager to see some of the paw-prints, thereby exposing the lie.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Katie Garvey: Daddy, what's the greatest thing you ever saw?
Ben Garvey: Greatest thing you ever saw. Umm. One time when I was a little boy, I was playing with my slingshot and I saw this Jaybird. I don't know why but I shot him.
Katie Garvey: You killed a birdie?
Ben Garvey: I didn't mean to. I don't even know why I shot at him, but I felt so bad, I started praying to God that he would come back. And all of a sudden the Jaybird woke up. He just flew away.
Katie Garvey: God saved him?
Ben Garvey: Yeah, I think so.

User Reviews

A great underrated gem of a movie

This film is one of the most underrated films I have seen that came out in recent years. I found the subject matter very original and thought-provoking. Paul Walker plays a man who experiences something which seems to be fatal, and is transformed into a new life with a second chance, but can't figure out if he actually died an is reborn, or if he survived the incident but is given a new life. It has a nice psychological appeal to it, as well as fresh cinematography and musical score to go with it. Kudos to Jerzy Zielnski for shooting it well an Brian Tyler's suitable music.

I can't say Paul Walker was stunning in the lead, but he was convincing, as he was in Running Scared which is another great film. I thought Lazarus Project is an original, innovative, entertaining, thriller that still manages to make some interesting arguments rather than just being about special effects, action and the usual Hollywood antics. I was impressed. 9/10 #184 on my list of all time favorite movies.