Things We Lost in the Fire (2007)

A recent widow invites her husband's troubled best friend to live with her and her two children. As he gradually turns his life around, he helps the family cope and confront their loss.

Director:

Susanne Bier

Writer:

Allan Loeb

Stars:

Halle Berry, Benicio Del Toro, Alison Lohman

4 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Halle Berry	...	Audrey Burke
Benicio Del Toro	...	Jerry Sunborne
David Duchovny	...	Brian Burke
Alexis Llewellyn	...	Harper Burke
Micah Berry	...	Dory Burke
John Carroll Lynch	...	Howard Glassman
Alison Lohman	...	Kelly
Robin Weigert	...	Brenda
Omar Benson Miller	...	Neal
Paula Newsome	...	Diane
Sarah Dubrovsky	...	Spring
Maureen Thomas	...	Grandma Ginnie Burke
Patricia Harras	...	Howard's Wife
V.J. Foster	...	Distressed Man (as VJ Foster)
Caroline Field	...	Teresa Haddock (as Carolyn Field)

Storyline

Grief, recovery, and human contact. Brian is a great guy - a sweet father, a good husband, and a loyal friend to his boyhood pal Jerry who's a junkie. When tragedy strikes, Jerry tries to help Brian's wife and children cope, and Audrey, Brian's widow, tries to help Jerry kick the habit. Loss and addiction are stubborn. The story starts on the day of the funeral, with Brian appearing in flashbacks. A neighbor's divorce, a dinner party that includes a young woman from the Narcotics Anonymous group Jerry attends, and thinking back to a fire in Brian and Audrey's garage give the story texture.

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Plot Keywords:

f rated | recovery | narcotics anonymous | garage | dinner | 

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Taglines:

Hope comes with letting go.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for drug content and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Release prints were shipped to some theaters under the fake title "Water".

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Goofs

When Jerry meets Kelly, he unlocks his bike and turns it 180 degrees, but when he rides away on the sidewalk, he is headed the original direction in which the bike was parked.

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Quotes

Howard Glassman: So how come Brian never mentioned you?
Jerry Sunborne: Because I'm a recovering heroin addict maybe.
[moment's silence]
Howard Glassman: I hate my wife. I mean, since we're sharing...

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Connections

Featured in A Discussion About 'Things We Lost in the Fire' (2008)

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Soundtracks

Sweet Jane
Written by Lou Reed
Performed by The Velvet Underground
Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp.
By Arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing

User Reviews

Sad But Not Depressing

I think a lot of people are skipping "Things We Lost In The Fire" because they think it is going to be depressing. While the film is definitely sad, it is not depressing because it is about coping and surviving in the face of tragedy. It is one of the best films of the year.

Halle Berry and Benicio Del Toro give amazing performances and it is unfortunate that there are not more films that take advantage of their talents. I bet Halle Berry would not make so many bad films if she were given more scripts like this. The photography and directing are first rate.

If you have enough interest in this movie to be reading this review, you need to run out and see "Things We Lost In The Fire." This is a film about the things that matter most in life. It will lose much of it's impact on video, so you need to see it on the big screen while you can.

Details

Official Sites:

Paramount [France] Paramount [United States]

Country:

USA UK Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 October 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Things We Lost in the Fire

Filming Locations:

Kitsilano, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$16,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,561,949, 21 October 2007

Gross USA:

$3,287,315

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$8,591,255

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dreamworks Pictures, Neal Street Productions, Province of British Columbia Production Services Tax Credit

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1