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:

recovery | narcotics anonymous | garage | dinner | best friend | 

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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

Details

Official Sites:

Paramount [France] Paramount [United States]

Country:

USA UK Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 October 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Nos souvenirs brûlés

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:

$8,547,733

Company Credits

Production Co:

DreamWorks, 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

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

Jerry Sunborne: Roses are red, Violets are blue, I'm schizophrenic, and so am I.

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Connections

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

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Soundtracks

Black Napkins
Written & Performed by Frank Zappa
Courtesy of The Zappa Family Trust

User Reviews

Powerful Story and Performances

Went to a preview of this movie last night. I was blown away by the powerful performances of Benicio Del Torro and Halle Berry. Del Torro's performance was particularly moving - his best ever and Halle Berry definitely delivers. This is the story of a woman who appears to have been so invested in her husband as the center of her universe that when she tragically loses him, she turns to his best friend (who she has hated for years) to keep from losing her connection to her husband. In the course of events, she discovers the redeeming qualities her husband had always seen in him.

Del Torro gives a poignant performance of a drug addict who struggles to change his life after the loss of his best friend - with quiet dignity. A must see at least once. Although the movie is long, I can't imagine cutting one moment of this powerful story. Cinematically it's superb.

Everyone who knows anyone who has struggled with addiction will be gripped by the performance of Del Torro.