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, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$3,287,315

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

Audrey Burke: How'd you know about the movies?
Jerry Sunborne: Brian told me.
Audrey Burke: Hm. So how the fuck did you know about it and I didn't?
Jerry Sunborne: I don't know.
[pause]
Jerry Sunborne: Maybe he knew if you did, you wouldn't let him do it again.
[says questionably]
Jerry Sunborne: Just don't take it out on her, okay? It's not her fault.

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Connections

Features Sunset Blvd. (1950)

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

Amazing Movie

This movie played out on screen like a book. It was so amazing to watch. I really loved how there was no music playing for like the first 15 minutes of the movie. This was one powerful film which is sure to get some Oscar nominations. Go see this film, it's a shame they didn't promote it better!

I was so impressed with Bencio Del Torro he gave one of the best male performances that I have seen in a movie in a while. He was so believable as a recovering heroine addict. Halle Berry was sensational as a wife who is now learning to cope with the loss of her husband. This movie has a really nice weave affect to it. It jumps back and forth from beginning to end, but in non-intrusive way. I would highly recommend this film to anyone who loves movies. It is now on the top of my must see movie list!