The Life Before Her Eyes (2007)

A woman's survivor's guilt from a Columbine-like event twenty years ago causes her present-day idyllic life to fall apart.

Director:

Vadim Perelman

Writers:

Laura Kasischke (novel), Emil Stern (screenplay)

Stars:

Uma Thurman, Evan Rachel Wood, Eva Amurri Martino

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Uma Thurman	...	Diana (Adult)
Evan Rachel Wood	...	Diana (Teen)
Eva Amurri Martino	...	Maureen (as Eva Amurri)
Gabrielle Brennan	...	Emma
Brett Cullen	...	Paul
Oscar Isaac	...	Marcus
Jack Gilpin	...	Mr. McCleod
Maggie Lacey	...	Amanda (Adult)
John Magaro	...	Michael Patrick
Lynn Cohen	...	Sister Beatrice
Nathalie Paulding	...	Amanda (Teen) (as Nathalie Nicole Paulding)
Molly Price	...	Diana's Mother
Oliver Solomon	...	Detective
Anna Moore	...	Blonde Student (as Anna Renee Moore)
Isabel Keating	...	Maureen's Mother

Storyline

A dramatic thriller about Diana, a suburban wife and mother who begins to question her seemingly perfect life--and perhaps her sanity--on the 15th anniversary of a tragic high school shooting. In flashbacks, Diana is a vibrant high schooler who, with her shy best friend Maureen, plot typical teenage strategies--cutting class,fantasizing about boys--and vow to leave their sleepy suburb at the first opportunity. The older Diana, however, is haunted by the increasingly strained relationship she had with Maureen as day of the school shooting approached. These memories disrupt the idyllic life she's now leading with her professor husband Paul and their young daughter Emma. As older Diana's life begins to unravel and younger Diana gets closer and closer to the fatal day, a deeper mystery slowly unravels.

---

Plot Keywords:

best friend | bikini | sex talk | older man younger woman relationship | teacher student relationship | 

---

Taglines:

Diana's life is not what it seems.

---

Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Mystery | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violent and disturbing content, language and brief drug use

Details

Official Sites:

Magnolia Pictures [United States] Metropolitan Films [France]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 September 2008 (Poland)

Also Known As:

In Bloom

Filming Locations:

Darien, Connecticut, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$20,220, 20 April 2008, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$303,439, 29 June 2008

Company Credits

Production Co:

2929 Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although the location in which the film takes place is never identified, the cars have Connecticut license plates.

---

Goofs

[All goofs for this title are spoilers.]

---

Quotes

Paul McFee: William James, that most American philosopher, once advised: "begin to be now what you will be hereafter". One might ask how? Our deepest guide in our beginning to be, is our imagination. Our ability to project, and mold our future selves from the myriad possibilities before us. And to imagine takes courage and effort. But it gives us hope too, hope that we can author our own destinies, hope that rightness of the decisions we make now will be borne out in the future. As much as we can be ...

---

Connections

Referenced in Teen Wolf: The Tell (2011)

---

Soundtracks

She's Not There
Composed by Rod Argent
Performed by The Zombies
Publisher: Marquis Music Co. Ltd. for the World
Zombies recording licensed from Marquis Enterprises Ltd.

User Reviews

She's Not There

Greetings again from the darkness. Most rated director Vadim Perelman's "House of Sand and Fog" higher than I, but I believe this is a much better and far more interesting film than his earlier effort. Based on the novel by Laura Kasischke, this is a bit of an eerie mind-bender that maintains an intoxicating look and feel.

Evan Rachel Wood adds to her amazing list of strong performances with pure teen angst, but this time there is an additional depth not seen before. Uma Thurman plays the 15 year senior version of Ms. Woods character and delivers one of her best yet. Also of note is Eva Amurri as Wood's friend Maureen who plays a key role at decision time. Ms. Amurri is also Susan Sarandon's real life daughter.

Can't give away much of this one, but I will say it is a joy to watch scene construction and the back and forth between present and past (or is it present and future) make for a multi-layered film that is engrossing in its delivery. Plus, the Zombies song makes a few appearances ... very cool.