Fireflies in the Garden (2008)

The Taylor family is devastated by an accident that takes place on the day their matriarch is due to graduate from college -- decades after leaving to raise her children.

Director:

Dennis Lee

Writers:

Robert Frost (poem), Dennis Lee

Stars:

Ryan Reynolds, Willem Dafoe, Emily Watson

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ryan Reynolds	...	Michael
Willem Dafoe	...	Charles
Emily Watson	...	Jane
Carrie-Anne Moss	...	Kelly (as Carrie Anne Moss)
Julia Roberts	...	Lisa
Ioan Gruffudd	...	Addison
Hayden Panettiere	...	Young Jane
Shannon Lucio	...	Ryne
Cayden Boyd	...	Young Michael
George Newbern	...	Jimmy (as George Newburn)
Chase Ellison	...	Christopher
Brooklynn Proulx	...	Leslie
Diane Perella	...	Flight Attendant
Natalie Karp	...	Social Worker
John C. Stennfeld	...	Reverend Byers (as Reverend John Stennfeld)

Storyline

A family with an abusive father, a sensitive son, and a mother out of her depth: we see them when Michael is about 12 and when he's in his 30's, a writer of romance novels, going home for his mother and sister's college graduations. We go back and forth between the two periods: when Michael is a boy, the pressure builds to the point when the thin thread keeping them as a family threatens to break, and there's a fight. During Michael's trip home, there's an unexpected death which prolongs his stay and brings to the light his relationship with his father, his aunt, and her young children. Michael's estranged wife joins them for the funeral.

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Plot Keywords:

cheating wife | girl in panties | panties | aunt | author | 

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Taglines:

Having a son is not the same as being a father.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 July 2008 (Greece)

Also Known As:

Luciérnagas en el jardín

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$36,884, 14 October 2011, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$3,393,161, 3 November 2011

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,393,161, 3 November 2011

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kulture Machine, Senator Entertainment Co

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min (theatrical) 120 min 94 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The last film of acclaimed editor Dede Allen.

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Goofs

When Kelly first appears walking into the house after the funeral, the boom mic is visibly above the doorway.

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Quotes

Michael: [sits down near Christopher on the roof] I love what you've done with the room.
[lights a cigarette]
Michael: I used to come out here a lot when I was grounded.
Christopher: [sniffing because he was crying] Mom told me you were always getting in trouble.
Michael: She should talk.
Christopher: [crossly] What's that supposed to mean?
Michael: Before your mother was a mom, she was my best friend.
Christopher: [sarcastically] You guys have tea parties together?
Michael: Yeah, occasionally. Your mother taught me everything I shouldn't know, smartass.
Christopher: Like how to write like a ...
[...]

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Connections

References Ergo Proxy (2006)

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Soundtracks

Am I Black Enough
Performed by Turntable Bay
Written by David Hadland, Scott Schorr & Victor Williams
Courtesy of Lazy Bones Recordings

User Reviews

Small things

I watched this movie at the Berlin Film Festival and I have to admit that I was surprised by Ryan Reynolds. He can play the dramatic role(s) as you can see him do here ...

His performance anchors the movie and although we have other great actors here too, he is the one that leads us into and through the story. You won't be surprised to hear/read that the story is semi-auto-biographical. It is that deep and it goes into his characters. Having said that, William Dafoe is somewhat of a show-stealer too. Although I do think he could have been a bit better sketched (yes OK he's defined by a real human, but it feels more like a restriction to me). All in all, a drama with occasional light moments in an overall dark story.