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The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

  • 20092009
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 2h 3m
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
149K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,605
242
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Christopher Plummer, Tom Waits, Heath Ledger, Colin Farrell, Verne Troyer, Andrew Garfield, and Lily Cole in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
A story-telling doctor's deal with the devil sends him scrambling to save his daughter on the eve of her 16th birthday.
Play trailer1:45
1 Video
99+ Photos
  • Adventure
  • Comedy
  • Fantasy

A traveling theater company gives its audience much more than they were expecting.A traveling theater company gives its audience much more than they were expecting.A traveling theater company gives its audience much more than they were expecting.

IMDb RATING
6.8/10
149K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,605
242
  • Director
    • Terry Gilliam
  • Writers
    • Terry Gilliam
    • Charles McKeown
  • Stars
    • Christopher Plummer
    • Lily Cole
    • Heath Ledger
Top credits
  • Director
    • Terry Gilliam
  • Writers
    • Terry Gilliam
    • Charles McKeown
  • Stars
    • Christopher Plummer
    • Lily Cole
    • Heath Ledger
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 265User reviews
    • 283Critic reviews
    • 65Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 Oscars
      • 5 wins & 23 nominations total

    Videos1

    The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
    Trailer 1:45
    The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

    Photos143

    Terry Gilliam and Heath Ledger in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
    Christopher Plummer and Lily Cole in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
    Heath Ledger in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
    Heath Ledger in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
    Lily Cole in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
    Verne Troyer in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
    Christopher Plummer and Tom Waits in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
    Heath Ledger in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
    Heath Ledger and Andrew Garfield in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
    Andrew Garfield and Lily Cole in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
    Christopher Plummer, Heath Ledger, Verne Troyer, Andrew Garfield, and Lily Cole in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
    Lily Cole in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Christopher Plummer
    Christopher Plummer
    • Doctor Parnassusas Doctor Parnassus
    Lily Cole
    Lily Cole
    • Valentinaas Valentina
    Heath Ledger
    Heath Ledger
    • Tonyas Tony
    Andrew Garfield
    Andrew Garfield
    • Antonas Anton
    Richard Riddell
    Richard Riddell
    • Martinas Martin
    Katie Lyons
    Katie Lyons
    • Martin's Girlfriendas Martin's Girlfriend
    Richard Shanks
    Richard Shanks
    • Friend of Martinas Friend of Martin
    Verne Troyer
    Verne Troyer
    • Percyas Percy
    Bruce Crawford
    Bruce Crawford
    • Face Changed Martinas Face Changed Martin
    Johnny Harris
    Johnny Harris
    • Policemanas Policeman
    Lorraine Cheshire
    • Mumas Mum
    Mark Benton
    Mark Benton
    • Dadas Dad
    Lewis Gott
    • Diegoas Diego
    Sian Scott
    • Lindaas Linda
    Simon Day
    • Uncle Bobas Uncle Bob
    • (as Simon Daye)
    Moya Brady
    • Aunty Floas Aunty Flo
    Charles McKeown
    Charles McKeown
    • Fairground's Inspectoras Fairground's Inspector
    Tom Waits
    Tom Waits
    • Mr Nickas Mr Nick
    • Director
      • Terry Gilliam
    • Writers
      • Terry Gilliam
      • Charles McKeown
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    In London, the sideshow troupe of Doctor Parnassus promises the audience a journey to the "Imaginarium", an imaginary world commanded by the mind of Doctor Parnassus, where dreams come true. In the stories that Doctor Parnassus tells to his daughter Valentina, the midget Percy, and his assistant Anton, he claims to have lived for more than one thousand years; However, when he fell in love with a mortal woman, he made a deal with the devil (Mr. Nick), trading his immortality for youth. As part of the bargain, he promised his son or daughter to Mr. Nick on their sixteenth birthday. Valentina is now almost to the doomed age and Doctor Parnassus makes a new bet with Mr. Nick, whoever seduces five souls in the Imaginarium will have Valentina as a prize. Meanwhile the troupe rescues Tony, a young man that was hanged on a bridge by the Russians. Tony was chased until he finds and joins the group. Tony and Valentina fall in love with each other and the jealous Anton discovers that his competition may be a liar. —RubyRed, Seattle, Washington USA
    • lead actor's last film
    • immortality
    • imaginary world
    • deal with the devil
    • imagination
    • 124 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • The man who tried to cheat the devil.
    • Genres
      • Adventure
      • Comedy
      • Fantasy
      • Mystery
    • Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
      • Rated PG-13 for violent images, some sensuality, language and smoking
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Jude Law gave all the income they received for this movie to Heath Ledger's daughter Matilda, so that her economic future would be secure.
    • Goofs
      At the temple, bird feces lands on Mr. Nick's right shoulder. In the next shot, his jacket is clean.
    • Quotes

      Tony: Nothing is permanent, not even death.

    • Crazy credits
      The credits begin with "A Film from Heath Ledger & Friends", which is tribute to Ledger who passed away during filming, and a nod to his real life friends (Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Jude Law), who stepped in to finish his uncompleted scenes.
    • Connections
      Featured in Friday Night with Jonathan Ross: Episode #17.4 (2009)
    • Soundtracks
      We Are the Children of the World
      Written by Terry Gilliam

      Arranged by Mychael Danna & Jeff Danna

      Performed by Jam Theatre Company

      Choir Conducted by Jo Noel (as Jo Noel Hartley)

    User reviews265

    Review
    Top review
    6/10
    A Unique and Extraordinary Adventure
    The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus is a very strange film but it pulls together wonderfully. It was dark but funny at the same time. I really loved the imaginarium sequences. Gilliam uses dream-like imagery and odd behavior to construct a fantastic escape into imagination. Although the CGI was admittedly simplistic, it was fitting for the fantasy realm. Great performances, especially by Heath Ledger and Colin Farrell.

    I don't think this movie is for everyone since it has received mixed reactions. I also would advise against having certain expectations going into it, because there's no way to anticipate what you will get out of the film. But for me, it was certainly a real treat and very enjoyable throughout.

    6/10
    helpful•88
    23
    • Lepidopterous_
    • Jan 10, 2010

    FAQ4

    • Is "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" based on a book?
    • Is it true that Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell have decided to donate their earnings from this movie to Matilda Ledger?
    • Why does the first credit at the end of the film read "A film from Heath Ledger & Friends"? Shouldn't it read "A film by Terry Gilliam"?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 8, 2010 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • France
      • Canada
    • Official site
      • Sony Pictures Classics (United States)
    • Languages
      • English
      • Russian
      • French
    • Also known as
      • The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
    • Filming locations
      • Vancouver Public Library, 360 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    • Production companies
      • Infinity Features Entertainment
      • Poo Poo Pictures
      • Parnassus Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $30,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $7,689,607
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $415,233
      • Dec 27, 2009
    • Gross worldwide
      • $61,808,775
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 3 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • SDDS
      • Dolby Digital
      • DTS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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    Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Christopher Plummer, Tom Waits, Heath Ledger, Colin Farrell, Verne Troyer, Andrew Garfield, and Lily Cole in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
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