Restless (2011)

The story of a terminally ill teenage girl who falls for a boy who likes to attend funerals and their encounters with the ghost of a Japanese kamikaze pilot from WWII.

Director:

Gus Van Sant

Writer:

Jason Lew

Stars:

Mia Wasikowska, Henry Hopper, Ryo Kase

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Henry Hopper	...	Enoch Brae
Mia Wasikowska	...	Annabel Cotton
Ryo Kase	...	Hiroshi Takahashi (as Ryô Kase)
Schuyler Fisk	...	Elizabeth Cotton
Lusia Strus	...	Rachel Cotton
Jane Adams	...	Mabel
Paul Parson	...	Edward
Thomas Lauderdale	...	Minister
Christopher D. Harder	...	Funeral Director
Morgan Lee	...	Driver
Kenneth L. Peterson	...	CT Technician
William J. Eggleston	...	X-Ray Technician (as William Eggleston)
Chin Han	...	Dr. Lee
Jhon Goodwin	...	Nurse Goodwin (as John Goodwin)
Kelleen Crawford	...	Nurse Laura

Storyline

Annabel is a terminally ill cancer patient and is quietly awaiting her death spending her time studying nature. Enoch is struggling to recover from the death of his parents and spends his time attending funerals with his only friend - a ghost named Hiroshi who was a WWII Japanese kamikaze pilot. Just as Annabel's sister is trying to cope with Annabel's impending death, Annabel and Enoch fall in love. They both finally have a reason to live, but is it too late to have a life together?

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Plot Keywords:

japanese | kamikaze | ghost | love | funeral | 

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Taglines:

Who do you live for?

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements and brief sensuality

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 April 2011 (Egypt)

Also Known As:

Untitled Gus Van Sant Project

Filming Locations:

Portland, Oregon, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$15,467, 18 September 2011, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$163,141, 18 December 2011

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Imagine Entertainment, 360 Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min 76 min (silent)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS (as Datasat Digital Sound) SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie's first-time screenwriter Jason Lew and (co-producer) Bryce Dallas Howard attended New York University together and it was there that Lew first wrote the story as a play. Howard, who had acted in plays with Lew, got a peek at the story and encouraged him to write it as a screenplay.

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Goofs

Hiroshi Takahashi says he died as a kamikaze pilot in 1941 but kamikaze tactics by Japan only began in late 1944.

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Quotes

Annabel Cotton: [to Enoch] It is getting pretty complicated.

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Alternate Versions

On home video, the movie was also released as a silent version, shot specifically by Van Sant during principal photography. This version is about 15 minutes shorter than the theatrical release.

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Connections

References Love Story (1970)

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Soundtracks

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
Written by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Marc Mann

User Reviews

Sad, funny, quirky and romantic! (Love in the face of Death)

Gus Van Sant rarely makes bad movies. I've liked him him since 'My Own Private Idaho', and who can forget masterpieces like 'Good Will Hunting' and 'Milk'? With a gloomy premise involving a cancer-stricken girl (who's going to witness death) and a recently-out-of-coma funeral-crashing guy (who nearly witnesses death), people might lose interest in the beginning itself. But, it's a beautiful movie which explores love, life and death, and challenges our ideas surrounding death.

Many may find the movie slow, unconventional and hollow... But, it really worked for me. It's sad, funny, quirky and romantic! All the three lead actors, Mia Wasikowska, Henry Hopper and Ryo Kase fit their roles very well. Mia Wasikowska is an incredible young actress who has been part of wonderful movies like 'The Kids Are All Right", 'Jane Eyre' and 'Albert' Nobbs'.

Starting with Beatles' "Two of Us", and with the addition of one of my favourite French songs ("Je ne veux pas travailler") in the background score, it makes me love the movie even more...

I loved the character of the Japanese Kamikaze Ghost, and his character summarizes the movie well.