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Imaginary Heroes

Play trailer Poster for Imaginary Heroes R 2005 1h 52m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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34% Tomatometer 104 Reviews 81% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
After their college athlete son (Kip Pardue) commits suicide, Sandy (Sigourney Weaver) and Ben Travis (Jeff Daniels) re-evaluate their relationship. Their teenage son, Tim (Emile Hirsch), offers some relief from the difficulties when Sandy starts smoking marijuana with him, though Ben feels excluded from their newfound friendship. When Tim realizes he is no longer attracted to his girlfriend, Steph (Suzanne Santo), his interest in neighbor Kyle (Ryan Donowho) takes on a whole new meaning.
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Imaginary Heroes

Imaginary Heroes

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Critics Consensus

Imaginary Heroes is a muddled, melodramatic and unconvincing drama.

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Critics Reviews

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Liam Lacey Globe and Mail 03/18/2005
2/4
Although she comes across as bordering on insufferable, we are expected to understand that Sandy is the touchstone of honesty in the film because, like other American films of the Sundance variety, eccentricity signifies emotional authenticity. Go to Full Review Geoff Pevere Toronto Star 03/18/2005
2/4
Weaver pretty much keeps Imaginary Heroes aloft. Go to Full Review Marc Savlov Austin Chronicle 03/13/2005
3/5
Has a third act that consists almost entirely of skeletons tumbling out of the closet, but Weaver's and Hirsch's flawless performances elevate the film above and beyond the ranks of 'Ordinary People' pastiches, and in the end it stands on its own merits. Go to Full Review David Lamble Bay Area Reporter 05/07/2020
Think Ice Storm and Donnie Darko as the American Dream goes terribly awry in the bosom of a suburban family. Go to Full Review Kaleem Aftab The List 04/24/2019
2/5
The fractured, non-linear narrative fires plenty of red herrings and there are plenty of pointless characters with melodramatic side plots that go nowhere. Go to Full Review Cole Smithey ColeSmithey.com 07/02/2009
B
Sigourney Weaver is impeccable as a distraught mother who resorts to pot to barricade her emotions in writer/director Dan Harris' diamond-sharp treatise on American family dysfunction that makes "The Ice Storm" look like a walk in the park. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Phil G @philexile 4h Watched Ordinary Heroes and, next day, watched it again. Have to disagree with the critics on this one - it's a great movie and I loved it. Were there sudden and inexplicable plot twists? Yes. But hey - life is like that. Did we see the son's suicide coming? No. It is jarring - but every event in film doesn't have to have the big set-up. Sigourney Weaver is wonderful, as always. And I thought Emile Hirsch's performance was understated and 'real'. So, I'm swimming against the tide on this one. Five stars. See more Ryan D Oct 7 Great cast. The story really gets kinda twisted. It was interesting. See more 10/24/2018 Watch Ordinary People instead. See more 10/02/2017 I love this movie so much. It has so many elements and shows a family burdened by the grief of a loved one and how it affects them all. Emile Hirsch and Sigourney Weaver both do stunning performances. I've watched this flick so many times. See more Frances H 05/26/2015 A touching and sometimes darkly humorous portrait of a family trying to deal with the death of a child. As often happens in such cases, it almost tears the family apart, since all are attempting to deal with their grief by themselves. What allows this family to finally come together is the revelation of a secret truth, and that there is a great danger of losing the child they still have. See more 10/27/2014 How odd that critics rated this so low. It's been one of my favourite dramas for a long time. I love movies about family troubles and problems and this one delivers. I'd compare it to The Ice Storm and Igby goes Down. It has it's humorous points and it's dramatic points. Thoroughly enjoyable. See more Read all reviews
Imaginary Heroes

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Cast & Crew

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Dan Harris

Director

Sigourney Weaver

Sandy Travis

Emile Hirsch

Tim Travis

Jeff Daniels

Ben Travis

Michelle Williams

Penny Travis

Kip Pardue

Matt Travis

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Imaginary Heroes

Imaginary Heroes (2004) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis After their college athlete son (Kip Pardue) commits suicide, Sandy (Sigourney Weaver) and Ben Travis (Jeff Daniels) re-evaluate their relationship. Their teenage son, Tim (Emile Hirsch), offers some relief from the difficulties when Sandy starts smoking marijuana with him, though Ben feels excluded from their newfound friendship. When Tim realizes he is no longer attracted to his girlfriend, Steph (Suzanne Santo), his interest in neighbor Kyle (Ryan Donowho) takes on a whole new meaning.
Director
Dan Harris
Producer
Illana Diamant, Moshe Diamant, Frank Hübner, Gina Resnick, Denise Shaw
Screenwriter
Dan Harris
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co
QI Quality International GmbH & Co. KG, ApolloProMedia, Imaginary Heroes, Signature Films
Rating
R (Sexual Content|Language|Some Violence|Substance Abuse)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 18, 2005, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 1, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA)
$228.5K
Runtime
1h 52m
Sound Mix
Surround, Dolby SRD
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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