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Imaginary Heroes

Review by: Paul Maniaci

paulmaniaci@thecinemasource.com

Imaginary Heroes is the story of the Travis family whose motto seems to be, ‘misery loves company.’ An unforeseen and tragic event further divides their dysfunctional household and has Sandy (Sigourney Weaver) naively attempting to explain to her son, "things fall apart and we put them back together." Hold on tight to see if they can get their lives on track in an engagingly bleak look at family spiced with dashes of dark humor.

Tim Travis (Emile Hirsch) is a high school senior who has always lived in the shadows of his older athlete-hero-brother, Matt played by Kip Pardue. His father, Ben, (Jeff Daniels) is basically sleep walking through life following the death of his star son and barely acknowledges Tims’ existence. Sandy is still married to Ben, but they aren't connecting as husband and wife. She has a close relationship with Tim, which turns out is because they are similar people facing similar struggles. The family does not connect as a whole.

The strength of the film is in its story that provides the talented actors involved plenty of material to work with. It’s not a cheery portrait of a family; this is no Kodak moment. It stings so much because the Travis' miserable reality is probably closer to ours than any white picket fence existence. Every family has issues that may not come to the surface and hopefully you aren't as screwed up as the Travis', but this film feels truthful because in the bigger picture life isn't easy and perhaps that makes those moments of actual happiness so much more meaningful. Furthermore, Dan Harris' screenplay has many unexpected twists that sucker punch you, leaving you gasping for air. Luckily these moments are tempered with wry, witty dialogue spouted mostly by Sandy, the matriarch in charge of this unit.

The strong script is carried out magnificently by an outstanding cast spearheaded by Sigourney Weaver. Weaver brings the pain as Sandy trying to figure out where she has failed as a mother and wife in an attempt to reassemble a family that has been tearing apart at the seams for years and now is in true crisis mode. Sandy is like a trained pit-bull, ferocious and protective with a soft side that is unseen to the rest of her family but blossoms in her relationship with her son Tim.

Emile Hirsch continues to show his vast acting range as he switches from the comedy genre of his last film The Girl Next Door to the suffering, underappreciated teenager he embodies in this movie. This young man can straight out act, becoming characters. In this role you simply want to give him a hug and tell him

to hang in there wishing him success especially since he has been dealt a losing hand where his father disregards him.

Jeff Daniels couldn't look more depressed and that means he has succeeded in his portrayal of disconnected father Ben Travis. Ben's only reason for living has been taken away from him and now he walks through life like a ghost. I like to think of Daniels in goofier more upbeat fare like Dumb & Dumber, but he too shows his acting can stretch across genres.

What is the significance of the title you may ask? I don't want to play spoiler because there are a few poignant moments in the film where they spell it out for you, but simply put Imaginary Heroes refers to appearances and how things never seem like they are.

Imaginary Heroes is a little long towards the end, but its story and performances commandeer your attention as you sit and wait to see how the Travis' tale unfolds. It is not a cheery film in the least, but its dark humor lightens the mood so it does not get overly heavy. I like to think that the film ends on a hopeful note as the family walks off in to the sunset, but you should go watch and judge for yourself. At the very least they are talking openly to one another and that could put them on the right track to mending some of that white picket fence.

Movie Grade: B+

About the Movie
“Imaginary Heroes” centers on a family that on the surface seem to have the ideal life. This perfect façade is smashed when an incomprehensible event shatters the Travises, spinning their lives out of control. Only by facing the truths about themselves, each family member must confront the past in order to regain control of their future.