SCREEN

IMAGINARY HEROES

Steve Bornfeld













IMAGINARY HEROES (R)

(2 stars)


Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Jeff Daniels, Emile Hirsch


Director: Dan Harris


Details: Opens Friday



Son kills self ... family copes via drugs, disease, depression, arrests, homosexuality, partying, teen sex, violence, work absences, musical composition, exposed secrets, infidelity, paternity issues, confrontations, catharsis ... and cooking extra food for dead kid and leaving table setting for him at dinner ... Ice Storm meets Ordinary People with dollop of Days Of Our Lives ... everyone mopes and stares and speaks in Solemn Voice ... dialogue pregnant with Meaning ... meaning of Meaning unclear ... understated snapshots ... too understated ... of family in crisis ... pace crawls ... in love with its own navel-gazing ... performances movie's saving grace ... Weaver's mature, sexy intelligence nurturing and alluring ... Hirsch, soulful young actor playing son ... we follow him, though his story gets less and less interesting ... Daniels, catatonic and grieving at first, missing in middle, moving at end ... Michelle Williams in disposable sister role, but adds warmth ... do yourself favor ... rent Ice Storm and Ordinary People ... then TiVo Days Of Our Lives.

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