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	Imaginary Heroes
	Dan Harris Sigourney Weaver, Emile Hirsch, Jeff Daniels, Michelle Williams, Kip Pardue, Deirdre O'Connell, Ryan Donowho, Suzanne Santo 2004		With her sardonic performance as the depressed, self-destructive wife and mother in "Imaginary Heroes," Sigourney Weaver evokes memories of her portrayal of a sexy, '70s-era housewife from the angst-ridden suburban drama "The Ice Storm." But the events and fractured relationships in "Imaginary Heroes" are more pat and melodramatic than those in "The Ice Storm." When the upper-middle-class Travis family is pummeled by a tragedy, they react in different ways. Teenaged son Tim (Emile Hirsche), stunned and saddened, wrestles with feelings of guilt and inadequacy. Mom (Weaver) is infuriated, and takes out her anger on the next-door neighbor. Dad (Jeff Daniels) is numb to the point of near-incoherence. Tim's older sister (Michelle Williams), who lives away at college, is dazed and distant when she's back home. Unsure whether he should turn to his girlfriend Steph or his best friend Kyle for support, Tim sinks deeper into confusion. Writer and director Dan Harris previously scripted "X2," the screen adaptation of the comic book about a team of mutated, conflicted superheroes. Harris moved from "Extraordinary Mutants" to "Ordinary People" for "Imaginary Heroes," and misses the mark. The earnest acting, especially by Weaver and Hirsche, and the sharp dialogue deserve commendation, although some of the humor that leavens the film's overall dreariness seems gratuitous rather than organic.


	Wednesday, December 18, 2024





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