Imaginary Heroes

Name: Imaginary Heroes
Genre: Drama
Released: December 17, 2004
Duration: 111 min
Rating: 53
Cast: Emile Hirsch, Jeff Daniels, Kip Pardue, Michelle Williams, Sigourney Weaver

2004

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 32 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 18 Ratings

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5.9

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5.9	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 18 Ratings

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Imaginary Heroes

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Movie Details & Credits

Sony Pictures Classics | Release Date: December 17, 2004 | R

Starring: Emile Hirsch, Jeff Daniels, Kip Pardue, Michelle Williams, Sigourney Weaver

Summary: Imaginary Heroes is a look at one long year in the lives of an ostensibly typical, upper-middle-class suburban family. It tells a tale of a family in crisis with wit, warmth and a very contemporary sardonic spin. (Sony Pictures Classics)

Director: Dan Harris

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: R

Runtime: 111 min

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Critic Reviews

100

David Sterritt

Superbly acted. Read full review

William Underhill

Harris leavens the familiar suburban angst with dark humor, rich characterizations and a terrific cast. Read full review

Jami Bernard

In this story of suburban teenage angst, the parents are weird and often cliché to the point of incomprehension, as if seen through the prism of ... a 25-year-old. Read full review

Stephen Holden

Piles too many small disasters on top of the initial tragedy, including a drunken car accident, a drug bust and a cancer scare. It also swerves unsteadily into farce. Read full review

TV Guide Magazine Maitland McDonagh

The first-rate cast is lost at sea. Read full review

Sean Axmaker

Weaver was half-heartedly pushed as an underdog Oscar choice. If the film was worthy of her performance, Weaver may have had a shot. Read full review

Owen Gleiberman

Nothing in Imaginary Heroes rings true, least of all a plot that lightly combines domestic abuse, adulterous pregnancy, teen bisexuality, job abandonment, and a possible case of Mysterious Movie Disease. These are not ordinary people. Or real ones. Read full review

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User Reviews

JoshL.

Dec 29, 2005

I'm amazed at the truly vicious detractors of this movie; I throughly enjoyed it, largely from the great direction, brilliant acting from Weaver, Hirsch, and Daniels, and the engaging story that really compelled me to keep watching. It made me laugh and think and I think a movie that I'm amazed at the truly vicious detractors of this movie; I throughly enjoyed it, largely from the great direction, brilliant acting from Weaver, Hirsch, and Daniels, and the engaging story that really compelled me to keep watching. It made me laugh and think and I think a movie that accomplishes that as well as 'Imaginary Heroes' did deserves to be advocated.… Expand

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ChadS.

Jul 3, 2006

"Imaginary Heroes" is "Ordinary People" with a different brittle, unloving parent, but solid acting trumps originality in this case. In the Robert Redford film, you could imagine that Mary Tyler Moore's character was on valium; here, the subject of drug use is decidedly more blunt. "Imaginary Heroes" is "Ordinary People" with a different brittle, unloving parent, but solid acting trumps originality in this case. In the Robert Redford film, you could imagine that Mary Tyler Moore's character was on valium; here, the subject of drug use is decidedly more blunt. Sigourney Weaver's episode with pot matches Patricia Clarkson's in "Pieces of April" for laughs. It's a comic highlight along with a priceless self-criticism about minorities and tokenism late in the film. And that's the film's saving grace. It's not a total bummer. "Imaginary Heroes" needs a reevaluation.… Expand

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TonyB.

Dec 28, 2005

This is an exceptionally well-acted film, but Emile Hirsch is in danger of being type cast. If you've seen some of his other work, you probably know what I mean. The plot about yet another dysfunctional upper middle class suburban family has more subplots than it can handle and so This is an exceptionally well-acted film, but Emile Hirsch is in danger of being type cast. If you've seen some of his other work, you probably know what I mean. The plot about yet another dysfunctional upper middle class suburban family has more subplots than it can handle and so never really fully realizes any of them.… Expand

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