Imaginary Heroes
Sony Pictures Classics | Release Date: December 17, 2004 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
53
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 32 Critic Reviews
Positive:
12
Mixed:
17
Negative:
3
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Superbly acted. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterMichael Rechtshaffen
A sharply observed tragicomedy that draws laughter as genuinely as it coaxes tears, the nicely paced film tempers its themes of loss and sorrow with a cynically witty edge and is graced by a perfectly pitched Sigourney Weaver performance. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
The characters deserve a better movie, but they get a pretty good one. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
Reveals essential truthfulness about families. Read full review
70
NewsweekWilliam Underhill
Harris leavens the familiar suburban angst with dark humor, rich characterizations and a terrific cast. Read full review
70
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
Everyone is touched by sadness or hobbled by self-deception, and everyone is interesting, even moving, to watch until the drama slowly suffocates beneath the weight of its revelations.
70
The New RepublicStanley Kauffmann
The result is almost like a film we have seen before but don't mind seeing again. The dialogue is generally fresh, the relationships ring true. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
Weaver 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. Read full review
63
New York Daily NewsJami 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
63
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
Good in many ways, full of talent and intelligence, and marks the debut of a promising young American writer-director, Dan Harris. Read full review
63
Miami HeraldPeter Debruge
Has all the makings of another "Ice Storm" -- family tension, teen experimentation, friendly neighborhood wife-swapping and a death in the family -- but falls short in its execution. Read full review
63
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie Rickey
The gift of Imaginary Heroes is getting to know these anything-but-ordinary people. Read full review
60
VarietyDavid Rooney
The film sways awkwardly back and forth between prickly humor and pathos, rarely ringing true in either register. Read full review
60
Chicago ReaderMeredith Brody
The stand-up performance is still that of the mom--Sigourney Weaver, making the most of the meatiest part she's had in years Read full review
60
The A.V. ClubKeith Phipps
It looks good. It seems to work. It occasionally coheres into a priceless moment. But in the end, the pieces don't all fit together as they should. Read full review
60
Los Angeles TimesKevin Thomas
It would have been nice if Harris, who casts a sardonic yet compassionate eye on the Travis family, had set his sights a little higher than the typical chronicle of a dysfunctional suburban family. Read full review
60
The New York TimesStephen 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
60
Dallas ObserverBill Gallo
For now, it might be best to acknowledge this as an impressive debut and wait for the grown-up stuff to come. Read full review
50
Village VoiceLaura Sinagra
Despite Weaver's wise instincts for the thoughtful pause, we're stuck with yet another ass-kicking female actor struggling to shade in the contours of a wispy sketch. Read full review
50
New York PostV.A. Musetto
If you think you've seen Imaginary Heroes before, you're right -- only it was called "The Ice Storm," or maybe "Ordinary People." Read full review
50
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
The first-rate cast is lost at sea. Read full review
50
Rolling StonePeter Travers
What the movie damagingly lacks is a personality of its own. Read full review
50
Boston GlobeTy Burr
Weaver's randy, impatient, very funny performance is the main reason to see Imaginary Heroes. Read full review
50
SlateDavid Edelstein
It has strong moments and fine, unsentimental performances, but it doesn't jell as a story. Read full review
50
Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean 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
50
Portland OregonianM. E. Russell
Imaginary Heroes feels like an endless series of wakes, awkward cocktail conversations and teen house parties, which would be fine if Harris wrote less cartoony dialogue. Read full review
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam Lacey
Rather than invoke sympathy, the technique creates annoyance with Harris's writing: Sure, these characters may be clichés, but haven't they suffered enough? Read full review
40
L.A. WeeklyErnest Hardy
This schizophrenic mess zigzags all over the place, trying to figure out whether it's a dysfunctional-family drama, a slapstick comedy or an angst-ridden coming-of-age movie. Read full review
40
EmpireOlly Richards
Terrific performance alone can't mask the lack of originality. Read full review
30
Washington PostDesson Thomson
There seem to be about a half-dozen spiraling subplots that go nowhere in particular. But it's oh so hiply done -- at least, that's the idea. Read full review
30
Washington PostAnn Hornaday
Never manages to achieve the balance between authenticity and eccentricity. Read full review
16
Entertainment WeeklyOwen 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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