“Imaginary Heroes” Directed by Dan Harris
Sony Pictures Classics
Although images of dysfunctional white suburbia bring films such
as “American Beauty” and “The Ice Storm” to
mind, “Imaginary Heroes” has a much stronger
melodramatic tendency in which the story has closer similarities to
a soap opera. “Imaginary Heroes” tells the story of the
Travis family dealing with the tragedy of their son’s
suicide. However, the dysfunctional nature of the upper
middle-class family lies deeper than the tragic death. The suicide
provokes an examination of suburban suffering and the consequences
of long-kept secrets. The marriage of the parents, delicately
portrayed by Sigourney Weaver and Jeff Daniels, becomes more and
more fragile as they find separate ways to cope with the tragedy.
Daniels’ character becomes the family hermit while
Weaver’s character, in one of the most humorous moments of
the film, begins to smoke the marijuana that she finds hidden in
her house. Their son, played by Emile Hirsch, experiments with
drugs and confronts not only an abusive relationship, but his
personal and sexual identity as well. The shakiest part of the film
is no doubt the script. While the dialogue is touching at times, it
has that “Dawson’s Creek” quality of sounding too
well thought-out and too esoteric to be relatable. While universal
proclamations about love and death may be appropriate after a
family member’s suicide, the vast number of these statements
makes it hard to suspend disbelief. Weaver’s performance as
Sandy Travis is, by far, the most memorable aspect of the film. She
exudes strength and beauty, and her character is just so cool,
it’s hard not to fall in love with her. Her maternal devotion
acts as a pillar not only to the chaos of the family, but to the
chaos of the film as well. Ultimately, “Imaginary
Heroes” deals with heavy issues in a very heavy-handed way.
““Emily Camastra