Amanda: Imaginary Heroes

This is probably my all time favorite film. This is one of the movies I can watch over and over again and get something new out of it each time. The story line as well as the film techniques reveal the film in delicate layers which slowly move through the viewers. From the flawless acting to the beautifully constructed dialogue and visual images, this film comes really close to perfect and does so in a seemingly effortless manner.

First, two of the main characters of the film are played by Emile Hirsch and Sigourney Weaver. I could just stop there, but I guess I will expand a bit further on the great talent in the movie. All of the actors commit so strongly to their characters that they give some of the most honest, convincing performances I have ever seen. Dan Harris, writer and director of the film also displays his incredible genius with this film. Loosely based on his own personal life, he clearly connects to the story he is telling in a way most directors do not come close to.

The story straddles the genres of dark comedy and drama starting out with a huge family tragedy and covering the way in which each member of the family deals with it. The subject matter of a dysfunctional family is a popular topic in film, but this version taps into the development of the characters in such a way that sets it far apart from any other film I’ve seen. This is one of the first times I have seen a writer attempt to fully explain the back story of each character, portraying none of them as a bad person or to blame for their family falling apart in front of them.


This film displays confusion, anger, reconciliation, unconditional love and vulnerability in a manner than I have never seen before. The most appealing thing about it is the brutally honest way it delivers the reality of life. Nothing is sugar coated, and nothing is changed to appeal to the comfort of the viewers, it is purely authentic. It focuses on throwing out the disillusion of everything being ok, and accepts that many things and people are flawed.

The title of the film sets the tone for the goal of the film, and lays out the vision of the writer. Emile Hirsch’s character, Tim, although the youngest, seems the first in his family to come to the realization of what his family needs to do to fix their failing relationships. One of the most climactic moments in the film is a conversation Tim has with a man who just tried to commit suicide. The man and him talk about the value of life and the need to be personally accountable for finding meaning in it, rather than looking for a hero.

“You know, one of two things happens when you meet your heroes, either they're assholes, or they're just like you are. Either way you always lose.”

The family in the film is broken because of a lack of communication and a failure of them all to acknowledge what each individual is personally dealing with, and the story forces them to deal with their own problems by accepting this truth. Once they stop blaming each other or thinking someone else will fix their lives, they can actually start their healing process.