Full Review

At first glance, "Imaginary Heroes" may appear to be a run-of-the-mill dissection of domestic dysfunction. But underneath its relentlessly depressing veneer emerges an earnest, albeit uneven, drama about family bonds and the healing power of forgiveness. It also explores the interconnectedness of human relations and how the ripple effect of our mistakes affects the lives of others.

The story centers on the Travis clan -- demanding paterfamilias Ben (Jeff Daniels), his desperate housewife, Sandy (Sigourney Weaver), their timid 17-year-old son, Tim (Emile Hirsch), and their away-at-college daughter, Penny (Michelle Williams) -- as they try to come to terms with the suicide of their son and brother, Matt (Kip Pardue), a champion high school swimmer with everything to live for. As it turns out, Matt hated swimming and the accompanying accolades heaped upon him. Ben favored Matt over Tim, a harsh fact he does little to conceal.

Matt's death hits the Travis household like a wrecking ball, demolishing their facade of suburban upscale happiness, and the rest of the film follows the characters as they sift through the resulting emotional rubble.

Grief and survivor guilt takes each of them down separate, but similar, paths. Ben blames himself and completely shuts down, retreating from reality into a booze-induced cocoon of detached despair. Sandy starts smoking pot and reignites an ongoing feud with her next-door neighbor (Deirdre O'Connell), the source of which involves a secret that threatens to further tear apart her family.

Black sheep Tim (through whose eyes the story is told) goes the alienated adolescent route, walking through the film in a despondent daze while indulging in self-destructive extracurricular activities such as getting drunk and high with his best friend, Kyle (Ryan Donowho). In one scene, the two boys kiss after experimenting with drugs at a party.

While some viewers may read homoerotic undertones in the scene, taken in the context of the story, the act seems more a misplaced expression of loneliness and emotional confusion than one motivated by sexual attraction. (The next morning an evidently embarrassed and uncomfortable Kyle assures Tim that he is not gay.) Undeniably offensive, however, is an unnecessarily explicit line spoken earlier by Kyle's girlfriend while she and Kyle are having sex.

Thematically echoing films like "Ordinary People," "American Beauty" and "The Ice Storm," this somber yet ultimately hopeful meditation on suburban angst (of both the teen and midlife variety) is buttressed by good performances across the board, especially by Weaver.

Sadly, apart from a throwaway line by Sandy to the effect that she is "a good Christian," the characters' spiritual sides are never explored, nor is faith ever even mentioned as a possible source of strength and healing during their time of crisis.

As directed by Harris, the film oscillates between sober drama and sardonic bursts of black comedy, with the former treading dangerously close to soapy sentimentality. Still, "Imaginary Heroes" has some honest and moving moments (including a tender reconciliation between Ben and Tim) which, despite its overall moral ambiguity, provide the movie with a strong redemptive undercurrent.

The film contains recurring substance abuse, including several scenes involving under-age teenagers, sexual situations among minors, one involving partial nudity, an intimate encounter between two boys, a suicide, some violence, as well as repeated rough and crude language and profanity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted.

These movies have been evaluated for artistic merit and moral suitability by the media reviewing division of Catholic News Service. The reviews include the CNS rating, the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and a brief synopsis of the movie.

The classifications are as follows:

A-I -- general patronage;
A-II -- adults and adolescents;
A-III -- adults;
L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. L replaces the previous classification, A-IV.
O -- morally offensive.

Note: Some movies previously were designated A-IV. Older films with this classification should be regarded as classified L.