Imaginary Heroes

Accustomed to writing screenplays for the upcoming releases of Superman and The Fantastic Four, the young prodigy Dan Harris, makes his directorial debut with a different and less-distinct hero in this bittersweet dramedy. Sigourney Weaver plays the masked heroine, and life plays the metaphorical villain when the eldest son in an already dysfunctional family commits suicide. The victim’s younger brother (Emile Hirsch) becomes even more invisible while the father (Jeff Daniels) sleepwalks from park bench to park bench in a cloud of denial. Throughout it all, Weaver’s character comes to her family’s rescue with her open talks about masturbation, a cynical wit and marijuana-induced dark humor. Instead of a sappy, over-dramatic after-school special, Harris creates a touching and real depiction of everyday heroes and villains.