Elephant (2003) - Movie Details
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| Release Date: | October 24, 2003 (LA/NY) |
| On DVD: | May 4, 2004 |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Director: | Gus Van Sant |
| Writer: | Gus Van Sant |
| Cast: | Ellis E. Williams, Matt Malloy, Timothy Bottoms, Nathan Tyson, Bennie Dixon, Kristen Hicks, Alicia Miles, Brittany Mountain, Nicole George, Carrie Finklea, Jordan Taylor, Elias McConnell, John Robinson, Eric Deulen, Alex Frost |
| Studio: | Fine Line Features |
| Official site: | elephantmovie.com |
| Running Time: | 81 minutes |
| MPAA Rating: | Rated R for disturbing violent content, language, brief sexuality and drug use - all involving teens. |
On one unimportant day in a high school, several students go about their routines like they always do. What they don't know is that by the end of the school day, many of them will have been murdered by two of their classmates....
Full synopsis »
Movie Review
Gus Van Sant explores the mystery of high school shootings with the chilling and suspenseful film Elephant, which follows several students on what seems like a normal day. But, before the school bell rings, many of them will have been gunned down by two of their classmates. Full movie review »
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Anonymous says:
July 4, 2005Why was the clock striking 5:00 on the same day the killer went home and then returned to school to do the killings? I didn't understand this because everyone remained in the same clothes as though it were the same day. Sorry, I know this is besides the point but it bothered me. I realize there is a great chance that I missed something here.
Anonymous says:
July 4, 2005To A.H. who wondered why it was called Elephant...Besides the fact that there is an elephant bed cover in the movie, seems to me an elephant is about the most obvious of creatures. It should be equally obvious that we all need positive attention from each other and we're all not getting enough--or we could use more of it. I wish Gus would submit a comment. The unbearable fact is this movie was based on reality. Heartbreaking.
Anonymous says:
June 12, 2004I absoultly loved this movie! The characters where so real, it was like I was actually in the school next to the characters. All the problems in this movie are so real in actual highschools. Bulemia, out casts, family troubles, and inter-school relationships. I would reccomend this movie for ANY highschool student.
Anonymous says:
June 2, 2004Ok I would like to first mention my thoughts on what Chris Fortune had to say about this movie. As some of his ideas are provoking and make you think I believe that they are not true. First off: I do not think that Van Sant was saying that this little instances of picking on of the killers are what made them snap, Van Sant is showing that this stuff happens everyday, and probably has for years. The killers go threw their day being picked on and tourmented, they are sick of life and all of its hardships. Also you are thinking to hard about the video game, sure maybe Van Sant didn't use a real game because of legal issues but I think that it shows that they killers had been thinking about this for a long time and practicing on the game, I mean the white background symbolizes the innocence of the people and their faceless heads and plan bodies show that the killers don't care who they get, as long as they get a lot. Second: the whole buying gun's off the internet just show's how easy it is to go and buy something to destroy the lives of many others. And third: I don't think that the character's were gay, they were thinking about what was going to happen later and the realization that they will never be with another person. If they were gay though it would also present the idea that everyone picked on them for that. That they had been "outed" and that now their lives are hell...The whole discussion of how can you tell a person is gay shadow's the thought that these two boy's were "outed" and humiliated for it. In the end I believe that this movie is a real eye opener on how we treat people and how to prevent these things from happening. I do have a few complaints though, like when John is told not to go back into the school, how come he doesn't call the police or pull the fire alarm, and when he meets his father he doesn't seem to disturbed with the horrorific event's that just happened in his school, and why does Benny just walk around and go to the killer? I would've got the f*#% out of there! I also wish that there was more special feature's on the making of this movie and that they would explain more. Otherwise this movie is great and should be shown to many to open up their eyes and help people to realize what they are doing when they pick on other's. We need to accept and tolerate all and we shouldn't treat anyone any different from what we want to be treated...or else...
Anonymous says:
April 5, 2004WARNING: spoilers ahead I got a way different message from Elephant than Chris Fortune (You can't do the impossible - 3/28/2004) did it seems. I didn't think the movie was pointing the finger at anyone or anything to blame. This movie doesn't at all attempt to answer 'why?' On the contrary, I think the movie leaves more questions than answers, we aren't given sufficient character development or background to attempt to ask why these kids killed their classmates. It was a snapshot into the lives of several school kids from an average school. It showed that the lives of these kids was quite unremarkable and not of such miserable pain that it could be expected for them to have undertaken their horrific blood letting. As you said Chris, many kids are made fun of, thrown food at, and oftentimes worse. This does not drive them to shoot their classmates (while deriving great pleasure out of it at the same time). I can't say that it was an "entertaining" movie and yes, there was one to two scenes where I thought this could have been shortened a little, but I thought this was a very clever film. I was expecting it to be a tear jerker but it showed nothing in the way of tragedy or pulled for emotion, it was shocking - I left this movie feeling numb, almost like shock. and was speechless for the next half hr or so. Warren PS you can interprete what you like from the boys getting into the shower together scene but i don't think its a statement that the killers were gay. One of them says as he gets into the shower with the other guy 'i've never kissed anyone before'(at least i think thats what he said). To me it suggests that the enormity of what they were about to do was being realised at that time and perhaps they were thinking 'what the hell' to everything by that stage (Note: Not too many gay lovers shoot each other in the head).