Elephant Movie Review 2003

Made for HBO film depicting a day in the life at a typical American high school that ends in tragedy. Film lazily follows a number of the banal goings-on of various students before wandering to a shocking climax involving the violence of a Columbine-type massacre by two young social outcasts. The motivation of killers Alex and Eric (Frost and Deulen) isn't explored but merely offered up as fact, save a few shots of the boys watching a documentary about Hitler and sharing a brief kiss. Mainly utilizing non-actors and a largely improvised script, Van Sant genuinely imparts the reality of high school life in modern day America without trying to explain it but creates a sense of detachment from the characters and subject matter along the way.

Distribution

Not Yet Released

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 81 minutes.
Originally from United States.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Hell High School, Homicide, Strained Suburbia

Screenplay

Gus Van Sant

Cast

Alex Frost, Eric Deulen, John Robinson, Elias McConnell, Nathan Tyson, Carrie Finklea, Kristen Hicks, Jordan Taylor, Nicole George, Brittany Mountain, Timothy Bottoms, Matt Malloy

Cinematography

Harris Savides

Director

Gus Van Sant

Other

Felix Andrew, Gus Van Sant, Benjamin Hayden

Producer

Dany Wolf, Meno Films, Blue Relief Inc., HBO Films, Fine Line Features

Awards

Cannes 2003: Director (Van Sant), Film.