The Life Before Her Eyes

Last updated
The Life Before Her Eyes
Life before her eyes.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Vadim Perelman
Screenplay by Emil Stern
Based onThe Life Before Her Eyes
by Laura Kasischke
Produced byAimée Peyronnet
Vadim Perelman
Anthony Katagas
Starring Uma Thurman
Evan Rachel Wood
Eva Amurri
Brett Cullen
Gabrielle Brennan
Cinematography Paweł Edelman
Edited by David Baxter
Music by James Horner
Production
company
Distributed by Magnolia Pictures
Release dates
  • September 8, 2007 (2007-09-08)(Toronto)
  • April 18, 2008 (2008-04-18)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$13 million
Box office$7,248,490

The Life Before Her Eyes is a 2007 American thriller film directed by Vadim Perelman. The screenplay was adapted by Emil Stern from the Laura Kasischke novel of the same name. The film stars Uma Thurman and Evan Rachel Wood. It was released on April 18, 2008, and revolves around a survivor's guilt from a Columbine-like event that occurred 15 years previously, which causes her present-day idyllic life to fall apart.

Contents

Plot

Imaginative, impetuous, and wild Diana McFee (Evan Rachel Wood) cannot wait for her adult life to begin. While awaiting the final days of high school in the lush springtime, Diana tests her limits with sex and drugs as her more conservative friend Maureen (Eva Amurri) watches with concern. Then the two teens are involved in a Columbine-like shooting incident at their school and are forced to make an impossible choice.

The film mostly focuses on Diana's adulthood (Uma Thurman). She leads an apparently normal life as an art history university professor. She has a daughter, Emma (Gabrielle Brennan), and she is married to the professor who once gave a speech in her school about the power of visualization and how one can shape one's own future in this way. However, Diana continues to feel guilty about something that does not let her sleep.

One day she gets a call from Emma's school; the nuns running it complain about Emma's behavior. At an ice-cream parlor, Diana asks Emma not to hide any more as she is always doing; Emma responds to her mother's reproach by claiming that Diana hates her. They leave the parlor abruptly, and as they are getting into the car, Diana sees her husband with another woman. She hesitates about confronting him and remains in the middle of the street, where she is hit by a pickup truck. On her way to the hospital she imagines that blood is escaping from her body. In reality, she has not been hurt by the accident; instead she's remembering the complications she had following an abortion in her high-school days.

On the day of the 15th anniversary of the shooting, a memorial is held at the school. Diana drives in front of the school several times until she finally decides to stop and bring in some flowers. As she enters the school she is asked whether she is one of the survivors. She smiles and walks inside, first leaving flowers on some desks and then moving on to the rest rooms where one of the shootings took place. At that moment she gets a call from Emma's school informing her that her daughter is missing and that a pink piece of clothing has been found in the woods. She drives there and walks through the woods, shouting out her daughter's name. Emma appears before Diana's eyes for a moment, then vanishes almost as soon as she appeared.

What occurred 15 years earlier in the washroom where Diana left the flowers is revealed: She and Maureen had been forced to decide who would survive when confronted by the shooter, Michael Patrick (John Magaro). Though Maureen had offered herself first, the shooter questioned why Diana should not die. In response, Diana agreed to be killed and was shot by Michael, who then killed himself. At that moment, Diana dreamed the adult life she thought she would have if she let Maureen die and Emma was the child she would have had if she had not gone through with the abortion.

At the anniversary, Diana is asked once again if she is a survivor. She replies "No" with a smile, with a sense of relief that she did the right thing by dying and having her friend live her life.

Cast

Reception

The Life Before Her Eyes received a generally negative response; as of May 2019, Rotten Tomatoes reported that 23% of critics had given the film positive reviews, based on 94 reviews – with the consensus being the film is "Despite earnest performances, Life Before Her Eyes is a confusing, painfully overwrought melodrama." [1] Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 32 out of 100, based on 15 reviews. [2]

Box office

The film opened in limited release on April 18, 2008, in the United States and grossed $20,220 in eight theaters its opening weekend, averaging $2,527 per theater. As of Jun 27–29, 2008, it had a domestic total gross of $303,439, and a production budget of $13 million. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uma Thurman</span> American actress (born 1970)

Uma Karuna Thurman is an American actress and former model. She has performed in a variety of films, from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action films. Following her appearances on the December 1985 and May 1986 covers of British Vogue, Thurman starred in Dangerous Liaisons (1988). She rose to international prominence with her performance as Mia Wallace in Quentin Tarantino's 1994 film Pulp Fiction, for which she was nominated for the Academy Award, the BAFTA Award, the Golden Globe Award, and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actress. Often hailed as Tarantino's muse, she reunited with the director to play the main role in Kill Bill: Volume 1 and 2, which brought her two additional Golden Globe Award nominations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emma Peel</span> Character in the television series The Avengers

Emma Peel is a fictional character played by Diana Rigg in the British 1960s adventure television series The Avengers, and by Uma Thurman in the 1998 film version. She was born Emma Knight, the daughter of an industrialist, Sir John Knight. She is the crime-fighting partner of John Steed.

<i>Kill Bill: Volume 1</i> 2003 American film by Quentin Tarantino

Kill Bill: Volume 1 is a 2003 American martial arts film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It stars Uma Thurman as the Bride, a former assassin who swears revenge on a group of assassins and their leader, Bill, who tried to kill her and her unborn child. Her journey takes her to Tokyo, where she battles the yakuza.

<i>The Avengers</i> (1998 film) 1998 film by Jeremiah S. Chechik

The Avengers is a 1998 American satirical spy action comedy film directed by Jeremiah Chechik, an adaptation of the 1961–1969 British television series of the same name. It stars Ralph Fiennes and Uma Thurman as secret agents John Steed and Emma Peel, and Sean Connery as Sir August de Wynter, a mad scientist bent on controlling the world's weather. Patrick Macnee, Steed in the original series, makes a vocal cameo as the voice of Invisible Jones.

<i>Tape</i> (film) 2001 film by Richard Linklater

Tape is a 2001 American camcorder drama film directed by Richard Linklater and written by Stephen Belber, based on his play of the same name. It stars Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard, and Uma Thurman. The entire film takes place in real time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evan Rachel Wood</span> American actress (born 1987)

Evan Rachel Wood is an American actress. She is the recipient of a Critics' Choice Television Award as well as three Primetime Emmy Award nominations and three Golden Globe Award nominations for her work in film and television.

<i>Heartburn</i> (film) 1986 film by Mike Nichols

Heartburn is a 1986 American comedy-drama film directed and produced by Mike Nichols, starring Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson. The screenplay, written by Nora Ephron, is based on her novel of the same name, a semi-biographical account of her marriage to Carl Bernstein. The film marked the debut of Kevin Spacey.

<i>Final Analysis</i> 1992 film by Phil Joanou

Final Analysis is a 1992 American neo-noir erotic thriller film directed by Phil Joanou and written by Wesley Strick from a concept by forensic psychiatrist Robert H. Berger. It stars Richard Gere, Kim Basinger, Uma Thurman, Eric Roberts, Keith David, and Paul Guilfoyle. The executive producers were Gere and Maggie Wilde. The film received mixed critical reviews, but was positively compared to the works of Alfred Hitchcock, particularly Vertigo. It was the final film of director of photography Jordan Cronenweth.

<i>The Accidental Husband</i> 2008 American rom-com film

The Accidental Husband is a 2008 American romantic comedy film directed by Griffin Dunne and starring Uma Thurman, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Colin Firth, Isabella Rossellini, and Sam Shepard. The film was written by Mimi Hare, Clare Naylor and Bonnie Sikowitz, and was produced by Jennifer Todd, Jason Blum, and Uma Thurman. It was theatrically released in the United Kingdom in 2008, but was released direct-to-DVD in the United States. The film follows a New York City fireman who seeks revenge against a popular dating expert for her role in ending his engagement with his fiancée.

<i>Life Support</i> (film) 2007 made-for-TV drama film directed by Nelson George

Life Support is a 2007 American drama television film directed by Nelson George and starring Queen Latifah. It is loosely based on the real-life story of Ana Wallace, an HIV-positive woman.

<i>King of California</i> 2007 film by Mike Cahill

King of California is a 2007 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Mike Cahill, in his debut as a screenwriter and director. It premiered January 24, 2007 at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and opened in limited release in North America on September 14, 2007. It stars Michael Douglas as a mentally ill man who thinks he has discovered buried treasure, and Evan Rachel Wood as his weary daughter.

<i>Whatever Works</i> 2009 film by Woody Allen

Whatever Works is a 2009 American comedy film directed and written by Woody Allen and starring Larry David, Evan Rachel Wood, Patricia Clarkson, Ed Begley Jr., Michael McKean, and Henry Cavill. It was released on June 19, 2009, received mixed reviews and grossed $35 million.

<i>Motherhood</i> (2009 film) 2009 American film

Motherhood is a 2009 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Katherine Dieckmann and starring Uma Thurman.

<i>Bel Ami</i> (2012 film) 2012 British film

Bel Ami is a 2012 drama film directed by Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod and starring Robert Pattinson, Uma Thurman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Christina Ricci and Colm Meaney. The film is based on the 1885 French novel of the same name by Guy de Maupassant.

<i>Charlie Countryman</i> 2013 American film

Charlie Countryman is a 2013 romantic drama film directed by Fredrik Bond in his directorial debut, written by Matt Drake, and starring Shia LaBeouf, Evan Rachel Wood and Mads Mikkelsen.

<i>Im Not Ashamed</i> 2016 American film

I'm Not Ashamed is a 2016 American biographical drama film directed by Brian Baugh and based on the journals of Rachel Scott, the first victim of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre in Columbine, Colorado. Scott, played by Masey McLain, serves as the protagonist of the film; the story of both gunmen, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, is intertwined with hers and this indicates the two were the antagonists. The film was distributed by Pure Flix Entertainment. It received negative reviews from critics and audiences. It performed poorly at the box office as well, with revenue of $2.1 million compared to the $1.5 million budget of the film.

Chambers is an American supernatural horror streaming television series created by Leah Rachel. The first season, consisting of ten episodes, premiered on Netflix on April 26, 2019. The series stars Sivan Alyra Rose, Marcus LaVoi, Nicholas Galitzine, Kyanna Simone Simpson, Griffin Powell-Arcand, Lilli Kay, Sarah Mezzanotte, Tony Goldwyn and Uma Thurman. In June 2019, the series was cancelled after one season.

<i>Hollywood Stargirl</i> 2022 film by Julia Hart

Hollywood Stargirl is a 2022 American teen romantic drama film directed by Julia Hart from a screenplay that she co-wrote with Jordan Horowitz. The film is a sequel to the 2020 film Stargirl, which was in turn based on Jerry Spinelli's 2000 novel of the same name; it is not an adaptation of the novel's sequel Love, Stargirl.

Phoenix Rising is an American documentary miniseries directed and produced by Amy J. Berg. It follows Evan Rachel Wood as she tells her story of alleged domestic violence and her campaign for justice. It aired on March 15–16, 2022, on HBO.

<i>The Kill Room</i> 2023 film by Nicol Paone

The Kill Room is a 2023 American dark comedy thriller film directed by Nicol Paone and written by Jonathan Jacobson. It stars Uma Thurman, Joe Manganiello, Maya Hawke, Debi Mazar, Dree Hemingway and Samuel L. Jackson.

References

  1. ↑ "The Life Before Her Eyes Movie Reviews, Pictures – Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 2008-04-23.
  2. ↑ "Life Before Her Eyes, The (2008): Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved 2008-04-23.
  3. ↑ "The Life Before Her Eyes (2008) – Weekend Box Office Results". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved 2008-04-23.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.