Birth

Plot

A woman becomes convinced that a ten year old boy is the reincarnation of her dead husband.

Release Year: 2004

Rating: 6.0/10 (19,011 voted)

Critic's Score: 50/100

Director:
Jonathan Glazer

Stars: Nicole Kidman, Cameron Bright, Lauren Bacall

Storyline
Anna is a young widow who is finally getting on with her life after the death of her husband, Sean. Now engaged to be married, Anna meets a ten-year-old boy who tells her he is Sean reincarnated. Though his story is both unsettling and absurd, Anna can't get the boy out of her mind. And much to the concern of her fiancée, her increased contact with him leads her to question the choices she has made in her life.

Writers: Jean-Claude Carrière, Milo Addica

Cast:

Nicole Kidman
–

Anna

Cameron Bright
–

Young Sean

Danny Huston
–

Joseph

Lauren Bacall
–

Eleanor

Alison Elliott
–

Laura

Arliss Howard
–

Bob

Michael Desautels
–

Sean

Anne Heche
–

Clara

Peter Stormare
–

Clifford

Ted Levine
–

Mr. Conte

Cara Seymour
–

Mrs. Conte

Joe M. Chalmers
–

Sinclair

Novella Nelson
–

Lee

Zoe Caldwell
–

Mrs. Hill

Charles Goff
–

Mr. Drummond

Taglines:
Be careful what you wish for.

Details

Official Website:
Metropolitan Filmexport [France] |
New Line Cinema |

Release Date: 3 November 2004

Filming Locations: Brightwaters, Long Island, New York, USA

Box Office Details

Budget: $20,000,000

(estimated)

Opening Weekend: $1,705,577
(USA)
(31 October 2004)
(550 Screens)

Gross: $23,925,492
(Worldwide)
(6 January 2008)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Did You Know?

Trivia:

The type of cake served at Eleanor's birthday and which Sean has a left-over piece of is a Red Velvet Cake which is also known as a Waldorf Astoria Cake.

Goofs:

Continuity:
In the second bath scene near the end of the movie, the amount of mud on Sean's face changes between shots.

Quotes:

[first lines]

Voice of Sean:
Ok, let me say this… If I lost my wife and, uh, the next day, a little bird landed on my windowsill, looked me right in the eye, and in plain English said, 'Sean, it's me, Anna. I'm back' What could I say? I guess I'd believe her. Or I'd want to. I'd be stuck with a bird. But other than that, no. I'm a man of science. I just don't believe that mumbo-jumbo. Now, that's gonna have to be the last question. I need to go running before I head home.

User Review

Lovely character study

Rating: 8/10


I can understand why people react so aversely to this film, but, in
Birth's defence, it's quite a demanding a piece for it to suit
everyone's tastes.

Granted, the plot is slightly unpalatable, and yes, there are instances
when the film appears to veer into senslessness, but, unless you want a
clear-cut resolution, this cannot quite be written off as shoddy work
on the part of anyone involved. Most of the complaints made about Birth
have come from people who cannot get past the plot elements of the
film, namely, the flirtation with pedophilia. It is uncomfortable,
quite so, but that precisely is the point… Moreover, it's worth
noting that the characters themselves find it repelling, and that there
is nary a sexual undercurrent between Sean and Anna.

I believe one could argue, very strongly, that this plot device is
merely a catalyst to throw Anna's psyche into relief. In the end,
whether the boy is Sean or not proves irrelevant; the film is less
about a bizarre happening than about the extreme psychological test it
brings about. It's intense analysis of love, grief, need and the leaps
of faith…

Given this set-up, the execution is flawless. What the screenplay does,
quite beautifully, is convey silent emotions; it understands, better
than most films, that communication is often non-verbal, and in this
situation, when the very thing at stake is reason, it is logical that
the characters would be at a loss for words. If any given person were
to be in Anna's situation…what would they do? How would you react if
someone close to you were living through this?

Jonathan Glazer's direction is splendid, building up a somber, airless
mood and coaxing superlative performances out of the entire cast.
Kidman's performance is somewhat mannered, yet she completely,
effortlessly inhabits a difficult role; it is a brave, piercing,
bravura performance. She captures Anna's desperation and fragility, but
also her privileged lifestyle and upbringing, and the mad undercurrents
grief has brought about. The so-called opera scene will be, years from
now, considered a seminal moment in her career. Bright is chillingly
effective, registering an intensity that is somewhat unsettling, and
the supporting turns–which, with limited material flesh out
characters, build histories and express emotions that the screenplay
only implies–are sterling, especially in the case of Bacall and
Howard.

Technically, the film is a marvel. Two things are worth noting: Harris
Savides' wonderful cinematography (there are at least three iconic
sequences in the film), which creates a look and a mood that is at once
foreboding and exquisitely beautiful, and Alexandre Desplat's splendid
score, which underscores the drama without becoming obtrusive and
blends symphonic melodies with a hi-lo undercurrent that creates an odd
womb-like effect.

Lovely, heartbreaking, unforgettable.