another slice of darkness and denial hiding beneath the surface of american suburbia and imaginary hero chronicle the life of the travis family and all recover follow the suicide of their eldest son . the pair at the center of the film be mother and son sandy ( sigourney weaver ) and tim ( emile hirsch ) and both act out in different way a a result of the death . while tim experiment with prescription medication and his own sexuality and sandy regress to her former self and smoking marijuana and come to term with an old act of infidelity . the relationship between sandy and tim be explore well and especially when reference be make to both of them be outcast from their own family represent sandy due to her affair and tim and initially and due to always be in the shadow of his more successful old brother . considerably less time be allow for sandy husband ben ( jeff daniel ) who and in a devastating depiction of denial and order sandy to make an additional plate of food for his dead son and place it in his old spot at the dinner table . michelle williams old sister penny be underwritten and could easily be take out of the film . despite it long runtime and imaginary hero doesn not explore it many subplots as much a the individual story deserve and while some of the movie black comedy doesn not translate as well a writer or director dan harris may have like . and the depiction of a disturbed family dynamic isn not depict as strongly a the many other film out there with similar idea . but despite some issue and the central performance from weaver and hirsch be stun and and easily carry the film to it successfully subdue conclusion . rating represent b .