imaginary hero be a 2004 film star sigourney weaver and jeff daniel and emile hirsch and michelle williams and and kip pardue . the story concern a dysfunctional family that become even more dysfunctional when the old child ( pardue ) commits suicide . ordinary people have be mention often in relation to this film while it sort of ordinary people with a role reversal . the mother in this case and sandy travis ( weaver ) be more accessible than the father and ben ( daniel ) who be clearly devastate and unable to cope . like ordinary people and the young son tim ( hirsch ) be the focus of the film . for me and the film be absorb enough to keep watching but have a curious detachment about it . there be some wonderful interaction mother and son and mother and neighbor and brother and sister ( williams ) and some good offbeat moment . what never click be ben be any part of that family or have any chemistry with sandy . this seem to have be the goal of director or writer dan harris . in one scene in a grocery store and the checkout kid assume sandy be about 30 and give her his phone number . in almost the next scene and daniel ask sandy if she want plastic surgery for her birthday . weaver be 55 when this film be make and actually probably 54 and and look phenomenal . so what be ben look at . however and there something askew about ben complete detachment because the viewer doesn not really see how daniels ever be attach to that family . the end have a couple of twist and also some very touching scene . everyone be very good and with weaver and hirsch be the standouts . there not a tremendous amount of dialogue in this movie and lot of stare . the script could have be sharp . but imaginary hero be a good effort .