Elephant (2003 film)
| Elephant | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Gus Van Sant |
| Produced by |
Diane Keaton Dany Wolf JT LeRoy |
| Written by | Gus Van Sant |
| Starring |
Alex Frost Eric Deulen John Robinson |
| Cinematography | Harris Savides |
| Edited by | Gus Van Sant |
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Production
company |
Meno Film Company
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| Distributed by |
Fine Line Features HBO Films |
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Release date
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Running time
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81 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $3 million |
| Box office | $10 million |
Elephant is a 2003 drama film edited, written and directed by Gus Van Sant. It takes place in the fictional Watt High School, in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon, and chronicles the events surrounding a school shooting, based in part on the 1999 Columbine High School massacre. The film begins a short time before the shooting occurs, following the lives of several characters both in and out of school, who are unaware of what is about to unfold. The film stars mostly new or non-professional actors, including John Robinson, Alex Frost, and Eric Deulen.
Elephant is the second film in Van Sant's "Death Trilogy" — the first is Gerry (2002) and the third Last Days (2005) — all three of which are based on actual events.
Elephant was generally acclaimed by critics and received the Palme d'Or at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival, in which Patrice Chéreau was the head of the jury. As the first high-profile movie to depict a high school shooting since Columbine, the film was controversial for its subject matter and possible influence on teenage copy-cats.
Mr. McFarland driving erratically down a residential street on the way to drop off his son John. John notices damage to the car and realizes that his father is drunk, so John instructs him to move to the passenger seat and let him drive.
Alex and Eric are bullied at school by the so-called jocks, one of whom diverts a teacher and throws a spitball at Alex during science class. Later, Alex and Eric are shown at home ordering weapons from a website and receiving a rifle in the mail. While Alex is taking a shower, Eric gets in with him. He claims that he has never kissed anyone before, and the two kiss. The two formulate an attack plan. The next day, Alex and Eric prepare for the shooting, then make their way to school in silence in Alex's car.
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