Special (film)
| Special | |
|---|---|
Film poster
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| Directed by | Hal Haberman Jeremy Passmore |
| Produced by | Edward Parks Frank Mele |
| Written by | Hal Haberman Jeremy Passmore |
| Starring |
Michael Rapaport Paul Blackthorne Josh Peck Robert Baker Jack Kehler Alexandra Holden |
| Music by | Tom Wolfe Manish Raval |
| Cinematography | Nelson Cragg |
| Edited by | Mike Saenz |
| Distributed by |
Revolver Entertainment Fabrication Films |
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Release date
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United Kingdom November 17, 2006 United States: November 21, 2008 |
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Running time
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78 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Special is a 2006 film, combining elements from several genres: comedy-drama, psychological thriller, satire, and science fiction. It was written and directed by Hal Haberman and Jeremy Passmore. The film was released in theatres in the United Kingdom on November 17, 2006 and on DVD in the United Kingdom on March 5, 2007. It was released in theatres in the United States on November 21, 2008.
Comic book fan Les Franken (Michael Rapaport) signs up for an experimental antidepressant. Dr. Dobson (Jack Kehler) instructs him to take one pill per day. Les creates a diary for his experiences but feels no results. His lack of self-assurance keeps him from getting to know Maggie (Alexandra Holden), a quiet girl who works at a grocery store.
After several days of taking the pill, Les experiences supernatural powers, beginning with the ability to float. Paying a visit to Dobson, he sees himself floating, but Dobson sees him lying on the floor; Les has no powers at all. He explains that Les is having an adverse psychotic reaction to the drug and orders him to stop taking it. Les instead convinces himself that he has telepathy and Dobson is mentally telling him to continue taking the drug.
Gaining self-confidence, Les quits his job in order to become a crime-fighting vigilante. He gains a reputation for tackling people after stopping a gunman from robbing Maggie's store, believing he is picking up telepathic intent from would-be perpetrators. He confides his new gifts to best friends Joey (Josh Peck) and Everett (Robert Baker). Their initial reaction to his supposed ability to walk through walls is curiously ambiguous. The viewer only sees what Les believes he is doing rather than what his two friends actually witness. Les offers his services to the police but has to flee when he is recognized as the mystery "crime fighter".
After Dobson learns that Les is still taking the drug and getting worse, he calls on two representatives, Ted (Ian Bohen) and Jonas (Paul Blackthorne), to talk Les out of taking the drugs. Les believes they are there to take his powers away (as he is confronted by an alternate version of himself "from a future that will now never exist"), so his "future self" stabs Jonas in the ear and Les runs off with Ted in pursuit on foot. Les "teleports" behind Ted and knocks him out and then escapes again. Just how he actually accomplishes this highly improbable sneak attack is left for the viewer to grapple with. Les then joins Everett and Joey who believe "the suits" are just as much of an hallucination as everything else.
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