The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things (2004)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Asia Argento

Writers:

Asia Argento (screenplay)
J.T. LeRoy (short stories)
(more)

Release Date:

19 tammikuu 2005 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Behind the greatest hoax of our time is the heartbreaking story that started it all.

Plot:

Seven year old Jeremiah is pulled from his foster home and thrown into a troubled life on the road with his teenage mother, Sarah.

Plot Keywords:

Boy Dressed As Girl | Sex | Grandfather | Psychologist | Policeman

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Asia Argento	...	Sarah
Jimmy Bennett	...	Young Jeremiah
Kara Kemp	...	Social Worker #1
Brent Almond	...	Cop #1
David Dwyer	...	Cop #2
Kip Pardue	...	Luther
Jeremy Renner	...	Emerson
David Brian Alley	...	Doctor (as David Alley)
Lydia Lunch	...	Social Worker #2
Ornella Muti	...	Grandmother
Dylan Sprouse	...	Older Jeremiah
Cole Sprouse	...	Older Jeremiah
Peter Fonda	...	Grandfather
John Robinson	...	Aaron
Lindy Maguire	...	Girl
Ben Foster	...	Fleshy Boy
Matt Schulze	...	Kenny
Marilyn Manson	...	Jackson
Jeremy Sisto	...	Chester
Michael Pitt	...	Buddy
Russ Comegys	...	Piggly Wiggly Clerk
Hasil Adkins	...	Street Musician (as Hasil Atkins)
Lisa Stooksbury	...	Woman in Black
Chelsea Samples	...	Nurse #1
Joy Ingram	...	Nurse #2
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tim Armstrong	...	Stinky (uncredited)
David Davenport	...	Sheriff (uncredited)
Brian Paul	...	EMT (uncredited)
Winona Ryder	...	Psychologist (uncredited)
Amanda Sickler	...	Additional Voices (voice) (uncredited)
Chip Sickler	...	Additional Voices (uncredited)

Directed by
Asia Argento

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Asia Argento		screenplay
J.T. LeRoy		short stories
Alessandro Magania		writer

Produced by
Jennifer Booth	....	line producer
Freddy Braidy	....	co-producer
Lilly Bright	....	executive producer
Geoffrey Cox	....	executive producer
Gianluca Curti	....	associate producer
Lawrence E. Davis	....	producer (as Larry Davis)
Gianfranco De Rosa	....	associate producer
Sam Englebardt	....	associate producer
Chris Hanley	....	producer
Molly Hassell	....	line producer
Al Hayes	....	co-producer
Jade Healy	....	assistant producer
David Hillary	....	producer
Ryan R. Johnson	....	executive producer
Ara Katz	....	associate producer
Alain de la Mata	....	producer
D. Scott Lumpkin	....	co-producer
Suzanne Lyons	....	associate producer
Yolanda Markopoulou	....	associate producer
Damon Martin	....	executive producer
Timothy Wayne Peternel	....	co-executive producer
Kevin Ragsdale	....	executive producer
Kate Robbins	....	associate producer
Chad Troutwine	....	executive producer
Tricia van Klaveren	....	executive producer
Brian Young	....	producer

Original Music by
Marco Castoldi
Billy Corgan
Kim Gordon		(as Sonic Youth)

Cinematography by
Eric Alan Edwards

Film Editing by
Jim Mol

Casting by
Shannon Makhanian

Production Design by
Max Biscoe

Set Decoration by
Anuradha Mehta

Costume Design by
Mel Ottenberg

Makeup Department
Rob Link	....	hair stylist
Fleur Morell	....	key makeup artist: second unit
Mike Potter	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Lisa Looney	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jennifer Fiedler	....	first assistant director
Kevin Lum	....	second assistant director
Kim McCray	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Joe Arnold	....	property master

Sound Department
Felix Andriessens	....	additional adr recordist
Sandy Berman	....	supervising sound editor
Stanley Kastner	....	sound re-recording mixer
Donald Lyles	....	adr mixer
Donald Lyles	....	foley mixer
Donald Lyles	....	sound re-recording mixer
Dustin McShane	....	boom operator
Coleman Metts	....	production sound mixer: additional photography
Shannon Potter	....	sound recordist
Christopher Sheldon	....	sound supervisor
Bobby Tucillo	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Ray Bivins	....	special effects coordinator

Stunts
Michael Bledsoe	....	stunt coordinator
Bob Fisher	....	stunt double
Scott Hinson	....	stunt double
Dino Muccio	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
Tony Corapi	....	gaffer
Kelly Cummins	....	second assistant camera
Tad Howard	....	electrician
Gary Johnson	....	electrician
Nicole Jannai Martinez	....	film loader
David Mellow	....	first assistant camera
Ed Richardson	....	second assistant camera

Animation Department
Christiane Cegavske	....	animator

Casting Department
Jennifer Goldstein	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Denny Colliver	....	assistant costume designer: Los Angeles
Olivia Mori	....	assistant costume designer: Tennessee
Andrea Sweet	....	costume supervisor
Selby Van Horne	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Sarah Goff	....	assistant editor
Anthony Gore	....	post-production consultant

Music Department
Gerry Gershman	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
Ron Bledsoe	....	transportation

Other crew
Brent Almond	....	production coordinator: second unit
Jessica Bailin	....	production assistant
Stephanie Beman	....	key craft service
Magi Berciano	....	paralegal
Alex Blagg	....	location scout
Emily Brobst	....	stand-in: Jeremiah
John Griffin	....	set production assistant
Jerod Hollyfield	....	intern
Chad Jones	....	set production assistant
Sarah J. Kennedy	....	intern
Kathleen LaGue	....	looping group
Don Napoli	....	key production accountant
Phillip L. Rosen	....	production legal
Chelsea Samples	....	production coordinator
Dottie Sharp	....	office production assistant
Peter Simovic	....	set production assistant
Angel Thompson	....	office production assistant
Laura Torrance	....	studio teacher
Carrie Wilksen	....	pre-production coordinator
Ben Zoltowski	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Above All Things Inc.
• Artist Film
• Metro Tartan Distribution Ltd.
• Minerva Picture Company Ltd.
• Wild Bunch
• Departure Entertainment
• Departure Studios
• Muse Productions
• Pretty Dangerous Films

Distributors

• 791 Cine (2008) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Artist Films Co. Ltd. (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Cinema Mondo (2005) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Phantom Film (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Above All Things Inc.
• Argentina Video Home (2009) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Arte (2008) (Germany) (TV)
• Artist Film (2006) (Japan) (DVD)
• Califórnia Home Vídeo (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Ekaterinburg Art (EA) (2006) (Russia) (all media)
• Limon Yapim (2005) (Turkey) (all media)
• Minerva (2005) (Italy) (all media)
• Palisades Tartan (2009) (UK) (all media)
• Palm Pictures (2006) (USA) (all media)
• Pan Vision Oy (2005) (Finland) (DVD)
• Roadshow Entertainment (2007) (Australia) (DVD)
• SubTV (2007) (Finland) (TV)
• Tartan Films (2005) (UK) (all media)

Other Companies

• Hollywood Caterers  catering
• Rockbottom Rentals  nextel cell phone rentals

Also Known As:

Le livre de Jérémie (France)

MPAA:

Rated R for intense depiction of child abuse/neglect, strong sex and drug content, pervasive language and some violence.

Runtime:

98 min | USA:97 min | Argentina:97 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival)

Country:

USA | UK | France | Japan

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Brazil:18 | France:-16 | Canada:18A | Australia:R (2007) | UK:15 | Germany:16 | Japan:PG-12 | Argentina:16 | Finland:K-15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Knoxville, Tennessee, USA

Company:

Above All Things Inc.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Chester stumbles out of the meth lab after the explosion, he is obviously severely burnt as evidenced by his face. Yet the white embroidery on his black leather vest is undamaged in any way.

Quotes:

Older Jeremiah: Its ok, I'll protect you.

Movie Connections:

Features The Dirdy Birdy (1994)

Parenting should be illegal to some people........

I watched The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things. I had never heard of it and apparently there was a lot of controversy surrounding the book. It seems it was a bit of a James Frey hoax thing but I really did like James Freys book and will be getting this one as soon as I'm not poor anymore, lol.

OK back to the movie...........

There is nothing 'good' in this movie, it was a breath taking, horrific piece of film. It will take a strong constitution to be able to watch it. It's not something that everyone could handle and is a topic I generally avoid like the plague for the sake of my sanity, but I think it should be seen or read by everyone. It's child abuse displayed in some of the most harrowing heartbreaking scenes I have ever watched in a movie.

It's about a child called Jeremiah who was born to his 15 year old mother then fostered as a very young child by a family who loved him as every child needs and deserves to be loved. When he was 7 his mother returned to claim him and we see how fecking brutal some people are when it comes to being parents, in fact she was brutal as a human. I'm sure I will be the only person on the planet who could feel sorry for his mother but I have to admit I did. She was a mental case first and foremost and needed help.

We see Jeremiah being treated in the most awful ways by his mother and his various 'new dads'. She gave her 7 yr old drugs she gave him to her boyfriends, she gave him away again, when she had enough of him, to her absolutely cuckoo religious zealot parents. I couldn't decide if it was worse to be treated the way he was when he was with his mother, with no way of knowing who to blame or if it was worse to be treated horrendously in the name of God.

He spent three years with his grandparents in their cult like lives until his 'mother' decided she wanted him back. We see the return of the cycle of abuse, neglect and tear inducing living that the now 10 year old child has to go through.

There is no feel good factor to this movie. There is no happy ending, no forgiveness and no redemption. There are no epiphanies for any of the abusers and no relief for a child that was born to another damaged child.

I got so fecking angry while watching this and I cried my heart out for the fictional child of the movie but more for the children of the world that live the life Jeremiah did and no one does a fecking thing to save or protect them.

I hate to see children treated like they have no rights, I hate that people actually believe a child has no rights. I hated this film as I was supposed to and I recommend everyone else give themselves the chance to hate it too.

I have a copy of it here and feel like buying enough to give a copy to everyone that I know. I want everyone else to watch it. It is a movie that needs to be talked about for days with someone else. It needs to be discussed, dissected and despised.

Karma. x