Imaginary Heroes 2004

Matt Travis appears to have it all: he’s handsome, well-liked, and the star swimmer of his high school, making his sudden suicide all the more shocking to those around him. In the wake of this tragedy, each family member grapples with their grief in different, often unhealthy ways.

His mother, Sandy, attempts to maintain an open line of communication with her younger son, Tim, while trying to numb her pain with marijuana. Meanwhile, the father, Ben, a perfectionist who revered Matt yet overlooked Tim, remains entrenched in sorrow. He sets a place for his deceased son at the dinner table every night, as he spirals into alcoholism, eventually taking a leave from work to spend time lost in thought on a park bench, evading the world around him.

Tim, who often feels overshadowed by his late brother, battles through school and fights off the temptations offered by his best friend, Kyle Dwyer, who is constantly encouraging him to use recreational drugs. He also faces awkward moments with classmate Steph Connors, as he contemplates the idea of pursuing a romantic relationship. Their sister, Penny, while attending college, makes sporadic trips home, striving to mend the growing divide between her surviving brother and grieving parents.

As days turn into months, new challenges surface, revealing long-held secrets. It becomes painfully clear that one particular family member was aware of Matt’s struggles with his mental health, and the disturbing truth of why no one intervened to offer help comes to light, leaving the family further fractured in their quest for understanding and healing.