Fireflies in the Garden

Fireflies in the Garden
Promotional poster
Directed by	Dennis Lee
Written by	Dennis Lee
Produced by	Sukee Chew Vanessa Coifman Marco Weber
Starring	Ryan Reynolds Willem Dafoe Emily Watson Julia Roberts Carrie-Anne Moss Hayden Panettiere Ioan Gruffudd Cayden Boyd
Cinematography	Daniel Moder
Edited by	Dede Allen Robert Brakey
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date	February 10, 2008 (2008-02-10) (Berlin International Film Festival)
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$3,322,561

Fireflies in the Garden is a 2008 drama film starring Willem Dafoe, Ryan Reynolds and Julia Roberts. Written and directed by Dennis Lee, the film premiered at the 2008 Berlin International Film Festival.

Fireflies in the Garden is set in the present day, and revolves around three generations of a family, with flash-backs to their growing up. A major focus is on domineering father Charles (Willem Dafoe) and his strained relationships with son Michael (young: Cayden Boyd; adult: Ryan Reynolds), sister-in-law Jane (young: Hayden Panettiere; adult: Emily Watson) and other family members.

A terrible accident on the way to a family reunion with Charles and wife Lisa (Julia Roberts) at Jane's house, and the ensuing funeral set the scene for Michael to discover/uncover much about the inner lives and affairs of this family and finding a route to reconciliation.

Plot

Set in the present with extensive flash-backs to the past, this film revolves around three generations of domineering father Charles (Willem Dafoe) family, his wife Lisa (Julia Roberts), their two children: son Michael (young: Cayden Boyd; adult: Ryan Reynolds) and daughter Ryne (Shannon Lucio), as well as Lisa's (much younger) sister Jane (young: Hayden Panettiere; adult: Emily Watson), and her son Christopher (Chase Ellison) and daughter Leslie (Brooklynn Proulx) as well as Michael's ex-wife Kelly Hanson (Carrie-Anne Moss).

Charles and Michael had, and still have, a strained relationship, with both pushing the other. In a flash-back to a boyhood car journey, the younger Michael claims to have lost his glasses, while knowing he simply has them in his pocket. Without knowing this deceit, Charles makes Michael walk home in the rain as a punishment. This tit-for-tat of rules, and rule-breaking continues with Charles imposing on all around him, including Jane, who is staying with them. She, too, hates Charles' domineering nature. The two form a kind of pact against Charles. When Michael embarrasses Charles in front of his colleagues by falsely claiming to have written a poem, Fireflies in the Garden by Robert Frost, he is punished by having to hold his weighted arms horizontal, aching so much that at the end, he cannot even take food to his mouth. Jane feeds him. As they grow older the conflicts escalate, with a growing Michael eventually intervening in a quarrel between his parents, attacking Charles and forcing him to the ground.

A critical dramatic event in the film occurs with a tragic car accident as Charles and Lisa drive to a family reunion at Jane's house in honour of Lisa's college graduation. Driving hurriedly, Charles swerves to avoid colliding with Christopher, who crosses the road carelessly, and their car hits a tree, leaving Lisa dead, Charles injured, and both Charles and Christopher feeling guilty.

Michael takes Jane's children Christopher and Leslie "fishing", attempting to cheer them up by exploding the fish with firecrackers, as he had done with Jane growing up. Concerned what Charles and Jane will think, he encourages the children to lie to their mother about the trip. As predicted, Charles and Jane consider his behavior inappropriate. Michael's having noisy sex with ex-wife Kelly, who arrives for the funeral, does not help matters.

The events of the accident and consequent guilt and anxiety see an upset Christopher running away, only to be found by Michael who assures him that he is not to blame for Lisa's death. Christopher insists on walk home alone after their talk, and Michael gives him his cell phone in case he changes his mind. Immediately discarding the phone, Christopher remains missing for several hours, Jane again blaming Michael for leaving Christopher (who is found safely). More revelations and recriminations ensue, as Michael discovers that his late mother was having an affair with her young professor Addison (Ioan Gruffudd), and had planned to leave Charles following her graduation. Jane also discovers, whilst she and Kelly drive around looking for Christopher, that Kelly is pregnant and that Michael doesn't know. Michael and Kelly reconcile and they announce their news to the family before they leave. Whilst discussing baby names with Ryne and Kelly, Michael mentions that he likes the name Max for a boy, a name previously suggested by Lisa for Ryne, had she been a boy.

The title of the film derives from the name of Michael's book about his childhood - taken from a scene in their lives, where Michael, Christopher and Leslie are having fun in the garden batting fireflies with badminton rackets, in the dark. The revelations of the book concerned Charles and Jane, and in a sense the film see the history of the book told, and then re-written. This is brought home in a scene where the surviving family is watching an old home movie and, perhaps surprised by the happiness it captures, Charles and Michael begin to reconcile. Michael destroys the manuscript.

Cast

• Julia Roberts as Lisa Taylor
• Ryan Reynolds as Michael Taylor
• Willem Dafoe as Charles Taylor
• Emily Watson as Jane Lawrence
• Carrie-Anne Moss as Kelly Hanson
• Shannon Lucio as Ryne Taylor
• Hayden Panettiere as Young Jane Lawrence
• Cayden Boyd as Young Michael Taylor
• Ioan Gruffudd as Addison
• Chase Ellison as Christopher
• Brooklynn Proulx as Leslie

Production

The film was shot in Austin (including the University of Texas), Bastrop, and Smithville, Texas. The historic T. A. Hasler House in Bastrop was used significantly in the film.

External links

• Fireflies in the Garden at IMDb
• Fireflies in the Garden at Box Office Mojo