An Invisible Sign is a 2010 American drama film directed by Marilyn Agrelo and starring Jessica Alba, Chris Messina, John Shea and J. K. Simmons. Based on the 2001 novel An Invisible Sign of My Own by Aimee Bender, the film is about a painfully withdrawn young woman who, as a child, turned to math for comfort after her father became ill, and now as an adult, teaches the subject and must help her students through their own crises.
| An Invisible Sign | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Marilyn Agrelo |
| Screenplay by |
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| Based on | An Invisible Sign of My Own by Aimee Bender |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Lisa Rinzler |
| Edited by | Sabine Hoffmann |
| Music by | Andrew Hollander |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | IFC Films |
Release dates |
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Running time | 96 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $51,138[1] |
The film received negative reviews from critics and grossed $51,138 at the box office.
Plot
editMona Gray systematically withdraws from life into a world of mathematics after a mysterious mental illness leaves her father incapacitated and a shell of his former self. Forced by her mother to move out on her own, Mona gets a job as a math teacher at an elementary school. There she discovers she has an unorthodox talent for teaching and finds herself thrust back into life again, with children to care for, and a reason to live. Mona takes special interest in one of her students, Lisa Venus (Sophie Nyweide), whose mother is dying of cancer.
When fellow teacher Ben Smith shows romantic interest in her, Mona reverts to some of her old self-destructive impulses. Eventually, Mona discovers her value in the love she shows her students, and she and Ben find love in each other.
Cast
edit- Jessica Alba as Mona Gray
- Chris Messina as Ben Smith
- Sônia Braga as Mom
- John Shea as Dad
- J. K. Simmons as Mr. Jones
- Bailee Madison as young Mona
- Marylouise Burke as Ms. Gelband
- Ashlie Atkinson as Lisa's Aunt
- Jake Siciliano as Elmer Gravlaki
- Joanna P. Adler as Lisa's mom
- Lilly Hartley as Female Runner
Production
editAimee Bender's 2001 novel An Invisible Sign of My Own was adapted for the screen by The Wedding Planner scribes Michael Ellis and Pamela Falk.[2] Filming locations included Steiner Studios and Tarrytown, New York.[2]
Release
editAn Invisible Sign premiered at the 18th Hamptons International Film Festival[3] on October 7, 2010. It was released through video on demand on April 1, 2011, and premiered in theaters on May 6, 2011.[4]
Reception
editOn the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 0% of 15 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 3.1/10.[5] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 23 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.[6]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "An Invisible Sign". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
- ^ a b Marilyn Agrelo (director) (2010). An Invisible Sign (DVD). Orland Park, Illinois: MPI Home Video.
- ^ "HIFF 2010 Program Announced". Hamptons International Film Festival. September 15, 2010. Archived from the original on September 24, 2010. Retrieved May 28, 2012.
- ^ "An Invisible Sign". IFC Films. Archived from the original on March 16, 2011. Retrieved March 17, 2011.
- ^ "An Invisible Sign". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
- ^ "An Invisible Sign". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
External links
edit- Official website (archive)
- An Invisible Sign at IMDb
- An Invisible Sign at AllMovie
- An Invisible Sign at Rotten Tomatoes