Numb (film)
Encyclopedia
Numb is a 2007 American drama film
written and directed by Harris Goldberg. According to an interview with Goldberg on a bonus feature of the DVD release, he was inspired to write the screenplay by his own experience battling depersonalization disorder
and clinical depression
.
Hudson Milbank descends into a strange mood in which he feels detached from the world around him and unable to connect with his surroundings, either physically or emotionally, he attributes it to a night of excessive cannabis
use. His writing partner Tom is disturbed by the sudden change in Hudson's demeanor and urges him to seek psychiatric help.
Dr. Townsend diagnoses his condition as depersonalization disorder
and prescribes various medications, and when nothing seems to help Hudson consults Dr. Richmond, who also sees drugs as the solution.
Hudson meets Sara, a beautiful young woman who finds him attractive and appealing and decides to introduce him to as many positive and compelling experiences as possible. Also trying to help him is yet another psychiatrist, Dr. Blaine, who initially resists his advances but ultimately has an affair with him before revealing she has serious issues of her own that require professional attention.
and other locations in British Columbia
's Lower Mainland
, including Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Maple Ridge
, Pitt Meadows, and Langley
.
. The soundtrack
includes songs by The Dandy Warhols
, Ivy
, Iron & Wine
, Elliott Smith
, Blondie
, and Doves.
Official soundtrack:
Soundtrack from titles:
and was shown at several other festivals, including Marché du Film
, the Austin Film Festival
, the Palm Springs International Film Festival
, and the Sedona International Film Festival before going into limited theatrical release in Canada on April 18, 2008. The DVD was released in the US on May 13.
, and Ryan Shore
was honored for Outstanding Achievement in Film Music at the Park City International Music Festival
.
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
written and directed by Harris Goldberg. According to an interview with Goldberg on a bonus feature of the DVD release, he was inspired to write the screenplay by his own experience battling depersonalization disorder
Depersonalization disorder
Depersonalization disorder is a dissociative disorder in which the sufferer is affected by persistent or recurrent feelings of depersonalization and/or derealization. Diagnostic criteria include persistent or recurrent experiences of feeling detached from one's mental processes or body...
and clinical depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
.
Plot
When modestly successful screenwriterScreenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
Hudson Milbank descends into a strange mood in which he feels detached from the world around him and unable to connect with his surroundings, either physically or emotionally, he attributes it to a night of excessive cannabis
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
use. His writing partner Tom is disturbed by the sudden change in Hudson's demeanor and urges him to seek psychiatric help.
Dr. Townsend diagnoses his condition as depersonalization disorder
Depersonalization disorder
Depersonalization disorder is a dissociative disorder in which the sufferer is affected by persistent or recurrent feelings of depersonalization and/or derealization. Diagnostic criteria include persistent or recurrent experiences of feeling detached from one's mental processes or body...
and prescribes various medications, and when nothing seems to help Hudson consults Dr. Richmond, who also sees drugs as the solution.
Hudson meets Sara, a beautiful young woman who finds him attractive and appealing and decides to introduce him to as many positive and compelling experiences as possible. Also trying to help him is yet another psychiatrist, Dr. Blaine, who initially resists his advances but ultimately has an affair with him before revealing she has serious issues of her own that require professional attention.
Cast
- Matthew PerryMatthew Perry (actor)Matthew Langford Perry is a Canadian-American actor and comedian, best known for his Emmy-nominated role as Chandler Bing on the popular, long-running NBC television sitcom Friends...
as Hudson Milbank - Lynn CollinsLynn CollinsViola Lynn Collins , better known as Lynn Collins, is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Kayla Silverfox in the live-action film X-Men Origins: Wolverine.-Life and career:...
as Sara - Kevin PollakKevin PollakKevin Elliot Pollak is an American actor, impressionist, game show host, and comedian. He started performing stand-up comedy at the age of 10 and touring professionally at the age of 20...
as Tom - Mary SteenburgenMary SteenburgenMary Nell Steenburgen is an American actress. She is best known for playing the role of Lynda Dummar in Jonathan Demme's Melvin and Howard, which earned her an Academy Award and a Golden Globe.-Early life:...
as Dr. Blaine - Helen ShaverHelen ShaverHelen Shaver is a Canadian actress and film and television director.-Early life:Shaver was born and raised in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada, a small city located near London, Ontario, with five sisters...
as Audrey Milbank - William B. DavisWilliam B. DavisWilliam Bruce Davis is a Canadian actor, known for his role as The Smoking Man on The X-Files. He has also appeared in Stargate SG-1 as Damaris, a Prior of the Ori and as Mayor Tate on Smallville...
as Peter Milbank - Brian GeorgeBrian GeorgeBrian George is a British-Israeli actor and voice actor for Indian accents, who typically plays guest roles for characters of South Asian descent. Perhaps his most famous role is as Pakistani restaurateur Babu Bhatt on Seinfeld.-Early life:...
as Dr. Richmond - Bob GuntonBob GuntonRobert Patrick "Bob" Gunton, Jr. is an American actor. He is known for playing strict, authoritarian characters, with his best known roles as Warden Samuel Norton in the 1994 prison film The Shawshank Redemption, Chief George Earle in 1993's Demolition Man, and President Juan Peron in the original...
as Dr. Townsend - Keegan Connor TracyKeegan Connor TracyKeegan Connor Tracy is a Canadian actress known for her roles as the ill-fated Kat Jennings in Final Destination 2 and Dawn/Molly in Blackwoods .She was born in Sarnia, Ontario...
as Mt. Sinai Nurse
Production
The film was shot on location in VancouverVancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
and other locations in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
's Lower Mainland
Lower Mainland
The Lower Mainland is a name commonly applied to the region surrounding and including Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. As of 2007, 2,524,113 people live in the region; sixteen of the province's thirty most populous municipalities are located there.While the term Lower Mainland has been...
, including Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Maple Ridge
Maple Ridge, British Columbia
Maple Ridge is a District Municipality in British Columbia, located in the northeastern section of Metro Vancouver. Maple Ridge has a population of approximately 68,949.-History:...
, Pitt Meadows, and Langley
Langley, British Columbia (city)
The City of Langley is a municipality in Metro Vancouver. It lies directly east of the City of Surrey, adjacent to Cloverdale, and surrounded on the north, east and south by Township of Langley.-History:...
.
Soundtrack
The music was composed by Ryan ShoreRyan Shore
Ryan Shore is a Grammy Award nominated composer for film, television, records and games. He is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music and is the nephew of Academy Award winning composer Howard Shore.-Music career:...
. The soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
includes songs by The Dandy Warhols
The Dandy Warhols
The Dandy Warhols are an American alternative rock band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1994. The band was founded by singer-guitarist Courtney Taylor-Taylor and guitarist Peter Holmström, with keyboardist Zia McCabe and drummer Eric Hedford later joining. Hedford left in 1998 and was replaced by...
, Ivy
Ivy (band)
Ivy is a New York City band composed of a trio of musicians, Adam Schlesinger, Dominique Durand, and Andy Chase.-Lately and Realistic:...
, Iron & Wine
Iron & Wine
Samuel Beam , better known by his stage and recording name Iron & Wine, is an American singer-songwriter. He has released four studio albums, several EPs and singles, as well as a few download-only releases, which include a live album...
, Elliott Smith
Elliott Smith
Steven Paul "Elliott" Smith was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and resided for a significant portion of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he first gained popularity...
, Blondie
Blondie (band)
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
, and Doves.
Official soundtrack:
- Ryan Shore – "Numb" 1:48
- Ryan Shore – "Sara" 2:25
- Ryan Shore – "Childhood" 1:24
- Ryan Shore – "Anti-Psychotic" 2:15
- Ryan Shore – "Cafe" 0:50
- Ryan Shore – "Chasing Sara" 2:36
- Ryan Shore – "Hospital Testing" 0:55
- Ryan Shore – "Winding the Watch" 1:49
- Ryan Shore – "Dad" 0:58
- Ryan Shore – "Jail" 1:55
Soundtrack from titles:
- The Dandy Warhols – "Cool Scene"
- Ivy – "Edge Of The Ocean (Duotone mix)"
- Ryan Shore – "Libman"
- The Dandy Warhols – "Get Off"
- Ivy – "Thinking About You"
- Iron & Wine – "Naked As We Came"
- Ryan Shore – "Sally's Gift"
- Elliott Smith – "Say Yes"
- Iron & Wine – "Each Coming Night"
- The Doves – "Caught By The River"
- Blondie – "Rapture"
- The Dandy Warhols – "Bohemian Like You"
- The Dandy Warhols – "Godless"
- Elliott Smith – "Wouldn't Mama Be Proud"
- Ryan Shore – "Numb"
Release
The film premiered at the Tribeca Film FestivalTribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival is a film festival founded in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff in a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the consequent loss of vitality in the TriBeCa neighborhood in Lower Manhattan.The mission of the festival...
and was shown at several other festivals, including Marché du Film
Marché du Film
The Marché du Film is the business counterpart of the Cannes Film Festival and the largest film market in the world.It was created in 1959 and it is held annually since then, simultaneously to the Cannes Festival...
, the Austin Film Festival
Austin Film Festival
The Austin Film Festival was started in 1994 in Austin, Texas and is claimed to be "the first organization of its kind to focus on the writer’s unique creative contribution to the film and television industries"...
, the Palm Springs International Film Festival
Palm Springs International Film Festival
Palm Springs International Film Festival is a film festival held in Palm Springs, California. It was started in 1989 and is held annually in January...
, and the Sedona International Film Festival before going into limited theatrical release in Canada on April 18, 2008. The DVD was released in the US on May 13.
Accolades
Harris Goldberg won the Gen Art Chicago Audience Award at the Gen Art Film FestivalGen Art Film Festival
Gen Art is an arts and entertainment organization that showcases emerging fashion designers, filmmakers, musicians and visual artists. It has produced over 100 events annually, which included fashion shows, film screenings, live music and art receptions and tours...
, and Ryan Shore
Ryan Shore
Ryan Shore is a Grammy Award nominated composer for film, television, records and games. He is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music and is the nephew of Academy Award winning composer Howard Shore.-Music career:...
was honored for Outstanding Achievement in Film Music at the Park City International Music Festival
Park City International Music Festival
The Park City International Music Festival is Utah's oldest classical music festival. Founded as the Deer Valley Music Festival in 1983, the Festival is centered around bringing renowned classical solo artists together to perform chamber music...
.