Purgatory House (film)
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Purgatory House is a 2004 independent film. Written by troubled teen Celeste Davis at the age of 14, it deals with the topics of teen suicide and drug addiction entirely from a teen's perspective. The film was shot in Los Angeles in the summer of 2001, when Davis was 15 years old.
program, when Davis was 11 years old. By the age of 13 Davis had lost interest in school, and felt disconnected from most of the relationships in her life. Longing to connect with something, she began to write Purgatory House: a heartfelt screenplay portraying her real life challenges to fit in, cope with peer pressure, deal with the teen drug culture surrounding her, and find meaning for her existence. When Davis turned 14 and landed herself in a teen shelter, Baer decided to give her a positive focus by producing Purgatory House as a movie that Davis would star in. Now it appears that Davis may be the youngest sole-credited screenwriter to have a feature produced.
Purgatory House centers around a lonely teen who feels disconnected from the world around her. When she can no longer fill her void and numb the pain with drugs, she ends her life with the hope of finding an unconditionally loving God. Instead she encounters an eternal stage of limbo (not unlike the world she tried to leave behind) where she must finally deal with the problems she tried to avoid while alive.
Purgatory House demonstrates the base human need to connect with a higher power, or a power outside ourselves. It is a film which advocates spirituality
, but not a particular organized religion.
While many films dramatize the symptoms of addiction
, depression
and suicide
, Purgatory House focuses on the root causes. What is the spiritual state of today’s American teen? This film asks us to look at how today's teenagers are relating to their spirit, to other people, to the world around them, and to a higher power.
Purgatory House depicts a world focused on the media. God
is depicted as a game-show host of "Who Wants to Go To Heaven", a cosmic time-out, where Silver's ultimate fate will be determined. Silver is also made to watch the life she left behind continue on without her on "Earth TV" daily. Even in her dream, we see "Dream TV".
Purgatory House poses the question: Are we losing touch with each other and with our children? As more and more parents are absent (literally or figuratively), the media has become the babysitter, role model and higher power. Kids are left to television, movies, video games, and the Internet for companionship and character development.
With the recent advancement of digital technologies, filmmaking has finally become an accessible medium of expression for anyone with a vision. Written by a high school freshman, and created with digital cameras and home-based computers, Purgatory House marks the true beginning of the digital revolution. From what it reveals about the pressures and struggles that plague our troubled youth, to the cutting-edge technologies that helped create it, Purgatory House is uniquely a sign of our times.
Purgatory House is a 2004 independent film. Written by troubled teen Celeste Davis at the age of 14, it deals with the topics of teen suicide and drug addiction entirely from a teen's perspective. The film was shot in Los Angeles in the summer of 2001, when Davis was 15 years old.
Cast
- Celeste Davis as Silver Strand
- Jim HanksJim HanksJim Hanks is an American film and television actor, and voice-over artist.-Background:Jim Hanks is the youngest brother of Tom Hanks, but they were not raised together...
as Saint James - Xavier Perales Dipelatio as Atticis
- Johnny PacarJohnny PacarJohnny Pacar is an American film and television actor who portrayed Cody Jackson in the television series Flight 29 Down. He is also starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie Now You See It.... He had a main role in the 2004 film Purgatory House, and a recurring role as Jimmy Francis in...
as Sam - Rhiannon Main as Celeste
- Howard Lockie as Silver's Dad
- Kathryn Skatula as Sam's Mom
- Cindy Baer as Marsha
- Brian DietzenBrian DietzenBrian Dietzen is an American actor who has played the supporting role of Jimmy Palmer on NCIS since 2004.-Early life:Dietzen was born in Colorado...
as Ghost - Scott Clark as Johnny
Back Story
Director Cindy Baer and teen writer Celeste Davis met when they were paired in the Big Brothers Big SistersBig Brothers Big Sisters of America
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is a 501 non-profit organization whose mission is to help children reach their potential through professionally supported, one-to-one relationships with mentors that try to have a measurable impact on youth....
program, when Davis was 11 years old. By the age of 13 Davis had lost interest in school, and felt disconnected from most of the relationships in her life. Longing to connect with something, she began to write Purgatory House: a heartfelt screenplay portraying her real life challenges to fit in, cope with peer pressure, deal with the teen drug culture surrounding her, and find meaning for her existence. When Davis turned 14 and landed herself in a teen shelter, Baer decided to give her a positive focus by producing Purgatory House as a movie that Davis would star in. Now it appears that Davis may be the youngest sole-credited screenwriter to have a feature produced.
Themes
- Teen SpiritualitySpiritualitySpirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
Purgatory House centers around a lonely teen who feels disconnected from the world around her. When she can no longer fill her void and numb the pain with drugs, she ends her life with the hope of finding an unconditionally loving God. Instead she encounters an eternal stage of limbo (not unlike the world she tried to leave behind) where she must finally deal with the problems she tried to avoid while alive.
Purgatory House demonstrates the base human need to connect with a higher power, or a power outside ourselves. It is a film which advocates spirituality
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
, but not a particular organized religion.
- AddictionSubstance dependenceThe section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...
/DepressionClinical depressionMajor 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...
/SuicideSuicideSuicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
While many films dramatize the symptoms of addiction
Substance dependence
The section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...
, 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...
and suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, Purgatory House focuses on the root causes. What is the spiritual state of today’s American teen? This film asks us to look at how today's teenagers are relating to their spirit, to other people, to the world around them, and to a higher power.
- Media/TV as the role model
Purgatory House depicts a world focused on the media. God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
is depicted as a game-show host of "Who Wants to Go To Heaven", a cosmic time-out, where Silver's ultimate fate will be determined. Silver is also made to watch the life she left behind continue on without her on "Earth TV" daily. Even in her dream, we see "Dream TV".
Purgatory House poses the question: Are we losing touch with each other and with our children? As more and more parents are absent (literally or figuratively), the media has become the babysitter, role model and higher power. Kids are left to television, movies, video games, and the Internet for companionship and character development.
- The DemocratizationDemocratizationDemocratization is the transition to a more democratic political regime. It may be the transition from an authoritarian regime to a full democracy, a transition from an authoritarian political system to a semi-democracy or transition from a semi-authoritarian political system to a democratic...
of Film
With the recent advancement of digital technologies, filmmaking has finally become an accessible medium of expression for anyone with a vision. Written by a high school freshman, and created with digital cameras and home-based computers, Purgatory House marks the true beginning of the digital revolution. From what it reveals about the pressures and struggles that plague our troubled youth, to the cutting-edge technologies that helped create it, Purgatory House is uniquely a sign of our times.
- Taking responsibility for the choices we make in our lives
- Invisible kids
- Art and writing as a positive creative outlet
Awards
- Won- Plymouth Independent Film Festival - Best Film (Cindy Baer)
- Won- Los Angeles Silverlake Film Festival - Best First Feature (Cindy Baer)
- Won- Los Angeles Silverlake Film Festival - Best Actress (Cindy Baer)
- Won- San Diego Film Festival - Best Screenplay (Celeste Davis)
- Won- Blue November - Best Production (Cindy Baer)
- Won- Houston International Film Festival - Platinum Award for Feature Film (Cindy Baer)
- Won- North Texas Film Festival - Spirit of Independent Filmmaking (Cindy Baer)
- Won- North Texas Film Festival - Best Director (Cindy Baer)
- Won- North Texas Film Festival - Best Actress (Celeste Davis)
- Won- Dances With Films - Audience Award (Cindy Baer)
- Won- Agen Independent Film Festival (France) - Audience Award (Cindy Baer)
- Nominated - PRISM Awards - Best Feature in a Film Festival (Cindy Baer)
- Nominated - PRISM Awards - Best Feature on DVD (Cindy Baer)
Style
- GenreGenreGenre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
Teen, DramaDramaDrama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
, Outcast, SpiritualSpiritualitySpirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
, RealityRealityIn philosophy, reality is the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they may appear or might be imagined. In a wider definition, reality includes everything that is and has been, whether or not it is observable or comprehensible...
-fictionFictionFiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
, Recovery, Art Film, Postmodernist filmPostmodernist filmPostmodernist film describes the articulation of ideas of postmodernism through the cinematic medium. Postmodernist film upsets the mainstream conventions of narrative structure and characterization and destroys the audience's suspension of disbelief to create a work in which a less-recognizable... - Postmodernist filmPostmodernist filmPostmodernist film describes the articulation of ideas of postmodernism through the cinematic medium. Postmodernist film upsets the mainstream conventions of narrative structure and characterization and destroys the audience's suspension of disbelief to create a work in which a less-recognizable...
The film is a self-reflective social commentary, with various postmodern overtones. A grassroots, mini-DV approach is used as a reminder to the audience of the young writer’s voice while watching the movie. - Art Film The film itself is used to create the prison-like purgatory of the main character and young writer.
- Color Effects and Sound There are four time-lines which occur in the film; each with its own look and sound. 1. Purgatory is desaturated and quiet. 2. Earth is overly saturated and noisy. 3. Flashbacks are black and white and noisy. 4. Dreams are colorful and quiet.
- Camera Style At the beginning of the movie, the camera is hand held and shaky. As the main character grows and changes, the camera movement goes from hand-held to a steady cam. Finally by the end, when the main character has completed her journey, the camera is locked down and centered.
- Visual Effects Purgatory House features over 200 visual effects including extensive blue and green screen shots which were composited into virtual and real sets. Because it is generally assumed that miniDV does not have the high resolution needed to support such compositing, Purgatory House broke new ground in this area.
Music
Movie Soundtrack includes the songs:- "(Don't Fear) The Reaper(Don't Fear) The Reaper" The Reaper" is a song by the rock band Blue Öyster Cult from their 1976 album, Agents of Fortune. It was written and sung by the band's lead guitarist, Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser and was produced by David Lucas, Murray Krugman, and Sandy Pearlman. It is built around Dharma's guitar riff that...
" (Blue Öyster CultBlue Öyster CultBlue Öyster Cult, often abbreviated BÖC, is an American rock band, most of whose members first came together in Long Island, NY in 1967 as the band Soft White Underbelly...
) - "My Skin" (Natalie MerchantNatalie MerchantNatalie Anne Merchant is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She joined the alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs in 1981 and left it to begin her solo career in 1993.-Early life:...
) - "Kiss Off" (Violent FemmesViolent FemmesViolent Femmes were an American alternative rock band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, initially active between 1980 and 1987 and again from 1988 to 2009...
) - "Magic Carpet RideMagic Carpet Ride"Magic Carpet Ride" is a rock song written by John Kay and Rushton Moreve from the Canadian-American band Steppenwolf. The song was initially released in 1968 on the album The Second. It was the lead single from that album, peaking at No. 3 in the US, and becoming the band's second-biggest hit,...
" (remake by Breck Alan) - "Mister Smiley Face" (un-released song by Grammy-nominated Eric BazilianEric BazilianEric M. Bazilian , is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer, best known for being a founding member of the rock band The Hooters.-Early life:...
) - "Spirit in the SkySpirit in the Sky"Spirit in the Sky" is a song written and originally recorded by Norman Greenbaum and released in 1969. The single sold two million copies in 1969 and 1970 and reached number three in the U.S. Billboard chart, as well as number one on the UK, Australian and Canadian charts in 1970. Rolling Stone...
" (Norman GreenbaumNorman GreenbaumNorman Greenbaum is an American singer-songwriter. He was raised in a traditional Jewish household and went to Hebrew school. His initial interest in music was sparked by Southern blues music and the folk music that was hugely popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s...
) - Exclusive remakes of "I Will SurviveI Will Survive"I Will Survive" is a song first performed by American singer Gloria Gaynor, released in October 1978. It was written by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris...
" and "Kids in AmericaKids in America (song)"Kids in America" is a New Wave song by British singer Kim Wilde, released in the United Kingdom as her debut single in January 1981, and in the US in 1982. It has famously been covered by many artists from different genres.-Background:...
" (performed by The Mandrakes) - "Heaven" and "Claire's Prayer" (by Larisa Stow: "Best Singer/Songwriter" 2000 Los Angeles Music Awards)
- "Armageddon" (Dahlia)
External links
- Purgatory House on the Internet Movie Database
- Purgatory House at Rotten Tomatoes
- Purgatory House at PR Web (Press Release)