The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things (2004)

Director:

Asia Argento

Writers:

Asia Argento (screenplay)
Laura Albert (short stories)
(more)

Release Date:

19 January 2005 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Behind the greatest hoax of our time is the heartbreaking story that started it all.

Plot:

Seven year old Jeremiah is pulled from his foster home and thrown into a troubled life on the road with his teenage mother, Sarah.

Plot Keywords:

Foster Home | Long Title | Christianity | Religion | Fire

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Asia Argento	...	Sarah
Jimmy Bennett	...	Young Jeremiah
Kara Kemp	...	Social Worker #1
Brent Almond	...	Cop #1
David Dwyer	...	Cop #2
Kip Pardue	...	Luther
Jeremy Renner	...	Emerson
David Brian Alley	...	Doctor (as David Alley)
Lydia Lunch	...	Social Worker #2
Ornella Muti	...	Grandmother
Dylan Sprouse	...	Older Jeremiah
Cole Sprouse	...	Older Jeremiah
Peter Fonda	...	Grandfather
John Robinson	...	Aaron
Lindy Maguire	...	Girl
Ben Foster	...	Fleshy Boy
Matt Schulze	...	Kenny
Marilyn Manson	...	Jackson
Jeremy Sisto	...	Chester
Michael Pitt	...	Buddy
Russell Durham Comegys	...	Piggly Wiggly Clerk (as Russ Comegys)
Hasil Adkins	...	Street Musician (as Hasil Atkins)
Lisa Stooksbury	...	Woman in Black
Chelsea Samples	...	Nurse #1
Katharine Franco	...	Nurse #2 (as Joy Ingram)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tim Armstrong	...	Stinky (uncredited)
David Davenport	...	Sheriff (uncredited)
Brian Paul	...	EMT (uncredited)
Winona Ryder	...	Psychologist (uncredited)
Amanda Sickler	...	Additional Voices (voice) (uncredited)
Chip Sickler	...	Additional Voices (uncredited)

Directed by
Asia Argento

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Laura Albert		short stories (as J.T. LeRoy)
Asia Argento		screenplay
Alessandro Magania

Produced by
Jennifer Booth	....	line producer
Freddy Braidy	....	co-producer
Lilly Bright	....	executive producer
Geoffrey Cox	....	executive producer
Gianluca Curti	....	associate producer
Lawrence E. Davis	....	producer (as Larry Davis)
Gianfranco De Rosa	....	associate producer
Sam Englebardt	....	associate producer
Chris Hanley	....	producer
Molly Hassell	....	line producer
Al Hayes	....	co-producer
Jade Healy	....	assistant producer
David Hillary	....	producer
Ryan R. Johnson	....	executive producer
Ara Katz	....	associate producer
Alain de la Mata	....	producer
D. Scott Lumpkin	....	co-producer
Suzanne Lyons	....	associate producer
Yolanda Markopoulou	....	associate producer
Damon Martin	....	executive producer
Timothy Wayne Peternel	....	co-executive producer
Kevin Ragsdale	....	executive producer
Kate Robbins	....	associate producer
Chad Troutwine	....	executive producer
Tricia van Klaveren	....	executive producer
Brian Young	....	producer

Original Music by
Marco Castoldi
Billy Corgan
Kim Gordon		(as Sonic Youth)

Cinematography by
Eric Alan Edwards

Film Editing by
Jim Mol

Casting by
Shannon Makhanian

Production Design by
Max Biscoe

Set Decoration by
Anuradha Mehta

Costume Design by
Mel Ottenberg

Makeup Department
Rob Link	....	hair stylist
Fleur Morell	....	key makeup artist: second unit
Mike Potter	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Lisa Looney	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jennifer Fiedler	....	first assistant director
Kevin Lum	....	second assistant director
Kim McCray	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Joe Arnold	....	property master

Sound Department
Felix Andriessens	....	additional adr recordist
Sandy Berman	....	supervising sound editor
Stanley Kastner	....	sound re-recording mixer
Donald Lyles	....	adr mixer
Donald Lyles	....	foley mixer
Donald Lyles	....	sound re-recording mixer
Dustin McShane	....	boom operator
Coleman Metts	....	production sound mixer: additional photography
Shannon Potter	....	sound recordist
Christopher Sheldon	....	sound supervisor
Bobby Tucillo	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Ray Bivins	....	special effects coordinator

Stunts
Michael Bledsoe	....	stunt coordinator
Bob Fisher	....	stunt double
Scott Hinson	....	stunt double
Dino Muccio	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
Tony Corapi	....	gaffer
Kelly Cummins	....	second assistant camera
Tad Howard	....	electrician
Gary Johnson	....	electrician
Nicole Jannai Martinez	....	film loader
David Mellow	....	first assistant camera
Ed Richardson	....	second assistant camera

Animation Department
Christiane Cegavske	....	animator

Casting Department
Jennifer Goldstein	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Denny Colliver	....	assistant costume designer: Los Angeles
Olivia Mori	....	assistant costume designer: Tennessee
Andrea Sweet	....	costume supervisor
Selby Van Horne	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Sarah Goff	....	assistant editor
Anthony Gore	....	post-production consultant

Music Department
Dante Adrian-White-Aliano	....	composer: additional music
Gerry Gershman	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
Ron Bledsoe	....	transportation

Other crew
Brent Almond	....	production coordinator: second unit
Jessica Bailin	....	production assistant
Stephanie Beman	....	key craft service
Magi Berciano	....	paralegal
Alex Blagg	....	location scout
Emily Brobst	....	stand-in: Jeremiah
John Griffin	....	set production assistant
Jerod Hollyfield	....	intern
Chad Jones	....	set production assistant
Sarah J. Kennedy	....	intern
Kathleen LaGue	....	looping group
Don Napoli	....	key production accountant
Phillip L. Rosen	....	production legal
Chelsea Samples	....	production coordinator
Dottie Sharp	....	office production assistant
Peter Simovic	....	set production assistant
Angel Thompson	....	office production assistant
Laura Torrance	....	studio teacher
Carrie Wilksen	....	pre-production coordinator
Ben Zoltowski	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Above All Things Inc.
• Artist Film
• Metro Tartan Distribution Ltd.
• Minerva Picture Company Ltd.
• Wild Bunch
• Departure Entertainment
• Departure Studios
• Muse Productions
• Pretty Dangerous Films
• Snowfall Films (executive production)

Distributors

• 791 Cine (2008) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Artist Films Co. Ltd. (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Cinema Mondo (2005) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Phantom Film (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Above All Things Inc.
• Argentina Video Home (2009) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Arte (2008) (Germany) (TV)
• Artist Film (2006) (Japan) (DVD)
• Califórnia Home Vídeo (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Ekaterinburg Art (EA) (2006) (Russia) (all media)
• Limon Yapim (2005) (Turkey) (all media)
• Minerva (2005) (Italy) (all media)
• Palisades Tartan (2009) (UK) (all media)
• Palm Pictures (2006) (USA) (all media)
• Pan Vision Oy (2005) (Finland) (DVD)
• Roadshow Entertainment (2007) (Australia) (DVD)
• SubTV (2007) (Finland) (TV)
• Tartan Films (2005) (UK) (all media)

Other Companies

• Hollywood Caterers  catering
• Murphy PR  publicity
• Rockbottom Rentals  nextel cell phone rentals

Also Known As:

"Le livre de Jérémie" - France
"A szív csalfa vágyai" - Hungary (imdb display title)
"Aldatan yürek" - Turkey (Turkish title)
"Das Herz ist eine hinterlistige Person" - Germany
"El corazón es engañoso por sobre todas las cosas" - Argentina (festival title)
"Ingannevole è il cuore più di ogni cosa" - Italy
"Maldito Coração" - Brazil
"O Coração É Traiçoeiro Acima de Todas as Coisas" - Brazil (festival title)
"Petollinen on ihmissydän" - Finland

MPAA:

Rated R for intense depiction of child abuse/neglect, strong sex and drug content, pervasive language and some violence

Runtime:

98 min | USA:97 min | Argentina:97 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival)

Country:

USA | UK | France | Japan

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Brazil:18 | France:-16 | Canada:18A | Australia:R (2007) | UK:15 | Germany:16 | Japan:PG-12 | Italy:VM14 | Argentina:16 | Finland:K-15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Knoxville, Tennessee, USA

Company:

Above All Things Inc.

Trivia:

Girl Boy Girl is the story of Samantha Knoop's transformation to and from JT Leroy.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Jeremiah is in the diner pouring sugar into the cereal bowl, the amount of sugar in the bowl changes between shots.

Quotes:

Older Jeremiah:Its ok, I'll protect you.

Movie Connections:

References Deep Throat (1972)

Soundtrack:

Cuckoo Bird

Beautiful, ferocious and engrossing....

I'd been wanting to see this movie ever since I'd heard about it. I didn't manage to catch it at the cinema, it had a very limited release, but wow, it's worth waiting for.

Based on the book by JT Leroy, which is in turn based on his early life, and directed by and starring Asia Argento, this book charts the early years of Jeremiah, a child taken back from his foster parents by his mother, and dragged around from seedy motel to violent relationship and back again. He ends up with his fanatically religious grandparents for a while, which is little better, before being taken away by his mother again.

I was bowled over by the sheer quality of the acting, the direction, the cinematography, everything. It's a shocking, painful film, but it has a strange beauty. I was expecting it to be hard to watch, but the film just flew by. Really worth seeing if you fancy something different.