| City of Ember | |
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Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Gil Kenan |
| Produced by | Seth Hanchett Gary Goetzman Steven Shareshian |
| Written by | Caroline Thompson Jeanne DuPrau (Novel) |
| Starring | Saoirse Ronan Harry Treadaway Bill Murray Mackenzie Crook |
| Music by | Andrew Lockington |
| Cinematography | Xavier Pérez Grobet |
| Editing by | Adam P. Scott Zach Staenberg |
| Studio | Walden Media Playtone |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release date(s) | October 10, 2008 |
| Running time | 90 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $55 million |
| Box office | $17,929,684[1] |
City of Ember is a 2008 science fiction-fantasy film based on the 2003 novel of the same name by Jeanne DuPrau. It was directed by Gil Kenan from a screenplay by Caroline Thompson, and stars Saoirse Ronan, Harry Treadaway, Bill Murray, Mackenzie Crook, Martin Landau and Tim Robbins.
Contents |
In the midst of a nuclear war, the Builders of the underground "City of Ember" place secret instructions to future generations in a small box. They agree that 200 years should be a reasonable margin of safety to stay underground. The box is thrust into the hands of the mayor of the underground complex. Each mayor, in turn, passes the box onto his or her successor. When the box has 47 more years left on the time-lock, the mayor holding the box dies suddenly. The significance of the box had not been explained to anyone else and the mayor's family places it in junk-filled closet. When it finally reaches year 200, the time-lock clicks open, but the event goes unnoticed.
For generations, the people of Ember have lived in a huge underground complex built as a refuge for humanity. It is built into a vast cavern so high that it is filled with regular-sized buildings. Far above the tops of the buildings are banks of floodlights that light the city during the day and provide light for the greenhouses. The lights are powered by a massive generator. Now it is year 247 and Ember threatens to fall into darkness as the generator begins to fail. Blackouts are occurring with increasing frequency and last longer each time. There's also a major shortage of canned goods and light bulbs.
At a rite of passage for all graduating students called Assignment Day, the mayor (Bill Murray) stands before the graduating students as they choose, by lottery, what their occupations will be. Lina (Saoirse Ronan), a young girl dreaming to be a messenger, is assigned "Pipeworks Laborer" and Doon (Harry Treadaway) is assigned "Messenger". The two swap occupations. Lina goes home to find her grandmother searching for something in the closet, which turns out to be the lost metal box. Unable to piece the torn papers inside the box together, Lina nevertheless resolves to decipher their meaning and enlists Doon's help. As blackouts become more frequent, Lina and Doon realize that the information inside the box could lead to the salvation of Ember. Racing against time, the two follow the clues, cleverly maneuvering around corrupt politicians.
During their flight, it turns out that their parents had once joined in an attempt to make their way beyond Ember - an attempt which ended when Lina's father drowned after their tunneler hit an underground river. The pair realizes the document is a set of instructions on how to escape the city, and they search for the hidden exit. They also discover that the mayor has been hoarding canned food in a secret room. When they report the theft, they are declared traitors. Now on the run from the mayor's police, the pair puts their escape plan into action. They fetch Poppy, Lina's younger sister, and follow the instructions, which leads them to the surface where they see and feel the natural air and sky for the first time. At first, they are sad because it is dark, but they do not realize it is nighttime. In the morning, as the sun rises, they gaze in amazement at the glowing sun and blue sky. They then tie a message of their discovery to a rock and drop it back down to the city, where it is found by Doon's father (Tim Robbins)
In October 2004, Playtone partners Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman paid in the mid-six figures[2] to purchase the film rights to Jeanne DuPrau's 2003 novel The City of Ember. They entered negotiations with Caroline Thompson to adapt the novel and Gil Kenan to direct the film. The deal includes an option on the sequel novel The People of Sparks.[3]
Filming was scheduled to begin in early summer of 2007 and to wrap up in October of the same year,[4] a 16-week shooting process. A former paint hall in the shipyard of Harland and Wolff in Belfast's Titanic Quarter was converted into the post-apocalyptic city.[5]
Walden Media hired Lucas Cruikshank to promote the movie in his internet series "Fred". The video was released Saturday, October 4, 2008 with an edited version of clips from the film, including "Fred's" face superimposed on the faces of characters from the trailer.
The film received mixed reviews from critics. According to the consensus from review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film "is visually arresting, and boasts a superb cast, but is sadly lacking in both action and adventure." Of the 124 reviewers listed, 53% of the critics gave positive reviews.[6]
Metacritic scored the film as 57/100 rating falling under the category of "mixed or average reviews", based on 27 reviews.[7]
On its opening weekend, the film opened poorly at #11 at the box office with $3,129,473.[8] As of February 20, 2010, the film has grossed $7,873,007 domestically and $10,056,677 internationally totaling $17,929,684 worldwide, well below its $55 million budget.[1]
Saoirse Ronan was nominated for a 2009 Irish Film and Television Award as "Best Actress in a Lead Role in a Film", and art director Jon Billington and production designer Martin Laing were nominated for Satellite Awards in 2008 for their design of the film, as was Ruth Myers for her costume design.[9]
The DVD was released on Tuesday, January 20, 2009 in a DVD-18 format with the widescreen version of the film on one side, and the full screen version on the other.
It was released in 2009 on Blu-ray Disc in the United Kingdom, Germany, and France, all coded for Region B playback only. No United States Blu-ray release has been announced.
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