Update:Director Spencer Susser has told Gordon and the Whale that the trailer is not official. Scroll to the bottom of the post to here what he has had to say. Originally debuting two Sundance Film Festivals ago, it looks like
Hesher is
finally going to see the light of day this April. Starring
Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the title character, the recently unveiled trailer is notably light on details, but what we do know so far is enough to warrant our attention. For starters, Levitt is sporting the facial hair of a 21st century Jesus, replete with drastically unbuttoned chequered shirt and a buttock-grazing mane. Secondly,
Natalie Portman is in it. She's not running around in spandex snogging swans in this one, though. Sporting unflatteringly large-framed glasses and ratty hair, she's a world apart from the prancing perfectionist persona we most recently remember her for. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H65ybNyfGGg What with this being an official Sundance selection, the overall theme appears to be coming to terms with one's self, in this case that 'one' being a motherless young boy, portrayed by
Devon Brochu. Stuck with his deadbeat druggy Dad (an unrecognisable
Rainn Wilson), the young boy seems to unwillingly attract the attention of anarchist Hesher, who enrolls himself as an elder-brother figure throughout the lad's trials and tribulations; having his head dunked in the school toilet, being arrested, and sharing an uncomfortable obsession with Portman's character. The logo also bares a striking resemblance to that of Metallica's which, if anything, will ensure an interesting little lawsuit to accompany its release. The trailer is of an unusually awful quality, which might be to tie in with the film's hipster aesthetic, or because they spent the entire budget trying to convince Portman into a role that requires wearing glasses not unlike Deidre's from Corrie.
UPDATE: Director Spencer Susser said about the trailer;
"Im sure youve seen or heard about the HESHER trailer thats spreading around. I wanted to let you know that its far from the official trailer. Its a trailer cut for foreign markets from the same geniuses who tried to change the name to rebel. While its not a bad trailer, it was created by the foreign sales representatives of the film for the specific intent of explaining the film to people in foreign, often non-english-speaking markets. Im happy to see that people online like the trailer and are interested in HESHER, but the trailer doesnt accurately present the tone of the film or the character of Hesher. Anyway, Im looking forward to sharing the official trailer which will be out very soon and I feel will communicate the films intent more clearly".