View source for One Hour Photo

{{short description|2002 film by Mark Romanek}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = One Hour Photo
| image          = One Hour Photo movie.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Mark Romanek]]
| producer       = {{ubl|Pamela Koffler|[[Christine Vachon]]|Stan Wlodkowski}}
| writer         = Mark Romanek
| starring       = {{ubl|[[Robin Williams]]|[[Connie Nielsen]]|[[Michael Vartan]]|[[Gary Cole]]|[[Eriq La Salle]]}}
| music          = {{ubl|[[Reinhold Heil]]|[[Johnny Klimek]]}}
| cinematography = [[Jeff Cronenweth]]
| editing        = [[Jeffrey Ford (film editor)|Jeffrey Ford]]
| production_companies = {{ubl|Catch 23 Entertainment|[[Killer Films]]|[[John Wells (producer)|John Wells Productions]]}}
| distributor    = [[Fox Searchlight Pictures]]
| released       = {{Film date|2002|1|13|[[Sundance Film Festival|Sundance]]|2002|8|21|United States}}
| runtime        = 96 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $12 million<ref name=mojo/>
| gross          = $52.2 million<ref name=mojo>[http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=onehourphoto.htm ''One-Hour Photo''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071014221206/http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=onehourphoto.htm |date=2007-10-14 }} boxofficemojo.com</ref>
}}

'''''One Hour Photo''''' is a 2002 American [[psychological thriller]] film<ref>{{cite news|first=Maria|last=Bailey|url=http://m.nydailynews.com/entertainment/robin-williams-movie-transformations-gallery-1.1902661?pmSlide=1.1902653|title=Robin Williams' Movie Transformations|newspaper=[[New York Daily News]]|publisher=[[Tribune Publishing]]|location=New York City|access-date=January 31, 2015|archive-date=June 8, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170608235559/http://m.nydailynews.com/entertainment/robin-williams-movie-transformations-gallery-1.1902661?pmSlide=1.1902653|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Ann|last=Hornaday|url=http://www.pressdemocrat.com/home/2521977-181/robin-williams-who-died-monday|title=Robin Williams, Who Died Monday, Brought Brutal Honesty To Roles|newspaper=[[The Press-Democrat]]|publisher=Sonoma Media Investments LLC|location=Santa Rosa, California|date=August 11, 2014|access-date=January 31, 2015|archive-date=February 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150203062424/http://www.pressdemocrat.com/home/2521977-181/robin-williams-who-died-monday|url-status=live}}</ref><!--- Do not add or change genres without first discussing on talk page ---> written and directed by [[Mark Romanek]]. It stars [[Robin Williams]] as a photo technician who develops an unhealthy obsession with a family to whom he has long provided services. [[Connie Nielsen]], [[Michael Vartan]], [[Gary Cole]], and [[Eriq La Salle]] appear in supporting roles.

The film premiered at the [[2002 in film|2002]] [[Sundance Film Festival]], followed by a limited release on August 21, 2002, and a wider release on September 13.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://napavalleyregister.com/lifestyles/robin-williams-turns-menacing-in-somber-sundance-thriller-one-hour/article_9cd60e2e-4453-5f2d-acd0-8f0a9043f898.html|title=Robin Williams turns menacing in somber Sundance thriller 'One Hour Photo'|author=Germain, David|date=January 17, 2002|work=[[Napa Valley Register]]|access-date=March 26, 2018|archive-date=March 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180326202658/http://napavalleyregister.com/lifestyles/robin-williams-turns-menacing-in-somber-sundance-thriller-one-hour/article_9cd60e2e-4453-5f2d-acd0-8f0a9043f898.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.robin-williams.net/interviews/onehourphoto/02-01.php|title=One Hour Photo|author=Fischer, Paul|date=January 2002|access-date=March 26, 2018|archive-date=March 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180326203053/http://www.robin-williams.net/interviews/onehourphoto/02-01.php|url-status=live}}</ref> It received positive reviews from film critics, with praise for Williams' against-[[typecasting (acting)|type]] performance, and grossed over $52 million on a $12 million budget.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html|title=Past Saturn Awards|publisher=saturnawards.org|access-date=23 August 2002|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100209012608/http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html|archive-date=9 February 2010}}</ref>

==Plot==
Sy Parrish is a photo technician at a [[minilab|one-hour photo lab]] in [[big-box store]] SavMart. He lives alone with a pet hamster, has no friends or love life, and lives only for his work, which he considers a "vital service". His favorite customers are the Yorkin family, whose photos he has developed for many years. Over the years, he has grown obsessed with the family, enshrining them in his home with their photos that he secretly copies.

Sy eventually manages to spark a connection with Nina Yorkin when he pretends to be interested in a book that he saw her purchase. Nina learns that Sy lives a solitary existence, something only her son Jake had considered previously. The next day, store manager Bill Owens discovers, through an audit investigation on company expenditures, that over the span of nine years, Sy has printed many more prints than those that have been ordered and paid for by the customers. For this, as well as many other infractions, Sy is fired, although Bill allows him to finish the week. Sy is devastated.

While inspecting a customer's photos, Sy discovers that Will Yorkin is having an [[affair]], and his idyllic conception of the Yorkins as the perfect family is shattered. He surreptitiously places the photos of Will and his mistress, Maya Burson, into a packet of photos that Nina was scheduled to pick up. Meanwhile, Sy takes [[paparazzi]]-style photos of Bill's young daughter, and gives the film with the photos to Yoshi, another SavMart employee. Yoshi turns Sy's photos over to Bill, who reports the matter to the police.

While detectives James Van Der Zee and Paul Outerbridge discover Sy's obsession, Sy confronts Will and Maya during a rendezvous in their hotel room. Armed with a knife and a camera, Sy forces the lovers to pose naked in sexual positions while he takes pictures. After the confrontation, Sy notices that the police have arrived at the hotel, and escapes through an emergency exit. The exit door trips an alarm, and Van Der Zee pursues Sy while Outerbridge finds Will and Maya physically unharmed but emotionally traumatized. After the police arrest Sy in the parking garage, Sy claims "I just took pictures."

In the police interrogation room, Sy breaks down and  implies that his parents took pornographic photos of him when he was a child. Before the detective leaves, Sy asks if he can see his photos; the detective obliges. The photos are merely shots of random objects and furnishings in a hotel room; none of Will and Maya. The film ends with a photo of the Yorkins with Sy, each person in the photo smiling.

==Cast==
{{castlist|
* [[Robin Williams]] as Sy Parrish
* [[Michael Vartan]] as Will Yorkin
* [[Connie Nielsen]] as Nina Yorkin
* [[Gary Cole]] as Bill Owens, the store manager at SavMart
* [[Eriq La Salle]] as Det. James Van Der Zee
* [[Clark Gregg]] as Det. Paul Outerbridge
* Paul H. Kim as Yoshi Araki
* [[Erin Daniels]] as Maya Burson
* Dylan Smith as Jake Yorkin
* Marion Colvert as Mrs. Von Unwerth
* David Moreland as Mr. Siskind
* [[Jim Rash]] as Amateur Porn Guy
* [[Nick Searcy]] as Larry the repairman
}}

==Production==
{{more citations needed section|date=November 2016}}
[[Trent Reznor]] of the band [[Nine Inch Nails]] was originally asked to compose the film's [[Film score|score]]. However, early in the process, Romanek was allegedly pressured by the studio to hire a "real composer", and Reznor was dropped from the production. Some of the music that Reznor created for the film evolved into material found on the Nine Inch Nails [[Extended play|EP]] [[And All That Could Have Been#Still|''Still'']].<ref>{{cite web|archive-date=6 January 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060106205140/http://www.nin.com/access/5_07_04/index.php|url=http://www.nin.com/access/5_07_04/index.php|title=Access|author=Trent Reznor|publisher=nin.com|date=7 May 2004|access-date=19 February 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/dec/21/trent-reznor-dragon-tattoo-soundtrack | title=Trent Reznor: 'I'm not at war with myself as I once was' | newspaper=The Guardian | date=21 December 2011 | last1=Lynskey | first1=Dorian }}</ref>

Filming began in [[Los Angeles]] on October 30, 2000<ref>{{cite news |title=Casting Call |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-fresno-bee-casting-call-one-hour-p/177460588/ |access-date=July 25, 2025 |work=The Fresno Bee |date=October 20, 2000 |pages=50}}</ref> and concluded in January 2001.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Beck |first1=Marilyn |last2=Smith |first2=Stacey Jenel |title=Fame Game |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-francisco-examiner-fame-game-m/177460790/ |access-date=July 25, 2025 |work=The San Francisco Examiner |date=November 15, 2000 |pages=26}}</ref> In accordance with the photography-themed movie, the names of several characters are drawn from actual photographers: Sy's assistant at the Savmart, Yoshi Araki (named for [[Nobuyoshi Araki]]), manager Bill Owens ([[Bill Owens (photographer)|Bill Owens]]), Det. Van Der Zee ([[James Van Der Zee]]), Det. Outerbridge ([[Paul Outerbridge]]), Maya Burson ([[Nancy Burson]]), and Savmart customers Mrs. von Unwerth ([[Ellen von Unwerth]]) and Mr. Siskind ([[Aaron Siskind]]).

In one of the voice-over pieces, Sy can be heard saying, "They actually believe that any idiot that attends a two-day seminar can master the art of making beautiful prints in less than an hour. But of course, like most things, there's far more to it than meets the eye." Williams prepared for the role by training for two and a half days in a Southern California photo development lab.<ref>{{cite news|last=Maerz|first=Melissa|title=Robin Williams, Juilliard-trained tiger|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-xpm-2011-apr-17-la-ca-robin-williams-20110417-story.html|newspaper=[[The Los Angeles Times]]|publisher=[[Tribune Publishing]]|location=Los Angeles, California|date=April 17, 2011|access-date=November 4, 2013}}</ref>

In an interview, Romanek said that he was inspired to create the movie by films from the 1970s about "lonely men", notably ''[[Taxi Driver]]'' (1976).

In the [[DVD]] commentary, Romanek says that [[Jack Nicholson]] was first approached to play the lead character. Nicholson turned down the role reportedly because he thought that the character was too similar to the role he played in ''[[The Shining (film)|The Shining]]'' (1980).

==Reception==

===Critical response===
On review aggregator website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], ''One Hour Photo'' holds an approval rating of 82% based on 195 reviews, with an average rating of 7/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Robin Williams is very effective in this creepy, well-shot thriller."<ref>{{cite web |title=One Hour Photo (2002) |url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/one_hour_photo/ |access-date=March 6, 2025|publisher=Rotten Tomatoes |archive-date=April 19, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130419102005/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/one_hour_photo/ |url-status=live }}</ref> At [[Metacritic]], the film has a weighted average score of 64 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/onehourphoto|title=One Hour Photo (2002) Reviews|website=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=August 23, 2010|archive-date=August 27, 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020827103714/http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/onehourphoto|url-status=dead}}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "C" on a scale of A+ to F.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemascore.com/|title=Find CinemaScore|format=Type "One Hour Photo" into the search box|publisher=[[CinemaScore]]|access-date=May 28, 2020|archive-date=April 13, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220413083139/https://www.cinemascore.com/|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' gave the film three and a half stars out of four, and wrote, "Robin Williams plays Sy, another of his open-faced, smiling madmen, like the killer in ''[[Insomnia (2002 film)|Insomnia]]''. He does this so well you don't have the slightest difficulty accepting him in the role."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/one-hour-photo-2002|title=''One Hour Photo''|first=Roger|last=Ebert|author-link=Roger Ebert|newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|publisher=[[Sun-Times Media Group]]|location=Chicago, Illinois|via=rogerebert.com|date=August 23, 2002|access-date=September 17, 2022|archive-date=September 20, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220920170601/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/one-hour-photo-2002|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Mick LaSalle]] of the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' noted that the film is "not nearly as intelligent, thoughtful or penetrating as it promises to be. Yet the consistent delicacy and emotional clarity of Williams' acting in ''One Hour Photo'' makes the picture impossible to dismiss."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Blurred-image-In-One-Hour-Photo-Robin-2807103.php|title=''One Hour Photo''|first=Mick|last=LaSalle|author-link=Mick LaSalle|newspaper=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|publisher=[[Hearst Publishing]]|location=San Francisco, California|date=August 23, 2002|access-date=October 12, 2017|archive-date=October 12, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171012202003/http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Blurred-image-In-One-Hour-Photo-Robin-2807103.php|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2013 [[GamesRadar+]] named the lead character one of the "50 Creepiest Movie Psychopaths".<ref>{{Cite web |author1=Joshua Winning |date=2013-03-14 |title=50 Creepiest Movie Psychopaths |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/50-creepiest-movie-psychopaths/2/ |access-date=2025-03-08 |website=gamesradar |language=en}}</ref>

===Box office===
The film's [[limited release]] began on August 21, 2002, in seven theaters, opening to a $321,515 weekend, with an average of $45,930 per theater. Its [[wide release]] began on September 13, with a 1,212-theater count. Still, the film made just over $8 million that weekend, and went on to gross $31,597,131 in the US, with an additional $20,626,175 in overseas territories, for an international total of $52,223,306.<ref name=mojo/>

===Accolades===
{| class="wikitable sortable" 
|- 
! Award
! Category
! Recipients 
! Result
|-
| [[Critics' Choice Movie Award]]s
| [[Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
|rowspan=3| [[Robin Williams]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association]]
| [[Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| {{nom}}
|-
|! scope="row" rowspan=2| [[Online Film Critics Society]]
| [[Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Breakthrough Filmmaker|Best Breakthrough Filmmaker]]
| [[Mark Romanek]]
| {{won}}
|-
|! scope="row" rowspan=2| [[Satellite Award]]s
| [[Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture|Best Actor – Motion Picture]]
| Robin Williams
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Satellite Award for Best Editing|Best Editing]]
| Jeffrey Ford
| {{nom}}
|-
|! scope="row" rowspan=5| [[Saturn Award]]s<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html|title=Past Saturn Awards|publisher=[[Saturn Awards]]|access-date=23 August 2002|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100209012608/http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html|archive-date=9 February 2010}}</ref>
| [[Saturn Award for Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film|Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film]]
| 
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Writing|Best Writing]]
| Mark Romanek
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| Robin Williams
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]]
| [[Connie Nielsen]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Music|Best Music]]
| [[Reinhold Heil]]
| {{nom}}
|-
|}

==See also==
*[[List of films featuring surveillance]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
*{{IMDb title}}
*{{TCMDb title|437070}}
*{{Rotten Tomatoes}}
*{{Metacritic film}}
*{{Mojo title|onehourphoto}}

{{Mark Romanek}}
{{Portal bar|Film|United States}}

[[Category:2002 films]]
[[Category:2000s psychological drama films]]
[[Category:2002 independent films]]
[[Category:2002 psychological thriller films]]
[[Category:American psychological drama films]]
[[Category:American psychological thriller films]]
[[Category:American independent films]]
[[Category:Films about adultery in the United States]]
[[Category:Films about families]]
[[Category:Films about photographers]]
[[Category:American films about revenge]]
[[Category:Films about security and surveillance]]
[[Category:Films about stalking]]
[[Category:Films about infidelity]]
[[Category:Films directed by Mark Romanek]]
[[Category:Films produced by Christine Vachon]]
[[Category:Films set in department stores]]
[[Category:Films set in hotels]]
[[Category:Films set in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Fox Searchlight Pictures films]]
[[Category:Killer Films films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Reinhold Heil]]
[[Category:Films scored by Johnny Klimek]]
[[Category:Saturn Award–winning films]]
[[Category:2002 drama films]]
[[Category:2000s English-language films]]
[[Category:2000s American films]]
[[Category:English-language independent films]]
[[Category:English-language thriller films]]