An Invisible Sign

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An Invisible Sign

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An Invisible Sign
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Marilyn Agrelo
Screenplay by	Pamela Falk Michael Ellis
Based on	An Invisible Sign of My Own by Aimee Bender
Produced by	Pamela Falk Michael Ellis Jana Edelbaum Lynette Howell
Starring	Jessica Alba Chris Messina John Shea J. K. Simmons
Cinematography	Lisa Rinzler
Edited by	Sabine Hoffmann
Music by	Andrew Hollander
Production companies	iDeal Partners Films 120dB Films Silverwood Films Kimmel International
Distributed by	IFC Films
Release dates	October 7, 2010 (2010-10-07) (Hamptons Film Festival) May 6, 2011 (2011-05-06) (United States)
Running time	96 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$51,138^[1]

An Invisible Sign is a 2010 American drama film directed by Marilyn Agrelo and starring Jessica Alba, Chris Messina, John Shea and J. K. Simmons. Based on the 2001 novel An Invisible Sign of My Own by Aimee Bender, the film is about a painfully withdrawn young woman who, as a child, turned to math for comfort after her father became ill, and now as an adult, teaches the subject and must help her students through their own crises.

The film received negative reviews from critics and grossed $51,138 at the box office.

Plot

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Mona Gray systematically withdraws from life into a world of mathematics after a mysterious mental illness leaves her father incapacitated and a shell of his former self. Forced by her mother to move out on her own, Mona gets a job as a math teacher at an elementary school. There she discovers she has an unorthodox talent for teaching and finds herself thrust back into life again, with children to care for, and a reason to live. Mona takes special interest in one of her students, Lisa Venus (Sophie Nyweide), whose mother is dying of cancer.

When fellow teacher Ben Smith shows romantic interest in her, Mona reverts to some of her old self-destructive impulses. Eventually, Mona discovers her value in the love she shows her students, and she and Ben find love in each other.

Cast

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Jessica Alba as Mona Gray
Chris Messina as Ben Smith
Sônia Braga as Mom
John Shea as Dad
J. K. Simmons as Mr. Jones
Bailee Madison as young Mona
Marylouise Burke as Ms. Gelband
Ashlie Atkinson as Lisa's Aunt
Jake Siciliano as Elmer Gravlaki
Joanna P. Adler as Lisa's mom
Lilly Hartley as Female Runner

Production

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Aimee Bender's 2001 novel An Invisible Sign of My Own was adapted for the screen by The Wedding Planner scribes Michael Ellis and Pamela Falk.^[2] Filming locations included Steiner Studios and Tarrytown, New York.^[2]

Release

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An Invisible Sign premiered at the 18th Hamptons International Film Festival^[3] on October 7, 2010. It was released through video on demand on April 1, 2011, and premiered in theaters on May 6, 2011.^[4]

Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 0% of 15 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 3.1/10.^[5] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 23 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.^[6]