The Squid and the Whale (2005)

Synopsis of The Squid and the Whale

Two boys learn the hard way about how a marriage falls apart in this independent comedy drama. Bernard (Jeff Daniels) is a novelist whose career has gone into a slow decline as he spends more time teaching and less time writing. His wife, Joan (Laura Linney), meanwhile, has recently begun publishing her own work to widespread acclaim, which only increases the growing tension between them. One day, Bernard and Joan's two sons -- 16-year-old Walt (Jesse Eisenberg) and 12-year-old Frank (Owen Kline) -- are told that their parents are separating, with Bernard renting a house on the other side of their Park Slope, Brooklyn, neighborhood. As the parents set up a schedule for spending time with their children, Walt and Jesse can hardly imagine that things could get more combative between their folks, but they do, as Joan begins dating Ivan (William Baldwin), Frank's tennis instructor, and Bernard starts sharing the house with Lili (Anna Paquin), one of his students. Meanwhile, the two boys begin taking sides in the battle between their parents, with Walt taking after his father and Frank siding with his mom. Based on writer/director Noah Baumbach's own childhood experiences with his parents' divorce, The Squid and the Whale won prizes for writing and direction at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Theatrical Feature Running Time:

81 mins

Director(s):

Noah Baumbach

Writer(s):

Noah Baumbach

Producer(s):

Charlie Corwin, Peter Newman, Clara Markowicz

Theatrical MPAA Rating:

R(Profanity, Adult Situations, Alcohol Consumption, Strong Sexual Content, Youth Substance Use, Adult Humor)

Categories:

Independent Films

• 2005 - American Film Institute - Best Picture
• 2005 - Los Angeles Film Critics Association - Best Screenplay
• 2005 - National Board of Review - Best Original Screenplay
• 2005 - National Society of Film Critics - Best Actor - Runner-up
• 2005 - National Society of Film Critics - Best Screenplay
• 2005 - New York Film Critics Circle - Best Screenplay
• 2005 - Online Film Critics Association - Breakthrough Performer
• 2005 - Sundance Film Festival - Best Screenplay
• 2005 - Sundance Film Festival - Dramatic Directing Award

Warning:  This product is intended for mature audiences only. It may contain violence, sexual content, drug abuse and/or strong language. You must be 17 or older to purchase it. By ordering this item you are certifying that you are at least 17 years of age.

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