Spanking the Monkey (1994)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

David O. Russell

Writer (WGA):

David O. Russell (written by)

Release Date:

15 July 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Get a grip on yourself.

Plot:

Raymond Aibelli is a promising medical student ready to begin a prestigious summer internship. But Susan...

Plot Keywords:

Shower | Medical School | Mother Son Incest | Remake | Dysfunctional Family

Awards:

3 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Jeremy Davies	...	Ray Aibelli
Elizabeth Newett	...	Bus Woman
Benjamin Hendrickson	...	Tom Aibelli
Alberta Watson	...	Susan Aibelli
Carla Gallo	...	Toni Peck
Liberty Jean	...	Motel Woman #1
Archer Martin	...	Motel Woman #2
Matthew Puckett	...	Nicky
Zak Orth	...	Curtis
Josh Phillip Weinstein	...	Joel
Judah Domke	...	Don
Nancy Fields	...	Dr. Wilson
Judette Jones	...	Aunt Helen
Carmine Paolini	...	Mailman
Neil Connie Wallace	...	Walter Hooten

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

New Zealand:R18 | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Canada:14A | UK:18 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Pawling, New York, USA

Company:

Buckeye Films

Trivia:

Director David O. Russell cast 'Jeremy Davies' based on the actor's performance in a Suburu commercial.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: Boom mic clearly visible when Mr Aibelli first phones Ray from the hotel room.

Movie Connections:

References Le souffle au coeur (1971)

Soundtrack:

Sheila

Missed Chances

Considering the plethora of reviews here, both good and bad, there isn't much I can say that hasn't already been said. I will add that the first half works "reasonably" well, allowing viewers to understand perhaps how such a thing as an incestuous encounter could possibly happen. But then the film derails, and derails big time. The boy blames his mother completely for what they did, and the film seems to side with him despite the fact that it had previously shown us that he was just as guilty as she in the liaison. The film gets unspeakably ugly from there. The subject of consensual incest has been addressed by film only a few times over the years, always with unsatisfactory results---perhaps this is reflective of society's uneasiness with the subject. Consensual incest is about the only "sexual more" that is never discussed (even by psychologists), even though it likely occurs in real life with more frequency than we would like to believe.