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Storyline
After college graduation, Grover's girlfriend Jane tells him she's moving to Prague to study writing. Grover declines to accompany her, deciding instead to move in with several friends, all of whom can't quite work up the inertia to escape their university's pull. Nobody wants to make any big decisions that would radically alter his life, yet none of them wants to end up like Chet, the professional student who tends bar and is in his tenth year of university studies. Written by
James Meek <james@oz.net>
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Taglines:
Anxiety loves company.
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Did You Know?
Trivia
According to Noah Baumbach at the Lincoln Center anniversary screening, there was another actor scheduled to play the lead role who dropped out at the last minute, prompting Tri-mark to tell him to 'find a star' or they'd cancel the movie. Baumbach quickly faxed his good friend Eric Stolz who was filming Rob Roy in Scotland, and got him to sign on to the movie even though there was no character written for him. They created the character of Chet together, doing a lot of improvisation, in particular the famous 'book club' scene.
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Goofs
At the airport, when Grover says, "Shit, I wish I hadn't seen that", his mark is clearly visible on the floor when he walks away.
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Quotes
Guy at party:
I'll tell you the worst part about losing a foot.
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Connections
References
No Escape (1994)
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Soundtracks
"Braver, Newer, World"
Written by
Jimmie Dale Gilmore
Performed by
Jimmie Dale Gilmore See more »
Noah Baumbach's Kicking and Screaming is one of those rare films that actually gets it right when it comes to understanding the angst of being a young adult right out of college. Baumbach's dialogue matches each of the feelings that newly graduated students go through, but doesn't stoop to the level of condescending. We all identify with the characters of Kicking and Screaming whether it is Skippy and his wanting to further his education because there might be something he missed out on or if Skippy doesn't subconsciously want to become his friends Max, Grover, or Otis. We might identify with Max who blatantly doesn't know what to do now. Max's only hellbent on not looking back on his college years, "I'm nostalgic for conversations I had yesterday. I've begun reminiscing events before they even occur. I'm reminiscing this right now. I can't go to the bar because I've already looked back on it in my memory... and I didn't have a good time." Kicking and Screaming is a film deserving to be recognize as a journey through the minds of graduates and self-discovery of oneself.