Kicking and Screaming (1995)

Following graduation, a handful of college students do nothing and talk about it wittily.

Director:

Noah Baumbach

Writers:

Noah Baumbach (story), Oliver Berkman (story),

Stars:

Josh Hamilton, Samuel Gould, Catherine Kellner

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Josh Hamilton	...	Grover
Samuel Gould	...	Pete (as Sam Gould)
Catherine Kellner	...	Gail
Jonathan Baumbach	...	Professor
John Lehr	...	Louis
Olivia d'Abo	...	Jane
Peter Czernin	...	Lester
Carlos Jacott	...	Otis
Chris Eigeman	...	Max
Eric Stoltz	...	Chet
Eliza Roberts	...	Josselyn
Jason Wiles	...	Skippy
Parker Posey	...	Miami
Christopher Reed	...	Friedrich (as Chris Reed)
Noah Baumbach	...	Danny

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.

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Plot Keywords:

college | bar | college graduation | writing | friend | 

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Taglines:

Anxiety loves company.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong language, and some sexuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 October 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Desmoi filias

Filming Locations:

Occidental College -1600 Campus Road, Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$704,543 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Trimark Pictures, Castleberg Productions, Sandollar Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

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

User Reviews

rare film

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.