Inventing the Abbotts (1997)

A light-hearted story of two brothers courting three sisters.

Director:

Pat O'Connor

Writers:

Sue Miller (story), Ken Hixon (screenplay)

Stars:

Joaquin Phoenix, Billy Crudup, Jennifer Connelly

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joaquin Phoenix	...	Doug Holt
Billy Crudup	...	Jacey Holt
Will Patton	...	Lloyd Abbott
Kathy Baker	...	Helen Holt
Jennifer Connelly	...	Eleanor Abbott
Michael Sutton	...	Steve
Liv Tyler	...	Pamela Abbott
Joanna Going	...	Alice Abbott
Barbara Williams	...	Joan Abbott
Alessandro Nivola	...	Peter Vanlaningham
Nicole M. Vassallo	...	Giggling Girl #1
Amanda Sherman	...	Giggling Girl #2
Shawn Hatosy	...	Victor
Garrett M. Brown	...	Webb Crosby
Julie Benz	...	Co-ed

Storyline

Set in the 1950s, Inventing the Abbotts is a dramatic look at the life of two boys from the wrong side of the tracks and their interaction with the three daughters of local aristocrat Lloyd Abbott. The boys, Jacey and Doug have only 3 things in common: their family, table tennis and chasing the Abbott sisters.

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Plot Keywords:

wrong side of the tracks | 1950s | three sisters | tennis | ice cream | 

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Taglines:

Love no matter what

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexuality and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 April 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Círculo de pasiones

Filming Locations:

Healdsburg, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$2,301,138 (USA) (4 April 1997)

Gross:

$5,852,547 (USA) (16 May 1997)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox 2000 Pictures, Imagine Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jennifer Connelly and Liv Tyler play sisters in this film. Connelly played Betty Ross in Hulk, and was replaced by Tyler in The Incredible Hulk.

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Goofs

There's a closeup of an Elvis Presley album which has a 1970's RCA logo on it. The logo is the same one the company currently uses, not that older "electric" lettering they had in the '50's amd '60's.

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Quotes

Helen Holt: You do realize you may be the only person at this party with artificial sideburns?

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Connections

References Island in the Sun (1957)

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Soundtracks

"Cruisin' 1958"
Courtesy of Increase Records
Cruisin' is a registered trademark of Increase Inc.

User Reviews

Simple story well told

I saw this film on a flight to Australia. I'd never heard of it but it would pass some time. In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It has a Forest Gump kind of charm but a lot less humour. It also reminded me of the early soap operas like Peyton Place in the way it portrayed 1950's America. The unfolding of the family story is well spun out so that you only gradually come to appreciate the tensions involved and indeed some of the scenes are only understood after later revelations show up a new significance. The characters were believable and the twist in the tale of the story sufficiently unexpected but predictable in retrospect that you kick yourself for not realising. A family film with little to worry the censor other than some mild fisticuffs and a small amount of what might have been referred to in the film as "fooling around". The interplay between the leading roles is exceptional, both between the two brothers and between Liv Tyler and Joaquin Phoenix.