Storytelling (2001)

Director:

Todd Solondz

Writer (WGA):

Todd Solondz (written by)

Release Date:

8 November 2001 (Russia)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

College and high school serve as the backdrop for two stories about dysfunction and personal turmoil.

Plot Keywords:

High School | College | Sex | Celebrity | Documentary Filmmaker

Cast

Selma Blair	...	Vi ('Fiction')
Leo Fitzpatrick	...	Marcus ('Fiction')
Robert Wisdom	...	Mr. Scott ('Fiction')
Maria Thayer	...	Amy ('Fiction')
Angela Goethals	...	Elli ('Fiction')
Devorah Rose	...	Lucy ('Fiction')
Nancy Anne Ridder	...	Joyce ('Fiction')
Steve Rosen	...	Ethan ('Fiction') (as Steven Rosen)
Aleksa Palladino	...	Catherine ('Fiction')
Mary Lynn Rajskub	...	Melinda ('Fiction')
Tina Holmes	...	Sue ('Fiction')
Paul Giamatti	...	Toby Oxman ('Non-fiction')
Mike Schank	...	Mike the Cameraman ('Non-fiction')
Xander Berkeley	...	Mr. DeMarco ('Non-fiction')
Mark Webber	...	Scooby Livingston ('Non-fiction')

Also Known As:

Story Telling (USA) (trailer title)
Untitled Todd Solondz Project (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexual content, language and some drug use.

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Hungary:16 | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Denmark:11 | New Zealand:R18 | Argentina:18 | Australia:MA | Brazil:18 | Canada:18A | Finland:K-15 | France:U | Netherlands:16 | Peru:18 | Portugal:M/16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:R (certificate #38271) | USA:Unrated | Malaysia:(Banned)

Filming Locations:

Adelphi University, Garden City, Long Island, New York, USA

Company:

New Line Cinema

Trivia:

Emmanuelle Chriqui, Adam Hann-Byrd, and Heather Matarazzo also filmed scenes that were cut from the film.

Goofs:

Continuity: Length of Scooby's joint when he and Toby first meet.

Quotes:

Mikey Livingston: Wasn't there high school in El Salvador?
Consuelo: We had to work. My family was poor.
Mikey Livingston: It must have been hard being poor.
Consuelo: I am still poor.
Mikey Livingston: But Consuelo... even though you're poor, don't you have any hobbies or interests or anything?
Consuelo: No, Mikey.

Movie Connections:

References Festen (1998)

Soundtrack:

I Don't Want To Play Football

Solondz rules

After a very bumpy (very bumpy!) start, Storytelling disarmed me with its amazing humor (which really shines in "Non-fiction"), succinct dialogue, and brilliant use of music. Let's face it, in a movie industry that bastardizes the concept of soundtrack, I am thankful for Solondz who doesn't overwork a condescending one. But back to the story, I was really wondering what the point was with the "Fiction" until its hard-hitting ending, which blew me away. In "Non-fiction" he once again proves that he can create sympathetic characters like no one else, all with a commentary on school violence, celebrity, conformity, etc. He also has the best humor in cinema (get this! haters of American Beauty are also treated with a spoof!). Humor without all the nasty sarcasm. Scooby, the protagonist in "Non-Fiction" is so wonderfully dimwitted and confused that its so easy to love and relate to him. To all of Solondz's critics, he says, "I love them!" by proxy. Solondz always struck me as someone with a very good heart, and he showcases more of that here. I really do think that this is a powerful movie and more than the sum of its parts. The first part is in the same vein as HAPPINESS while the second is is more like the digestible WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE. Both are great movies (the second being a masterpiece), but only one is a film you could watch repeatedly. It really saddens me that the terrible responses to his films (all save for WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE) have made filmmaking so much a "nightmare" to him that we might Solondz disappear from the cinema world.