Igby Goes Down (2002)

Director:

Burr Steers

Writer (WGA):

Burr Steers (written by)

Release Date:

1 May 2003 (Austria)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Insanity is relative

Plot:

A young man's peculiar upbringing renders him unable to competently cope with the struggle of growing up.

Plot Keywords:

Performance Artist | Godfather | Mistress | Prep School | Dysfunctional Family

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 7 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Kieran Culkin	...	Igby
Claire Danes	...	Sookie
Jeff Goldblum	...	D.H.
Jared Harris	...	Russel
Amanda Peet	...	Rachel
Ryan Phillippe	...	Oliver
Bill Pullman	...	Jason
Susan Sarandon	...	Mimi Slocumb
Rory Culkin	...	10-Year-Old Igby
Peter Anthony Tambakis	...	13-Year-Old Oliver (as Peter Tambakis)
Bill Irwin	...	Lt. Smith
Kathleen Gati	...	Ida
Gannon Forrester	...	Little Cadet
Celia Weston	...	Bunny
Elizabeth Jagger	...	Lisa Fiedler

MPAA:

Rated R for language, sexuality and drug content.

Runtime:

98 min | Argentina:99 min (Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:14 (canton of Zurich) | Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Portugal:M/16 | USA:TV-MA (TV rating) | New Zealand:R16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Brazil:18 | Canada:14A | Denmark:7 | Finland:K-15 | France:U | Germany:12 | Netherlands:12 | Singapore:M18 (re-rating) | Singapore:R(A) (original rating) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

United Artists

Trivia:

Writer/director Burr Steers originally intended to make this a novel, not a movie.

Goofs:

Continuity: Despite talk throughout the film of a passage of time, the coming of summer, the advent of fall, and the approach of Christmas, the entire film was clearly shot over a very short time in the fall. In the scene outside the campus where DH tells Igby his mother is having a mastectomy, for example, DH talks about staying with him "this summer," yet there are dead leaves on the ground and bare trees.

Quotes:

Igby: Can we go back to your mom's apartment and have sex?
Sookie: No! You think that'll make you feel better? It won't. It'll just make you feel really empty and sad. You're better off masturbating.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in American Fame Pt. 1: Drowning River Phoenix (2004)

Soundtrack:

Broken Up a Ding Dong

Holden Caulfield with a Harry Potter scarf

I'm very pleased to see other reviewers comparing Kieran Culkin's character Jason/Igby to The Catcher in the Rye's Holden Caulfield - while watching the film I was thinking the same thing, much to writer/director Burr Steers' credit. This is THE Social Commentary movie I have been waiting to see for a long time now - fearless, witty, arch, poignant without being sentimental, and, best of all, the characters are not one-dimensional, they all live and breathe and we feel the agony they are suffering behind their socially privileged masks.

Culkin is especially brilliant (and so sad, with his Harry Potter scarf - a young wizard without any magic), but everyone shines here - Sarandon, Pullman, Danes, Amanda Peet, Ryan Phillippe, Jeff "how-can-I-be-any-creepier" Goldblum, and of course Jared Harris, who positively reeks eccentricity without even having to open his mouth (but when he does, it's always good too). A fine first film from a director/writer who definitely bears watching.