The Squid and the Whale (2005)

Based on the true childhood experiences of Noah Baumbach and his brother, The Squid and the Whale tells the touching story of two young boys dealing with their parents' divorce in Brooklyn in the 1980s.

Director:

Noah Baumbach

Writer:

Noah Baumbach

Stars:

Owen Kline, Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 19 wins & 27 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Owen Kline	...	Frank Berkman
Jeff Daniels	...	Bernard Berkman
Laura Linney	...	Joan Berkman
Jesse Eisenberg	...	Walt Berkman
William Baldwin	...	Ivan
David Benger	...	Carl
Anna Paquin	...	Lili
Molly Barton	...	Graduate Student
Bo Berkman	...	Graduate Student
Matthew Kaplan	...	Graduate Student
Simon Kaplan	...	Graduate Student
Matthew Kirsch	...	Graduate Student
Daniella Markowicz	...	Graduate Student
Elizabeth Meriwether	...	Graduate Student
Ben Schrank	...	Graduate Student

Storyline

In 1986, In Brooklyn, New York, the dysfunctional family of pseudo intellectuals composed by the university professor Bernard and the prominent writer Joan split. Bernard is a selfish, cheap and jealous decadent writer that rationalizes every attitude in his family and life and does not accept "philistines" - people that do not read books or watch movies, while the unfaithful Joan is growing as a writer and has no problems with "philistines". Their sons, the teenager Walt and the boy Frank, feel the separation and take side: Walt stays with Bernard, and Frank with Joan, and both are affected with abnormal behaviors. Frank drinks booze and smears with sperm the books in the library and a locker in the dress room of his school. The messed-up and insecure Walt uses Roger Water's song "Hey You" in a festival as if it was of his own, and breaks with his girlfriend Sophie. Meanwhile Joan has an affair with Frank's tennis teacher Ivan and Bernard with his student Lili.

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Plot Keywords:

boy | writer | tennis | marriage | book | 

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Taglines:

Joint Custody Blows.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexual content, graphic dialogue and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 March 2006 (Turkey)

Also Known As:

A Lula e a Baleia

Filming Locations:

Brooklyn College, City University of New York, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$43,776 (Brazil) (14 April 2006)

Gross:

£506,477 (UK) (5 May 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Samuel Goldwyn Films, Sony Pictures International, Destination Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min 88 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Laura Linney was given the script by Eric Stoltz in 2000 while they were filming The House of Mirth. She agreed to do it immediately.

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Goofs

The Squid and the Whale display in the museum is in reality not brightly lit. It is a very dark display meant to simulate the inky depths of the ocean. (It probably would not show up on film as it really exists.)

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Quotes

[first lines]
Frank Berkman: Mom and me versus you and Dad.

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Connections

Featured in Indie Sex: Teens (2007)

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Soundtracks

"Life Depends on Love"
Written and Performed by Bert Jansch
Courtesy of Sanctuary Records Group

User Reviews

Patricide with a dull knife

Noah Baumbach takes a loving (oh?) stab at his parents' divorce, brought on by the hilariously immature antics of his father, and my writing professor, the ever pompous Jonathan Baumbach (Jeff Daniels).

Brooklyn College was a hotbed of activism and liberal arts when I first encountered Jonathan Baumbach (rechristened "Bernard" in the film, a sly wink at Jonathan's mentor and hero, Bernard Malamud). The arrogance and complete lack of self awareness is perfectly captured by Daniels in his over-the-top performance which, amazingly, underplays the actual father.

To call the picture patricidal is to completely miss the point; Baumbach pere is so self centered, he likely sees the film as an homage. Baumbach Sr. is a great writer; he receives good reviews in the literary journals and his books sell in the hundreds. Baumbach Jr., on the other hand, is a great filmmaker, and his movies (The Life Aquatic) are seen by millions. I'm sure the father is disappointed that the son isn't pursuing tenure at a small Ohio college.

I saw this film in a cozy college theater at the Toronto Film Festival. I half expected to run into Jonathan Baumbach, in his leather patched tweed jacket, preening for the audience and eying the coeds.

Funny and poignant. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll want to choke the bastard.