Inventing the Abbotts (1997)

Two working class brothers court three wealthy and beautiful sisters in a small Illinois town.

Director:

Pat O'Connor

Writers:

Sue Miller (story), Ken Hixon (screenplay)

Stars:

Liv Tyler, Jennifer Connelly, Joaquin Phoenix

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 Holt, have only three things in common: their family, table tennis and chasing the beautiful Abbott sisters. Their father, a reckless risk-taker, lost his life through a wager with Lloyd Abbott, his then business partner.

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Plot Keywords:

sex scene | female frontal nudity | 1950s | female rear nudity | breasts | 

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Taglines:

When you want it all but can't have it, there's only one way to handle life...invent it.

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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:

Mystic Theater - 23 Petaluma Blvd. North, Petaluma, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,301,138, 6 April 1997, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$5,936,344, 11 June 1997

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox 2000 Pictures, Imagine Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The narrator is played by Michael Keaton in an uncredited role.

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Goofs

When Eleanor is having sex with Jacey, and Doug walks in, her hair changes position between the away shot and the close up.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: The end of my innocence and childhood began in 1957. It is remarkable to me now just how little I knew then about the people around me. It took me years to figure out exactly what the truth was, especially given my brother's knack at inventing facts. My mother once told me that if the Abbotts didn't exist, my brother would have had to invent them.

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Connections

References Wake Me When It's Over (1960)

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Soundtracks

On the Good Ship Lollipop
Written by Sidney Clare & Richard A. Whiting
Produced by Christopher Brooks
Performed by David Heckendorn

User Reviews

Sweet little romance

What can I say? I love this movie. And I'm not the type who digs romance movies, because they're usually 1) rubbish, 2) crap and 3) junk. "Inventing the Abbotts" is none of the above. Maybe it has got something to do with Joaquin Phoenix's presence in the movie; in my humble opinion, he is one tremendous actor and I love him, and I saw this movie because he's in it. Or maybe, just maybe, "Inventing the Abbotts" is simply a sweet little romantic movie that I enjoyed very much. There is just something about the movie that touches me. I do agree that "the best kind of love is the no-matter-what kind", and seeing it displayed so genuinely through Doug (Phoenix) and Pam (Liv Tyler) just did it for me. Not only was Joaquin brilliant as Doug, his character is, let's face it, an all-round good guy: someone you'd feel comfortable with, comfortable enough to let him meet the parents. And although there were some scenes where Liv Tyler didn't quite deliver, the chemistry between the two of them is obvious, and it helps to make their romance more possible than it already is.

Billy Crudup plays the more interesting Holt brother Jacey, and is thoroughly convincing in his role. Jennifer Connelly is beautiful, and like most of the supporting cast, is solid in her role. Special kudos must go to the actress who played Doug's mom (her name eluded my memory). She handled her role with delicacy and care, and turned what could be a fairly boring character to an interesting one. I love the exploration of family relationships, and I was glad to see a solid relationship between Doug and his mother.

All in all, "Inventing the Abbotts" is a splendid movie that *somehow* teaches you to love "no matter what".