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:

1950s | sex scene | female frontal nudity | working class | female rear nudity | 

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Joaquin Phoenix and Liv Tyler dated for three years (1995-1998) after meeting on-set.

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Goofs

When in the movie Doug writes on the window "I love you", he writes with the finger on the glass that is covered with steam, and it looks nice, but in fact when it's cold and the windows are covered with steam, the steam is always INSIDE the room, not outside.

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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

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

User Reviews

Excellent performances, great direction

This film is notable for the acting performances (especially Joaquin Phoenix in the starring role) obtained by a fine director, Pat O'Connor. O'Connor may be more comfortable with Irish subject matter but does an excellent job capturing the 50's in middle America. The story is well-told, and the relationship of the two brothers (Phoenix and Billy Crudup) stands out. We need more films like this!

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 April 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Inventing the Abbotts

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,301,138, 6 April 1997

Gross USA:

$5,936,344

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,936,344

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