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

Film debut of Alessandro Nivola.

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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

Featured in Showbiz Today: Episode dated 1 April 1997 (1997)

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Soundtracks

Serenade in Blue
Written by Mack Gordon & Harry Warren
Produced by Christopher Brooks
Performed by David Heckendorn

User Reviews

A fine coming of age movie

An excellent cast guides this periodic drama of working class brothers of a widowed mother and their relationships with the daughters of a society family in a small Illinois town in 1957. Joaquin Phoenix and Billy Crudup are superb as the brothers while Liv Tyler is excellent as the youngest Abbott daughter.

The main theme of the movie seems to be the obsession of older brother Jace (Crudup) for everything the Abbotts have that he feels was denied him after his father's death years earlier. Seems there isn't any Abbott girl Jace won't go after in an effort to show he can rise above his middle class upbringing.

Excellent performances are also on display here by Kathy Baker, Will Patton, Joanna Going, and special mention of the future Academy Award winner Jennifer Connelly. Connelly has an incredible allure as the very sexy, very promiscuous, and playful hedonistic middle Abbott daughter, Elinore.

A really fine character study, excellent casting, and a movie that moves along at a nice pace. I recommend it and think, after seeing it, you will as well.