Igby Goes Down (2002)

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

Director:

Burr Steers

Writer:

Burr Steers

Stars:

Kieran Culkin, Susan Sarandon, Jeff Goldblum

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 7 wins & 15 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Seventeen year old Jason Slocumb, Jr. - Igby to most that know him - comes from east coast old money, the second son of self-absorbed and controlling Mimi Slocumb and medically-diagnosed schizophrenic Jason Slocum, Sr., the latter who has for several years been institutionalized in a Maryland psychiatric facility. While Igby's economics-studying Columbia-attending older brother Ollie Slocum has embraced and aspires to continue their wealthy life, Igby has rebelled against it, considering his brother a fascist (although he could soften that label to Republican). Because of Jason's situation, Mimi has largely left the role of male role model for Ollie and Igby to their godfather, D.H. Banes. Igby's rebellion has led to him being kicked out of one prep school after another, the latest, a military academy, from which Igby escapes before he can graduate. As such, Mimi and D.H. arrange for Igby to live in New York with Ollie for the summer while working for D.H. renovating some of his ...

---

Plot Keywords:

mistress | sex in bed | panties pulled down | pink panties | black panties | 

---

Taglines:

Insanity is relative

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, sexuality and drug content

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 October 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Igby

Filming Locations:

Empire Diner, 210 10th Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$9,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$306,705, 15 September 2002

Gross USA:

$4,777,465

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$6,919,198

Company Credits

Production Co:

United Artists, Atlantic Streamline, Crossroads Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

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

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Gore Vidal (First School Headmaster) was the uncle of the director Burr Steers.

---

Goofs

The length of the Igby's cigarette when Oliver puts it in his drink

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Igby: Why couldn't she have been a fucking smoker.
Oliver: This has nothing to do with her being in such wonderful shape. The cause of our trouble was our inability to come up with a drug short of paint thinner, that would be at least somewhat novel to her system. She's built up a tolerance to everything.
Igby: A tolerance? She's taking her fucking afternoon nap.

---

Connections

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

---

Soundtracks

Murray
(2001)
Written by Pete Yorn (as P. Yorn)
Performed by Pete Yorn
Courtesy of Columbia Records
by arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

User Reviews

Sarcastic and vitriolic

I had to drive to effin Antwerp, Belgium to see this movie, because it was taken out of Dutch cinemas after running just for one week. And that is something that I don't understand, or maybe I do, because this is not the typical Hollywood feel-good movie. The story could have been based on a early nineties novel by Jay McInerney or Bret Easton Ellis, but it is an original screenplay by writer and director Burr Steers. The mood is very dark, the acting is top shelf and the oneliners are sharp as razorblades. Kieran Culkin and Ryan Philippe are perfectly (type)casted and the choice of music is plain wonderful. The scene where Igby runs off through Central Park accompanied by Coldplay's Don't Panic is close to perfection. I enjoyed this movie very much and I think it paints a very accurate picture of the lives of spoiled, rich kids. Go see it!