The Squid and the Whale (2005)

Comedy, Drama

Director: Noah Baumbach
Writer: Noah Baumbach
Starring: Owen Kline, Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney, Jesse Eisenberg

"Joint Custody Blows."

Based on the true childhood experiences of director Noah Baumbach, The Squid and the Whale tells the story of a patriarch (Jeff Daniels) of an eccentric Brooklyn family who once had been a great novelist, but has settled into a teaching job. When his wife (Laura Linney) discovers a writing talent of her own, jealousy divides the family, leaving two teenage sons to forge new relationships with their parents. Linney's character begins dating her younger son's tennis coach (William Baldwin). Meanwhile, Daniels' character has an affair with the student (Anna Paquin) his older son is pursuing.

Plot summary from IMDb: 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 up with his girlfriend Sophie. Meanwhile Joan has an affair with Frank's tennis teacher Ivan and Bernard with his student Lili.(show more)

Awards: Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 23 wins & 47 nominations.
Runtime: 81 min
R