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Film Series 2006
March 12, 2006 -The Squid and The Whale
Noah Baumbach's THE SQUID AND THE WHALE is an excruciatingly humane,
often hilarious portrait of a disintegrating family in mid-1980s
Brooklyn. Set in the stately yet off-kilter neighborhood of Park Slope,
the film tells the story of the Berkmans, a quintessentially New York
family struggling to keep things together. Family patriarch Bernard
(Jeff Daniels) is a published author and writing teacher whose
insecurity over his own lack of recognition continues to plague him.
Meanwhile, his wife, Joan (Laura Linney), is grappling with her own
sense of unsettlement. Their sons, who are caught in the crossfire,
express their confusion in different ways: 16-year-old Walt (Jesse
Eisenberg) tries to pass off Pink Floyd's "Hey You" as his own hit in
the school talent show, while his 12-year-old brother Frank (Owen Kline)
begins to explore his budding sexuality. When Bernard and Joan finally
decide to separate, the family must confront their unraveling situation
head on.
Rarely has family dysfunction been captured so frankly and honestly as
in THE SQUID AND THE WHALE. Baumbach claims his film is only
semi-autobiographical, but, from the pitch-perfect writing and nostalgic
tone, it feels as if we're watching home videos of the writer-director's
past. Featuring an outstanding pop-music soundtrack (Bert Jansch, The
Feelies, Lou Reed), the film also boasts performances that seem certain
to earn end-of-the-year accolades.
Genre: Drama, Comedy.
MPAA : Rated R for sexuality, nudity, language and some violence.
Runtime: 80 min
Sunday Afternoons at the Valley Cinemas
20 Albany Street, Little Falls, NY
Curtain Time - 4:00 PM
