X
- 2005
- R
- Samuel Goldwyn Films
- 1 h 21 m
- 2005
- R
- Samuel Goldwyn Films
- 1 h 21 m
Summary The Squid and the Whale captures with extraordinary immediacy the inner workings of the Berkman family in 1986 Brooklyn.
Directed By: Noah Baumbach
Written By: Noah Baumbach
- 2005
- R
- Samuel Goldwyn Films
- 1 h 21 m
- 2005
- R
- Samuel Goldwyn Films
- 1 h 21 m
The Squid and the Whale
7.6
Where to Watch
Summary The Squid and the Whale captures with extraordinary immediacy the inner workings of the Berkman family in 1986 Brooklyn.
Directed By: Noah Baumbach
Written By: Noah Baumbach
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 37 Critic Reviews
82
95% Positive
35 Reviews
35 Reviews
5% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 37 Critic Reviews
82
95% Positive
35 Reviews
35 Reviews
5% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Squid keeps you on your toes, but payoffs will have you smiling - maybe in rueful recognition of the truth - in scene after scene.
Baumbach captures the ways in which children takes sides in a war they can't even begin to comprehend.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 112 User Ratings
7.6
83% Positive
93 Ratings
93 Ratings
12% Mixed
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
5% Negative
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 112 User Ratings
7.6
83% Positive
93 Ratings
93 Ratings
12% Mixed
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
5% Negative
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
The movie talks about a divorce seen from the children of the divorcing couple so what we see is filtered through the eyes of a teenager and a child. The movie is beautifully shots, full of heart breaking scenes and raw dialogued in full Baumbach's style. This to me remains the best movie that Noah Baumbach has ever made so far and one of the best movies of the last 20 years.
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It packs a hefty emotional wallop.
Without jerking tears or reducing the acid content of his wit, Baumbach's humane movie gets under your skin.
This story doesn't just belong to them anymore. This richly observed, sometimes heartbreaking movie has become ours, too.
An entertaining and perceptive film with one big problem.
The absence of any nuance in the father's character bespeaks the filmmaker's unwillingness to trust his audience. Making the movie may have been therapeutic for him, but I can't say the same about watching it.
mom and me versus you and dad..
The Squid And The Whale It is so fabricated that it has to be realistic and when one achieves that fine line on the horizon and manages to perfectly balance it until the curtain drops there is a cathartic release among viewers which is quite rare to find. Noah Baumbach's writing is way too strong and has enormous potential to be independent of any barring or restrains and floats peculiarly where one cannot move away ones concentration from it. His execution skills are admirable too but might have to work on it a bit more to even match with its astoundingly poetic script. Jeff Daniels has got it covered on "performance" department where Laura Linney and Jesse Eisenberg are supporting him throughout the course of it. The Squid And The Whale is not your typical dysfunctional family genre feature for the places it visits and the range it contains, is something one can't even possibly imagine.
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A powerful look at divorce and its effects on a family, The Squid and the Whale is a decidedly quirky little film from writer/director Noah Baumbach. Interestingly written with captivating characters and terrific performances from Jeff Daniels, Jesse Eisenberg, and Laura Linney, the film can be quite poignant at times, especially with the children. The difficulty of joint custody and the separation of one's parents is represented here on two very different children. Also interesting is the division between "intellectuals" and "philistines" and their characterization in the film. In many regards, the former are portrayed quite negatively, even being shown as frauds. The latter, though certainly shown derision from the protagonists of the film, are not shown nearly any animosity in their characterization. Very interesting to see characters who seem to have such a negative characterization be the focus. Overall, quirky and wholly indie, The Squid and the Whale is an expertly written film that really hits home from beginning to end.
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The mother is totally fake, Jeff Daniels looks like he is not sure if this is supposed to be a comedy or something more serious. What a bore of a movie..I fell asleep after five minutes, so at least I got a good nap out of it. When it is clear from the get go that both parents are headcases, you can be sure that you are in for 90 minutes of agony. It evades me how this flick gets the rave reviews it did. I am going to pick up my video camera this afternoon and shoot random stuff, ask random people random questions, and you can be sure it's going to be a lot more interesting than this...
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Production Company
Samuel Goldwyn Films,
Sony Pictures International,
Destination Films,
Truly Original,
Ambush Entertainment,
Andrew Lauren Productions,
American Empirical Pictures,
Peter Newman Productions,
InterAL,
Seven Hills Pictures,
Squid and Whale Inc.
Release Date Oct 5, 2005
Duration 1 h 21 m
Rating R
Tagline Joint Custody Blows.
Awards
Golden Globes, USA
• 3 Nominations
Academy Awards, USA
• 1 Nomination
Film Independent Spirit Awards
• 6 Nominations
