Stars: Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney, Jesse Eisenberg, Owen Kline, William Baldwin, Anna Paquin, Ken Leung

Director: Noah Baumbach

Summary: A portrait of a disintegrating family in mid-1980s Brooklyn. The family comprises a father struggling with his lack of recognition as an author, an unsettled mother and two confused male children.

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 neighbourhood 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 unravelling 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 boasts excellent performances from its cast.

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Aspect Ratio:	1.85 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Audio Commentaries,, Behind-The-Scenes Featurette,, Interview With Director and Writer
Subtitles:	Spanish, Dutch, English, HIndi
Year:	2005
Release Date:	August 7, 2006
Runtime:	77 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	C D R 40915
Keywords:	General, Whale, Drama, Squid
Genre:	Drama