The Squid and the WhaleSynopsis and Overview

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Showtimes + Tickets
  • The Squid and the Whale
  • Opened October 5, 2005 | Runtime:1 hr. 28 min.
  • R
    strong sexual content, graphic dialogue and language
  • Information for parents: Common Sense Media says not for kids. Read More
  • Jealousy divides an eccentric Brooklyn family. The two teen sons' loyalties are split between their parents, as the mother dates the younger son's tennis coach, and the father courts the older son's object of affection.
  • Cast: Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney, Jesse Eisenberg, Owen Kline, William Baldwin
  • Director: Noah Baumbach
  • Genres: Art House/Foreign, Comedy, Drama

The Squid and the Whale Recent Fan Reviews

  • Go

    Torn

    by avckc

    This movie is a snapshot of a failed marriage transitioning into separation. The characters are highly flawed, sometimes sympathetic, and other times truly pathetic and unlikeable. Some of the specifics of the movie are annoyingly poorly drawn, but if you do not focus on the details, the overarching story, style, and acting are very good. The movie is set in 1986, perhaps because these characters seem more likely in retrospect because their flaws seem less likely now, in the way that mullet haircuts are less likely now. If you were a kid at that time, you may see yourself as the children in the movie, and it might remind you to avoid the mistakes of your parents.

  • Must Go!

    THE SQUID AND THE WHALE

    Noah Baumbach's insightful, seeringly realistic portrait of a family in a downward spiral after an initial separation of mother and father (intensely realized by both Laura Linney and Jeff Daniels) is an immensely engrossing film. Based on many autobiographical incidents from his own life, Baumbach keenly envelopes his characters in a quirky atmosphere of contradiciton and consequnce. Many scenes echo the pain and frustration of growing up in a shattered household and the two young boys are well defined and sympathetic. Overall, one of the finest domestic dramas to come out of Hollywoods in years!!

  • No

    just made me feel uncomfortable

    i had heard great things about this movie, but when i finally watched it, i was uninspired. i suppose they were trying to tell a "coming of age" tale of these two boys in a broken home, but the story didn't progress in a way that made me care about any of the characters. it was a series of uncomfortable situations and watching everyone be extremely hurtful to each other and everyone else around them. glad i watched it so that i knew what it was about, but i wouldn't watch it again or recommend it.

The Squid and the Whale Critic Reviews

Must Go! Avg. Critic Score out of 100 Metascore ® based on all critic ratings.

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 91
    Entertainment Weekly | Lisa Schwarzbaum

    In hovering, The Squid and the Whale becomes its own realistic display of...

  • 90
    Los Angeles Times | Kenneth Turan

    Acutely observed, faultlessly acted, graced with piercing emotion and unsparing...

  • 90
    The New York Times | Dana Stevens

    Both sharply comical and piercingly sad. Mr. Baumbach surveys the members of...

  • 88
    Rolling Stone | Peter Travers

    Without jerking tears or reducing the acid content of his wit, Baumbach's...

The Squid and the Whale Movie Ratings + Reviews

Fans say

So-so 306 fan reviews

Critics say

Must Go! See all critic reviews

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