The Squid and the Whale
2005 · Movie · R · 81 min · ★ 7.0 · 87% critics
In 1980s Brooklyn, two brothers try to make sense of their parents’ divorce as loyalties shift and everyday life turns tense, awkward, and sometimes darkly funny. As both parents pursue their own paths, the boys grapple with growing up fast and figuring out who to trust and how to cope.
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Streaming on Netflix.
1 hour to watch.
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Details
- Years
- 2005
- Release date
- 2005-10-05
- Language
- English
- Rated
- R
- Runtime
- 81 min
- Max quality
- HD
- Critic score
- 87/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.0/10 (1,074 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a frank, sometimes funny coming-of-age look at family fallout and messy adults, in the vein of The Savages or The Meyerowitz Stories; Not for you if harsh language and cringe moments are dealbreakers.
Pros: gripping, realistic divorce drama; sharp, quirky humor; strong performances | Cons: heavy profanity; uncomfortable teen behavior; some find it clichéd
Themes
- uniform
- new york city
- museum
- coming of age
- writer
- private
- brooklyn, new york city
- tryst
- semi autobiographical
- broken family
- 1980s
Awards & recognition
- Sundance U.S. Directing Award: Dramatic · 2005
- The Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award · 2005
- Academy Award — Best Writing, Original Screenplay · 2006 · nominated
Cast & crew
Jeff Daniels
as Bernard Berkman
Laura Linney
as Joan Berkman
Jesse Eisenberg
as Walt Berkman
Owen Kline
as Frank Berkman
William Baldwin
as Ivan
Halley Feiffer
as Sophie Greenberg
Anna Paquin
as Lili
- DB
David Benger
as Carl
- MB
Molly Barton
as Graduate Student
- BB
Bo Berkman
as Graduate Student
Directed by Noah Baumbach