This observant study of divorce and the egos of artists is often as funny as it is poignant.
Walt Berkman (Jesse Eisenberg, ROGER DODGER) idolizes his father Bernard (Jeff Daniels, TERMS OF ENDEARMENT), a writer who wrote an award-winning book a number of years back, but now can’t get his new work published. Walt quotes his father’s ideas as his own even when he hasn’t even read the books Bernard is referencing. Walt’s mother Joan (Laura Linney, P.S.) has just sold her first story to the NEW YORKER. Bernard is a highly competitive person, who is quite resentful toward his wife’s rising career as his seems to be fading.
One day, Bernard and Joan sit Walt and his younger brother Frank (Owen Kline, who is the son of Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates, THE ANNIVERSARY PARTY) down to tell them that they are separating and that they will share custody. Bernard slyly takes stabs at Joan, revealing to Walt that she had an affair, which spurs Walt to demand to stay at his father’s place all the time. As time goes on, Walt becomes more and more like his egotistical father and grows more and more disgusted with his mother.
Walt is torn on whether to commit to his girlfriend Sophie (Halley Feiffer, YOU CAN COUNT ON ME) or attempt a fling with his father’s student Lili (Anna Paquin, THE PIANO), who has moved in with them. Meanwhile, Frank draws closer to his mother and begins to act out in disturbing ways. When asked, Frank tells his father that he’s definitely a philistine like his tennis coach Ivan (William Baldwin, FLATLINERS).
Writer/director Noah Baumbach (KICKING AND SCREAMING) based the film on his own life. His parents are famed VILLAGE VOICE critic Georgia Brown and novelist and film critic Jonathan Baumbach. Baumbach has a keen eye for how children view their parents and how their parents’ actions effect them. The issues of parents form the issues of their kids. It’s amazing that anyone is well rounded. Baumbach never tries to present easy answers and the film does not solve all the problems in the end. However, knowledge is gained and perspectives are changed.
Daniels is better than he has ever been. If there were a sixth man award for the Oscar nominations then I’d give it to him. Eisenberg and Linney are quite good as well. Eisenberg has nice wry comic timing. Kline does a surprisingly fine job in a difficult role for such a young kid. He’s one to watch. If the film has a message, it’s that if we want to conquer our fears we must look at the world objectively for that is the only way we can ever find some semblance of truth.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
