Review of The Squid and the Whale (2005) by Fantasy — 18 Oct 2005

This is a movie not even a mother could love. It tells the story about a dysfunctional family living in Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY in the 19080's. First there's the father played by a self pretentious Jeff Daniels.

He's a failed author, devoid of any and all personality, who is self absorbed, arrogant, a selfish cheap bastard who cares nothing about anyone other than himself. He tries desperately to recapture his youth by befriending and then bedding a twenty-year old coed college student.

If this isn't bad enough, he's brainwashed his eldest son, a teenager, to become his clone at the expense of his son. His younger son Frank is treated like a second class citizen and hates his father so much that he spends his time masturbating throughout the movie spreading it on books, walls, and any other place just to get some attention, albeit negative.

The elder preferred son hates his mother, does his father's bidding up until the point that he's finally ready for a welcome dose of Dr. Kervorkian's suicide? The mother played by Laura Linney is a plain Jane.

She wears no makeup but sticks it to her husband by having become a successful writer. She sleeps with any and all that cross her path including, but not limited to, friends of her children. She takes up with a teaching tennis pro who has the IQ of an amoebae and acts the part.

His only line is the word "Brother." The moral of this poor excuse for a motion picture is it's better to get eaten by a Squid or a Whale then to endure this type of family environment.

The same could be said for the the audience who pays admission to watch this crapola. Avoid.