“Noah Baumbach has a knack for acute observation and a spirited cast to animate every twisted nuance.” —Rolling Stone
This debut feature takes on post-college ennui, deftly chronicling a group of friends dodging life’s encroaching responsibilities while parrying with self-assured references to Immanuel Kant and Friday the 13th. Baumbach’s aptitude for snappy, culturally astute dialogue as well as languorous long takes set Kicking and Screaming apart from the contemporary wave of Gen X malaise films. Eric Stoltz and Parker Posey are invaluable in supporting roles, but the four leads—Josh Hamilton, Carlos Jacott, Chris Eigeman, and Jason Wiles—do the heavy lifting, appearing at once jaded and sympathetic. 1995, 35mm, 96 minutes.