“The Squid and the Whale has the power to break your heart and heal it again. It’s acutely observed, faultlessly active, overflowing with emotion and honesty. It will make you laugh because you can’t bear to cry.” —NPR.org
Named after a diorama at the New York Museum of Natural History, The Squid and the Whale is an achingly felt, astutely realized story told from the perspective of teenaged Walt (Jesse Eisenberg). Drawing from his own adolescence in Brooklyn’s Park Slope, Baumbach is perfectly armed to script this war of words fought among Walt’s parents (Laura Linney and Jeff Daniels), literary professionals whose marriage is falling apart, and their two sons, who wish to either imitate or irritate them. Winner of best director and best screenwriter prizes at Sundance, this unexpected hit was also nominated for six Independent Spirit Awards, three Golden Globes, and an Oscar. 2005, 35mm, 81 minutes.