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The Squid and the Whale

2005 • 1h 21m •
Comedy Drama
MOVIEVIBE Rating
★ 7.0/10
1,114 reviews
Your Rating
The Squid and the Whale

Based on the true childhood experiences of Noah Baumbach and his brother, The Squid and the Whale tells the touching story of two young boys dealing with their parents' divorce in Brooklyn in the 1980s.

"Joint custody blows."

Top Billed Cast

Jeff Daniels
Jeff Daniels
Bernard Berkman
Laura Linney
Laura Linney
Joan Berkman
Jesse Eisenberg
Jesse Eisenberg
Walt Berkman
Owen Kline
Owen Kline
Frank Berkman
William Baldwin
William Baldwin
Ivan
Halley Feiffer
Halley Feiffer
Sophie Greenberg
Anna Paquin
Anna Paquin
Lili
David Benger
David Benger
Carl

Detailed Critic & Audience Reviews

W Wuchak Verified TMDB Critic
2019-02-09

***Gripping realistic account of divorce and its consequences; it’s also occasionally comical***

“The Squid and the Whale” (2005) is a frank, quirky and amusing drama about a family from Brooklyn in 1986 that encounters divorce and the ramifications thereof. The father (Jeff Daniels) is a literary professor and fading author while the wife (Laura Linney) is an emerging writer, a sweet liberal who for some reason can’t stop having affairs. The two boys are played by Jesse Eisenberg and Owen Kline. William Baldwin is on hand as a tennis instructor while Anna Paquin plays a college ...