Rate five things you know, from any shelf. Your archetype shows up in about a minute, and gets sharper with every log.

Joint custody blows.
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.
Sign in to log this.
Prestige, intimate, character-led and contemplative.
No profiled raters yet.

No reviews yet. Yours would be the first word on it.
Written by TMDB members; each links to the original. Not part of Taste Buds's numbers.
***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 student. The story is unsurprisingly based on director/writer Noah Baumbach’s own family’s experience. I say “unsurprisingly” because the movie smacks of real life with its candid and sometimes comical approach. A few viewers didn’t ‘get’ the father, Bernard Berkman (Daniels), and have interpreted him in an uber-negative way. Yes, he’s a grotesquely competitive, pompous cheapskate, but his comical flaws are rounded out by an inherent decency. He’s clearly not the unfaithful partner and wants to keep the family together. He takes the time to spend quality time with his boys and mentor them, especially Walt (
Read the whole review on TMDBChecking availability…
Closest on the same fourteen dimensions, from everything scored on Taste Buds. Other media included when they land close.
Recommendations from TMDB. Opening one adds it to Taste Buds
Answer first; then see how everyone, and your circle, split.
“Is this Noah Baumbach's best work?”
Sign in to answer.
Be the first to answer.
“Does the smallness hold it back?”
Sign in to answer.
Be the first to answer.
“Is Jeff Daniels the best thing in The Squid and the Whale?”
Sign in to answer.
Be the first to answer.
| Stream | |
|---|---|
| Rent | |
| Buy |
US availability, powered by JustWatch via TMDB. Each chip opens that service’s search for the title. Other regions on JustWatch