I'm very pleased to see other reviewers comparing Kieran Culkin's character Jason/Igby to The Catcher in the Rye's Holden Caulfield - while watching the film I was thinking the same thing, much to writer/director Burr Steers' credit. This is THE Social Commentary movie I have been waiting to see for a long time now - fearless, witty, arch, poignant without being sentimental, and, best of all, the characters are not one-dimensional, they all live and breathe and we feel the agony they are suffering behind their socially privileged masks.
Culkin is especially brilliant (and so sad, with his Harry Potter scarf - a young wizard without any magic),but everyone shines here - Sarandon, Pullman, Danes, Amanda Peet, Ryan Phillippe, Jeff "how-can-I-be-any-creepier" Goldblum, and of course Jared Harris, who positively reeks eccentricity without even having to open his mouth (but when he does, it's always good too). A fine first film from a director/writer who definitely bears watching.
Igby Goes Down
2002
Action / Comedy / Drama
Igby Goes Down
2002
Action / Comedy / Drama
75% - Critics
80% - Audience
6.9Keywords: new york cityparent child relationshipfalling in lovegodfather
Plot summary
Seventeen year old Jason Slocumb, Jr. - Igby to most that know him - comes from east coast old money, the second son of self-absorbed and controlling Mimi Slocumb and medically-diagnosed schizophrenic Jason Slocum, Sr., the latter who has for several years been institutionalized in a Maryland psychiatric facility. While Igby's economics-studying Columbia-attending older brother Ollie Slocum has embraced and aspires to continue their wealthy life, Igby has rebelled against it, considering his brother a fascist (although he could soften that label to Republican). Because of Jason's situation, Mimi has largely left the role of male role model for Ollie and Igby to their godfather, D.H. Banes. Igby's rebellion has led to him being kicked out of one prep school after another, the latest, a military academy, from which Igby escapes before he can graduate. As such, Mimi and D.H. arrange for Igby to live in New York with Ollie for the summer while working for D.H. renovating some of his properties, before Mimi arranges for yet another strict school for the fall so that Igby can at least graduate. Igby is largely able to hide out for most of the summer with the help of Rachel, D.H.'s younger heroin addict mistress, and Sookie, a slightly older waitress with who he falls in love. An issue with Sookie and the aftermath of a joint mission with Ollie leads to Igby having a clearer picture of what his immediate future will look like.
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Holden Caulfield with a Harry Potter scarf
The first movie that I ever saw with my college friends.
Macaulay Culkin quickly became a has-been, but his brothers have taken some interesting roles, particularly Kieran in "Igby Goes Down". The movie portrays teenager Igby Slocumb, who - although he seems really messed up - has a perfectly good reason for it: his relatives. His mother Mimi (Susan Sarandon) tries too hard to be a socialite; his father Jason (Bill Pullman) had a breakdown; his stepfather D.H. (Jeff Goldblum) turned his brother Ollie (Ryan Philippe) into a young Republican; and so on.
Obviously, many movies deal with screwy families, but this one does a great job the way that "The Royal Tenenbaums" did. Much like a whole slew of great movies came out while my parents were in college, so many have come out while I've been in college ("Igby Goes Down" was in fact the first movie that I saw with my college friends). It's movies like this that make life worth living.
I really don't like these characters
Igby Slocumb (Kieran Culkin) is from a crazy dysfunctional family. The movie opens with him and brother Oliver (Ryan Phillippe) smothering their sleeping mother (Susan Sarandon) with a plastic bag. Then it dives back into their lives before. Igby is a rebellious f-up who is sent to military school. His father Jason (Bill Pullman) suffers from mental instability. His domineering mother Mimi (Susan Sarandon) is a mess. His older brother Ollie (Ryan Phillippe) is a republican. D.H. Banes (Jeff Goldblum) is his godfather. Then there are Banes' drug-addicted mistress Rachel (Amanda Peet) and the wonderfully charming Sookie (Claire Danes).
Kieran could be a great actor. He does a great slacker rebel. Something about his character just rubs me the wrong way. I don't like this character. I don't like anybody in this movie. Don't get me wrong. I love all the actors here, but I just don't like any of the characters. Everybody is mean-spirited and selfish. I can't bring myself to liking this movie.