Set in Brooklyn in 1986, THE SQUID AND THE WHALE captures with extraordinary immediacy the inner workings of the Berkman family. Bernard (Jeff Daniels), a once successful novelist, and his wife Joan (Laura Linney), an up-and-coming writer, have given up on their marriage. Their two sons Walt (Jesse Eisenberg), 16, and Frank (Owen Kline), 12, are left to grapple with their confusing and conflicted feelings. The experience is a tender, funny and ultimately moving coming of age for Walt and a tortuously premature one for Frank. The emotional tensions and strains that emerge during this difficult period for the Berkmans are given a remarkably subtle and nuanced portrayal. This is a film that deftly presents the realties of a family in transition learning to redefine itself.
