Inventing the Abbotts (1997)

Alright. I remembered seeing this movie years ago, when it was first released to video, and I liked it. Now, upon re-watching it for the first time since that fateful day ten years ago, I see why. Because I was a pervert. Clearly, I didn't enjoy this movie for its sweet message or its fine actors. Ugh.

Let me gripe from the beginning.

Alright, so first we're introduced to actors that are far too old to be playing their characters. That's fine, though -- I grew up watching Saved by the Bell -- I can deal with that. Then, as we get to know the characters a little better, we realize that, well, we really haven't gotten to know the characters at all. Other than Doug drawing breasts on a picture in school (that's how we find out that he's a "rebel) and Pam saying that each sister is the good, the bad, or the one who gets away with everything, we get nothing. There is literally NO character development. At times, it seems like the director might have tried...then no, by the end, you just find yourself angry because you invested two and a half (or whatever) hours into a movie about people, and you do not care in the slightest about any of the people.

But what about their acting you say? Well, that was just as terrible as the trite and obvious dialogue they were forced to spew. It's amazing when you see brilliant actors in earlier roles when they are give almost nothing to work with. Joaquin Phoenix is perhaps the most surprisingly horrid. Liv Tyler is cute -- when isn't she -- but she has nothing to work with, and to be honest, her acting was far from perfected (has it ever been, though?) She plays this innocent rich girl to a tee, but she still doesn't give us much of a reason to like her. And why does she like Phoenix's character Doug? Because of that rebellious drawing? Geesh. Give us some credit here.

Billy Crudup and Jennifer Connelly were good, I can't complain about their acting. But, Jennifer Connelly disappears after the first twenty minutes, in a ridiculous scene, with a ridiculous reason.

I could go on for hours. The "secret" behind the Abbotts and the death of the boys' father is pathetic. The attempt at sympathy for Lloyd Abbott falls flat. Maybe it wasn't intentional. Actually, I hope it wasn't.

Inventing the Abbotts keeps the viewer guessing what's going to happen from the get-go. It might be a Romeo and Juliet story, it might be a romantic coming-of-age, as the synopsis suggests. Unfortunately though, it actually turns out to be such thrown-together non-sense that the viewer wishes that their idea had been what happened. Instead, they're left with a characters they don't care about doing things they don't care about, and offended sense of romanticism and a bad taste lingering in their mouths.

Fmovies: I saw this film on a flight to Australia. I'd never heard of it but it would pass some time. In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It has a Forest Gump kind of charm but a lot less humour. It also reminded me of the early soap operas like Peyton Place in the way it portrayed 1950's America. The unfolding of the family story is well spun out so that you only gradually come to appreciate the tensions involved and indeed some of the scenes are only understood after later revelations show up a new significance. The characters were believable and the twist in the tale of the story sufficiently unexpected but predictable in retrospect that you kick yourself for not realising. A family film with little to worry the censor other than some mild fisticuffs and a small amount of what might have been referred to in the film as "fooling around". The interplay between the leading roles is exceptional, both between the two brothers and between Liv Tyler and Joaquin Phoenix.

"Inventing the Abbotts" seems like the sort of movie that they just made for no particular reason. Portraying some relationships in 1957 Illinois, the movie is worth seeing. Maybe not any kind of masterpiece, but interesting. I liked the fake sideburns scene, and the, uh, scene under the table. Joaquin Phoenix was showing the same acting skills that he later brought to "Gladiator" and "Walk the Line", and Liv Tyler, Billy Crudup, and Jennifer Connelly also did quite well.

I guess that overall, there's nothing really unique here. There have been many slice-of-life stories. But this one is pretty well done with some good performances. Worth seeing.

Inventing the Abbotts fmovies. This film is notable for the acting performances (especially Joaquin Phoenix in the starring role) obtained by a fine director, Pat O'Connor. O'Connor may be more comfortable with Irish subject matter but does an excellent job capturing the 50's in middle America. The story is well-told, and the relationship of the two brothers (Phoenix and Billy Crudup) stands out. We need more films like this!

I found this to be a sweet and emotional film. The direction by O'Connor was swift and engrossing and I liked the way he let you see each character differ when they were around another character. Like the way Joaquin Phoenix's character gets all lustful around Jennifer Connolly, but restrains himself around Liv Tyler.

Considering this is the film that brought them together in real life, I'm not surprised that Joaquin and Liv were so tender with one another. Both of them have the acting ability, where you only have to look into their eyes to know what they're feeling or trying to convey. For all the bitterness some characters offered, it was the relationship between Pamela and Doug that captured me.

Just a sweet love story, and that can be OK sometimes!

This movie has not received enough credit. In my estimation, each member of the cast has turned in the best performance of their career. From the relationship between the two lead characters, and with their Mother, and their connection to the Abbotts, this movie tells a moving story with true heartfelt emotion. I cried at many points in the movie. Joaquin and Billy are truly inspiring. Liv Tyler and Jennifer Connolley let us into their world of what life was like in the teenage world of the early 60's. We were transported in time back to that world with all of it social standards and sanctions. Pat O'Connor has outdone himself with this film.