Igby Goes Down
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| Igby Goes Down | |
 Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Burr Steers |
|---|---|
| Produced by | Lisa Tornell Trish Hofmann David Rubin |
| Written by | Burr Steers |
| Starring | Kieran Culkin Claire Danes Jeff Goldblum Bill Pullman Susan Sarandon |
| Music by | Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen |
| Cinematography | Wedigo von Schultzendorff |
| Editing by | William M. Anderson Robert Frazen Padraic McKinley |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer United Artists |
| Release date(s) | September 13, 2002 |
| Running time | 97 min. |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $9,000,000 |
| Gross revenue | $6,919,198 |
| Official website • IMDb | |
Igby Goes Down is a 2002 comedy-drama film that follows the life of Igby Slocumb. It is written and directed by Burr Steers. It is rated R by MPAA for language, sexuality, and drug content.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
Kieran Culkin plays Jason "Igby" Slocumb, a sarcastic seventeen year old boy, rebelling against the oppressive world of his strict East Coast "old money" family. His father Jason (Bill Pullman) suffering from schizophrenia has been committed to an institution; Igby fears a mental breakdown like his father. His mother Mimi (Susan Sarandon) is self-absorbed and distant. Igby mockingly describes his ambitious older brother Ollie (Ryan Phillippe) as a facist or alternatively a Young Republican, and that he studies Neo-Fascism (Economics) at Columbia University.
Igby figures there must be a better life out there, and he sets out to find it, rebelling against his family at every opportunity. After happily flunking out of several prep schools, ending up in a brutal military academy where he gets beaten by his fellow students "and Igby goes down". After escaping and spending time in a Chicago hotel courtesy of his mothers credit card Igby is sent to New York for the summer to his godfather D.H. Banes (Jeff Goldblum). While working construction for D.H. he first encounters Rachel (Amanda Peet) a "dancer who doesn't dance" and his godfather's heroin-addicted trophy mistress. Rather than return to school he escapes into the bohemian underworld of Manhattan, hiding out with Rachel and her friend Russel (Jared Harris) "an artist who doesn't paint". He hooks up terminally bored, part-time lover Sookie (Claire Danes), only for her later leave him for his brother Ollie.
Despite seeming cold and distant Mimi is not unaffected by her rebellious son. She describes Igby's conception as an act of malice and it shouldn't be a surprise that his life follows the same course. His name is explained as a family in-joke. As a child he would blame his Digby toy bear for things he had done, mispronouncing it as "Igby". In order to get him to take responsibility for his actions his family would call him Igby whenever he lied.
Igby is informed by D.H. his mother Mimi is dying from cancer and so he returns to see her. She has arranged to commit assisted suicide with help of Ollie, who sedates her and suffocates her using a plastic bag. Before she dies Mimi makes a final revelation, casually enquiring of Igby "I take it you know that D.H. is your father?". The film ends with Igby leaving for California, attempt to finally make a clean break by getting 3000 miles away from his family.
Director Burr Steers' uncle Gore Vidal has a brief cameo as a Catholic priest.
[edit] Cast
- Kieran Culkin as Jason "Igby" Slocumb, Jr., the film's protagonist, a sarcastic and rebellious teenager looking for a better life.
- Claire Danes as Sookie Sapperstein, Igby's terminally bored on-and-off Bennington girlfriend who later goes with his older brother.
- Jeff Goldblum as D.H. Banes, Igby's wealthy but morally bankrupt godfather.
- Bill Pullman as Jason Slocumb, Sr., Igby's schizophrenic father.
- Susan Sarandon as Mimi Slocumb, Igby's cold, self-obsessed mother.
- Ryan Phillippe as Oliver "Ollie" Slocumb, Igby's ambitious older brother.
- Jared Harris as Russel, a heroin-dealing performance artist who befriends Igby.
- Amanda Peet as Rachel, D.H.'s heroin-addicted trophy mistress who claims to be an artist.
- Rory Culkin as 10-year-old Igby
- Celia Weston as Bunny, Mrs. D.H. Banes.
- Cynthia Nixon as "Mrs. Piggee", a teacher of Igby.
- Gregory Itzin (uncredited) as the eulogist.
- Gore Vidal (cameo) as Catholic priest.
[edit] Soundtrack
The soundtrack was released February 25, 2003 by Spun Records.[1] Music featured prominently in the film and was strongly non-diegtic.
- "The Weight" – performed by Travis, written by Robbie Robertson
- "Not You" – Alvarez
- "Don't Panic" – Coldplay
- "Everybody's Stalking" – Badly Drawn Boy
- "Bohemian Like You" – The Dandy Warhols
- "Anyway" – Jelly Planet
- "Frozen Tears" – G. Mittermeier
- "Youth is Wasted on the Young" – Krause
- "Broken Up a Ding Dong" – Beta Band
- "Boys Better" – The Dandy Warhols
- "Insanity is Relative" (suite)
- "Love and Remembrance" (suite)
- "Igby Goes Down" (main theme)
[edit] Filming locations
Igby Goes Down was filmed in locations throughout New York City, including Central Park, Washington Square Park, and SoHo.
[edit] Reaction
Igby Goes Down received a positive critical reaction,, with an overall rating of 76% on Rotten Tomatoes and a rating of 72% favorable on Metacritic. Critics have compared aspects of the story to J.D. Salinger's novel Catcher in the Rye.[2] [3]
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Official site
- Igby Goes Down at the Internet Movie Database
- Igby Goes Down at Allmovie
- Igby Goes Down at Box Office Mojo
- Igby Goes Down at Metacritic
- Igby Goes Down at Rotten Tomatoes
- Trailer at AllTrailers.net
- Igby Goes Down reviewed by Rolling Stone Magazine
