Storytelling (2001)

Director:

Todd Solondz

Writer (WGA):

Todd Solondz (written by)

Release Date:

8 marraskuu 2001 (Russia)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

College and high school serve as the backdrop for two stories about dysfunction and personal turmoil.

Plot Keywords:

College | High School | Celebrity | Exploitation | Writing Class

Cast

Selma Blair	...	Vi ('Fiction')
Leo Fitzpatrick	...	Marcus ('Fiction')
Robert Wisdom	...	Mr. Scott ('Fiction')
Maria Thayer	...	Amy ('Fiction')
Angela Goethals	...	Elli ('Fiction')
Devorah Rose	...	Lucy ('Fiction')
Nancy Anne Ridder	...	Joyce ('Fiction')
Steve Rosen	...	Ethan ('Fiction') (as Steven Rosen)
Aleksa Palladino	...	Catherine ('Fiction')
Mary Lynn Rajskub	...	Melinda ('Fiction')
Tina Holmes	...	Sue ('Fiction')
Paul Giamatti	...	Toby Oxman ('Non-fiction')
Mike Schank	...	Mike the Cameraman ('Non-fiction')
Xander Berkeley	...	Mr. DeMarco ('Non-fiction')
Mark Webber	...	Scooby Livingston ('Non-fiction')

Also Known As:

Story Telling (USA) (trailer title)
Untitled Todd Solondz Project (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexual content, language and some drug use.

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Hungary:16 | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Denmark:11 | New Zealand:R18 | Argentina:18 | Australia:MA | Brazil:18 | Canada:18A | Finland:K-15 | France:U | Netherlands:16 | Peru:18 | Portugal:M/16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:R (certificate #38271) | USA:Unrated | Malaysia:(Banned)

Filming Locations:

Adelphi University, Garden City, Long Island, New York, USA

Company:

New Line Cinema

Trivia:

Emmanuelle Chriqui, Adam Hann-Byrd, and Heather Matarazzo also filmed scenes that were cut from the film.

Goofs:

Continuity: The positions of Scooby's hands when he is holding the gun change between shots.

Quotes:

[Marty and Mikey sit by the comatose Brady, who lies in his own bed]
Mikey Livingston: Dad? Do you think that Brady will ever get better?
Marty Livingston: One in a million recover.
Mikey Livingston: Maybe he's that one in a million.
Marty Livingston: Mikey, there's optimism, and then there's stupidity. It's a very fine line.
Mikey Livingston: [pause] I don't think there's any hope, either. I was just trying to make you feel better.

Movie Connections:

References Festen (1998)

Soundtrack:

I Don't Want To Play Football

More Solondz brilliance

Yet another masterpiece from one of the great indie filmmakers. Solondz again uses a lot of his trademark stark and unsettling characters to tell two separate stories. "Fiction" was short and to the point, the message being the utter subjectiveness of the art of storytelling. It was hilarious how the other kids in the writing class reacted to Vi's story, like it was improbable, racist and offensive. Solondz again displayed in this story that many people ARE racist and offensive, sometimes without even realizing it. It would have been impossible to make a whole movie out of "Fiction," and I think it was impressive that Solondz had the daring to just change over to another story without trying to link them, which would have been tedious. Solondz wanted to make two separate points, and the only way to do so was with two separate stories. The graphic sex scene between Selma Blair and Robert Wisdom is blocked out in the R-rated version; Solondz has a big red rectangle over the characters in a successful attempt to show how the MPAA censors can ruin a movie with their silly rules. I actually thought it added to the message of the first story, and the uncensored version is also on the DVD anyway. The second story is much longer and as a result has characters that are much more well developed. The Paul Giamatti character was a hilarious reflection of Solondz himself. Not just physically, but also in the way he was criticized for making fun of the characters in his documentary just as Solondz has been criticized for doing the same in "Welcome to the Dollhouse" and "Happiness." Many people who dislike Solondz films just can't stand the often vicious or disturbing denizens that inhabit his works. These people should stick to watching "Titanic" and "A Walk to Remember" as they have no appreciation for the daring and honest way Solondz makes his movies.