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The day-trippers

Threat advisory: High - High risk of entertaining activities

Movie propaganda

One station wagon. Two generations. Three couples. Four relationships.

Eliza (Hope Davis) and Louis D'amico (Stanley Tucci) are a young couple who live on Long Island, New York. One morning, while cleaning their bedroom, Eliza discovers what appears to be a love letter written to Louis. Distraught by the possibilities, she drives over to see her parents. Upon arriving there, Rita Malone (Anne Meara), her strong-minded mother, Jim Malone (Pat McNamara), her mild-mannered father, Jo (Parker Posey), her sarcastic and brash sister, and Carl (Liev Schreiber), Jo's pretentious, well-meaning, wannabe novelist boyfriend, sit over coffee and dissect the potential meanings of the letter. Rita convinces Eliza that she must go into New York city where Louis works and confront him face to face. The five of them cram into the family station wagon and head off to Manhattan. Each family member reacts to Eliza's crisis in a different way, pursuing their own agenda. They set out to discover the truth about Louis, but in the process, reveal themselves.

I remember hearing some expert claim that 97% of all families are dysfunctional - and it made me think of two things: first, that the word dysfunctional is meaningless, since it apparently pertains to almost every living human (and probably should be expelled from the English language), and second, who are the freaks that make up that 3% of functional families? In a crisis, most of us turn to family for help. They are a group of people who, by genetic chance, you are connected to for life - yet they can make you feel more disconnected than anyone else on earth. - Greg Mottola

Theatrical propaganda posters

Target demographic movie keyword propaganda

Film drama family adultery affair

Persons of interest

Stanley Tucci .... Louis D'Amico
Hope Davis .... Eliza Malone D'Amico
Pat McNamara .... Jim Malone
Anne Meara .... Rita Malone
Parker Posey .... Jo Malone
Liev Schreiber .... Carl Petrovic
Stephanie Venditto .... Cassandra
Campbell Scott .... Eddie Masler
Marc Grapey .... Aaron
Douglas McGrath .... Chap
Jill Rowe .... Monica Young
Andy Brown .... Ronnie
Paul Herman .... Leon
Amy Stiller .... Amy Corinne Fairbright-Lebow
Peter Askin .... Nick Woodman
Marcia Haufrecht .... Molly
Carol Locatell .... Doris
Marcia Gay Harden .... Libby
Greg Mottola .... Screenwriter
Greg Mottola .... Director

Intelligence analyst

Special Agent Matti

Theatrical report

Oh those wacky, zany, dysfunctional New Yorkers! Oh those wacky, zany, dysfunctional screenwriters!

I haven't had the privilege of seeing a film as well-written and performed as The day-trippers for a long time. It is snappy, bitchy and cutting in that way that we have come to love and adore from Noo Yoikizz. And this is dark. It is to Seinfeld as Tarantino is to Disney (well, almost). It picks dysfunctionality up by the scruff of the neck, gives it a good shake, then stuffs it back under the rug from whence it came. Yeehar!

The effect is enhanced by a semi-documentary style: gritty shot, lots of close-ups, situational lighting, lots of camera movement, incredibly real performances. There are little trips into New York exotica: interludes which have nothing much to do with the main story, but which are fascinating in themselves and shed penetrating light on the family Malone. The history of deceit and (here's that word again) dysfunctionality that seems to be the lot of humanity seeps through everything and everyone like blue liquid into a sanitary pad.

This is a film that is well worth seeing, for the dark of humour, the voyeuristic, the film student.

Security censorship classification

M (Low level coarse language, adult themes)

Surveillance time

87 minutes (1:27 hours)

Not for public release in Australia before date

VHS retail: 10 September 2001