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Inventing the Abbotts
Threat advisory: High - High risk of entertaining activities
Movie propaganda
It's the spring of 1957 and seeds of the modern world are sprouting in Haley, Illinois - Elvis is hot, gas is cheap and sex is... imaginable.Inventing the Abbotts is the story of three crucial years in the lives of five teenagers in a small town. The working class Holt brothers are smart, good-looking and as different from each other as their family is from the wealthy Abbotts. But the Abbott girls only appear to have it all. And as the Holts and Abbotts confront the timeless challenges of love, sex and identity, their struggle is complicated by a dark secret that haunts both families.
Directed by Pat O'Connor and starring Joaquin Phoenix, Billy Crudup and Liv Tyler.
Intelligence analyst
Special Agent Matti
Theatrical report
One of those 50s movies where you remember that people actually swore and had sex back in the old days.Inventing the Abbotts looks at a number of relationships: brother and brother, mother and son, boy and girl, rich and poor. What makes these interesting is that everyone wants to have sex/find love and is hampered by their position in society, none moreso than Jacey (Billy) who is both horny and poor (talk about a double whammy). Well, I suppose that I should say that Jacey has a healthy sexual appetite and is economically challenged. And has a body you wouldn't expect from the 50s, but maybe he was on the Graeco-Roman wrestling team.
As all the secrets, gossip, scandals, and misunderstandings from the past are revealed (mostly through that annoying device, the narrator looking back at his youthful rites of passage) everyone gets more and more upset, which is a good thing for you because upset people are more interesting to watch.
Everyone is well cast, and gives good performance, especially Liv Tyler as the youngest Abbott daughter, Pamela: subtle, varied and incisive (no mean feat for a stereotypical 50s teenage character). Billy Crudup is strong, confused and sexy all at once: you know down to the ground why he is so successful with women. Joaquin Phoenix is a confused, innocent, emotional younger brother.
I had a nice time watching Inventing the Abbotts and you will too, should you choose to see this film.
Security censorship classification
M (Medium level sex scenes, low level coarse language)
Surveillance time
107 minutes (1:47 hours)
Not for public release in Australia before date
Film: 12 November 1997
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