The Squid and the Whale

A family drama about a couple on the verge of divorce — she sleeps around, and he’s turned into a self-absorbed, aging failure — and their teenage children struggling to cope with their parents’ conflict.

The film is made almost entirely of what we call awkward moments. Doors open at the wrong time, everyone says exactly what they shouldn’t, and the whole cast seems like a collection of emotionally mangled neurotics. Baumbach shows remarkable courage here — the story mirrors his own coming of age and his parents’ divorce: a writer and a film critic.

Two awards and a Grand Jury Prize nomination at Sundance, plus Oscar and Golden Globe nominations.