The Squid and the Whale

What happens when you are a selfish parent? When everything you screw up is your kid or your spouse's fault? Well, The Squid and the Whale is about the most dysfunctional family ever, with two parents, played by Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney, who are the most selfish people ever.

They are both literature professors who compete between themselves for their kids attention and for literary greatness. These are the "academic elite," where something is only good if it is "dense" and hard to understand. They teach their children only to value "dense" academia, and not follow any other goals. It is a sad thing to see.

The parents split up early in the film,and everything ultimately becomes a competition. Which kid wants to be with dad and which with mom? The kids are messed up as well, with neither of them being able to function socially.

This is ultimately a hard movie to watch, there are many awkward, and real-seeming, moments. It was really interesting to see, I think both Mrs Titan and I enjoyed parts of it and were glad to have seen it, but will never want to watch it again. It was just a little to quirky and out there for us. If you want a quirky and weird movie, check this out, but be prepared to be grossed-out and saddened.